Registering parts on top of each other?

[myxpykalix]

Since i could not find any suitable material to make into a column (like pvc pipe) i'm take 3/4" mdf and cutting about 70 of these pieces out of a sheet and stacking them on top of each other to form the 3/4 column for the corner. In the glue up they tend to move a bit and i'd like to drill a couple registration holes to dowel each piece together. I already have everything toolpathed and ready to go when i thought of this. I would prefer not to have to start over just to add the hole but i realize i can't just place a hole where it looks like it might be right.
How i made the whole sheet of parts was i designed the first one then copied/pasted/toolpathed all parts as one.

8609

[drodda]

Make a right angle jig on your drill press table to drill a couple holes that would allow you to use dowells for the alignment. You could easily get acurate holes in two places on each one fo these parts after they are removed from the bot?
-D

[mzettl]

Jack,

As I understand it, you don't want to add the registration hole(s)now because it would be "starting over." You didn't mention what software you used to draw the part. If you used Part Wizard, you can do a "block copy," and it's all very quick. Just draw the part with the registration holes in the lower left corner of the material, select the entire part, block copy it to make 7 rows and 10 columns, or whatever, and you're done - 70 parts on the sheet in no time.

You will then need to select all of the holes and group them for one toolpath, and the rest of the part would be another toolpath. If you make the holes 1/4" or 3/8" in diameter, you can use a drilling toolpath to drill them, and the same bit to cut out the part, no tool change needed, so it essentially ends up being one toolpath.

Although the drill press idea as Dave suggested would work just fine, it seems to me that the bot can do it much faster, and the time spent in redrawing it will be more than made up by the time saved in cutting the part in one operation instead of two.

Just a thought.

Matt

[myxpykalix]

I will probably just start over and retoolpath everything because when i copied the part and pasted it was just drag and drop (and not accurate) so i couldn't just block copy and paste on the mdf sheet and expect them to land in the same spot within the part. It's not that big a deal, i just figured someone had tip to make it faster but no big deal.

[scottcox]

Jack,

Try running an appropriately sized dowel through the center relief cuts/holes, flipping the whole stack sideways onto the tops of the "V" and then clamp. That should work if you have sharp corners and your flutes line up well.

Nice "design enhancement" there BTW.

[myxpykalix]

Scott, you like that huh? I fergit where i got that, i think some goofball sent me that..lol

[davidallen]

Can you align the parts with dowels along the external scallops?

If so, can you glue and align each piece then hit them with a couple of 1 1/4" brad nails?

That should hold until the glue sets.

da

[tim_m]

Jack
you could just draw one and creat a toolpath for it. then run the nest program under shopbot tools. this allows you to set up an array of your one tool path to cover the entire sheet.

[fleinbach]

Jack,

Many parts I design for my theater rooms are made in layers as you are doing. I simply draw the part and place 1/4 inch holes for dowel pins to accurately align them. I place the holes wherever it's convenient then group the piece so they stay in the same place. After which you can use whatever method you prefer for placing them on the sheet, Copy paste, Mufti copy, etc.