Need Help

[jay]

I have a job to quote cutting a Board Room Table. My Bot has a 4 x 8 bed and the table is 4 x 10 x 1"thick,he wants it all in one piece. The customer wants both ends of the table to curve down to 3 feet from the 4 foot middle. He also wants some inlay work done on the middle of the table. I do not have a problem with the inlay just cutting the outside.

I was thinking I would use the centre of the table as 0,0 cut one end them move the blank down the table so the other end was within my limits, then cut the other end. I am sure you inventive guys out there have gone thru this experience and can offer some better suggestions.

I would appreciate any suggestions offered.

[jay]

Board Room Table
7140

[gerald_d]

If you can turn it upside down, then you need to work from one corner only. You can then get each of the four corners to the traditional 0,0 point at the bottom left corner of your table.

[gbatten]

Why not use the Shopbot to make templates. Then use the templates to cut the top with a handheld router.

[srwtlc]

How about placing a 10'+ strip of something flexible (like a thin strip ripped off the edge of a board, etc.) at the center point and pull the ends in to the desired arc. Draw a line, cut with a hand held jigsaw (leaving the line), belt sand to the line with a portable belt sander. Be sure you have a good blade for the jigsaw though, as some will flex and lead to one direction on the bottom of the cut. If your not good with a belsander

[don_ask]

You only need to the two arcs closest to 0,0. The cut pattern appears to be the same on both ends. Place the table corner at 0,0 make your two arc cuts. Turn the table 180 deg. and make the same two arc cuts again. The logo in the middle can be made without moving the table a second time. I THINK IT WILL WORK!

[davidallen]

If you'll use the center of an edge as your zero instead of a corner, I think you'll be happier. (this means that the y-axis will have both + and - values)

if you're only doing one, use the SB to make a template for the ends then a pattern router to finish the table. flip the template as needed so that the curves are mirror images of one another.

cutting the inlay is easist done by using a zero at the center of both the board and pattern.

[stevem]

Gerald’s approach seems to be the simplest and best. The table looks symmetrical. If so, there is no need to flip it upside down. Just turn it on it’s centre so that each end is cut while inside the Bot’s work envelope.

[jay]

Thanks everyone! This forum is so valuable, thanks ShopBot as well.

Never realized work could be so much fun, little fustrating ... but fun. I will know Monday if the job is mine.

[gerald_d]

The reason for us cutting something like this by indexing one corner at a time is that blanks supplied by our customers are seldom square, or to the dimensions they tell us beforehand.