Joined
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3 Posts
Hi all, first time posting. I have run into a problem that I cannot think of how to solve effectively. I have come up with an idea for a product that I would like to sell and I have successfully made the wood tool repetitively. However, to be viable for selling at the price I want to sell them at, I need to make them quicker and without flaws (I'll explain the flaws later). So I have come to the hivemind to get ideas to better make the shape. Before I explain, the piece I'm making is only 1/2 thick.
First let me run you through how I have been doing it, then I will attempt to explain why I'm doing it this way, and then hopefully I can get some better ideas to speed up the process.
1) Take my master piece (same shape as final design just with no routered edges) and trace a new piece.
2) Take Forsner bit and drill hole in piece.
3) Take Router with a 45 Chamfer bit and route the hole on both sides.
4) I then cut the shape with a scrolling saw/jigsaw slightly bigger than the final product.
5) Take my master piece and piece I'm working on and using a LARGE bolt and nut, attach both on top of each other to my workbench. (for reference, the bolt is a flathead/martini style and sits in the hole of the product below the top so I can run my router on a flat surface) I then take my router with a straight cut bit with a bearing and essentially route the slightly bigger one to get the exact shape as my master piece. Then unscrew them from table.
6) I then take the piece I just routed, now it has the exact shape I want, and attach that to my workbench with the large bolt and nut. I then take my 45 degree chamfer bit, set it to half the height (1/4) and route.
7) Flip the piece over and repeat with Chamfer bit.
So this process is obviously long but it does work pretty well! This may seem like I'm changing bits out alot, which is one of the problems I want to solve! But if I'm doing 10 of them at once, it isn't so bad.
BUT WE HAVE SOME REAL PROBLEMS!!!
1) The process isn't exactly slow, but I want it to be much simpler. The faster I can make them the better.
2) Router table - I've thought about attempting this with a router table, and I'll see what you have to say but it just seems really dangerous and also if someone suggests using a guide handle thing on top of it, please read on to the chamfer bit problem.
3) Chamfer bit. - My biggest problem that has stalled this project. Because I am routing the piece to to come to an exact point around the entire piece, that means the bearing on the second pass (Step 7) does not roll along anything. and let me be clear. I'm not trying to make this come to an exact point. I'm leaving maybe a 32nd of an inch between the 45's and I want to continue to do that. The problem is that the bearing on the second pass, does not hit anything. BUT the little ring on top of the bearing does hit there. So essentially I have something that still follows the shape and lets me finish the product. HOWEVER, It burns the wood badly and leave a small groove right at the tips of those 45s. One of the things i'm trying to eliminate is having to excessively sand any part of the tool. I want to route it and pretty much be done with it. The chamfer bit i'm using has the bearing at the bottom. Could my answer lie with a bearing at the top and follow the master shape again?? Is there a chamfer bit like this?
4) Edge Banding Dual 45 router bit - This isn't a problem as much as it was an idea. I thought maybe an edge banding router bit would be my answer. and if the product I'm attempting to make was bigger, this would be the solution to my problems and maybe still is. BUT, I attempted it tonight and what it did was cut into my master piece as well. Which wouldn't be a big deal except that with as large as the edge banding bit is and as small as my piece is, it cut to much out of the master to make this a viable option. Essentially, if you look at the big hook on my final piece, the master that is underneath it would probably get cut all the way through. (I stopped before this happened).
So hopefully that wasn't confusing. If it was I will repost with alot more photos. But I'm looking for all the ideas you can think of because I'm out of them.
First let me run you through how I have been doing it, then I will attempt to explain why I'm doing it this way, and then hopefully I can get some better ideas to speed up the process.
1) Take my master piece (same shape as final design just with no routered edges) and trace a new piece.
2) Take Forsner bit and drill hole in piece.
3) Take Router with a 45 Chamfer bit and route the hole on both sides.
4) I then cut the shape with a scrolling saw/jigsaw slightly bigger than the final product.
5) Take my master piece and piece I'm working on and using a LARGE bolt and nut, attach both on top of each other to my workbench. (for reference, the bolt is a flathead/martini style and sits in the hole of the product below the top so I can run my router on a flat surface) I then take my router with a straight cut bit with a bearing and essentially route the slightly bigger one to get the exact shape as my master piece. Then unscrew them from table.
6) I then take the piece I just routed, now it has the exact shape I want, and attach that to my workbench with the large bolt and nut. I then take my 45 degree chamfer bit, set it to half the height (1/4) and route.
7) Flip the piece over and repeat with Chamfer bit.
So this process is obviously long but it does work pretty well! This may seem like I'm changing bits out alot, which is one of the problems I want to solve! But if I'm doing 10 of them at once, it isn't so bad.
BUT WE HAVE SOME REAL PROBLEMS!!!
1) The process isn't exactly slow, but I want it to be much simpler. The faster I can make them the better.
2) Router table - I've thought about attempting this with a router table, and I'll see what you have to say but it just seems really dangerous and also if someone suggests using a guide handle thing on top of it, please read on to the chamfer bit problem.
3) Chamfer bit. - My biggest problem that has stalled this project. Because I am routing the piece to to come to an exact point around the entire piece, that means the bearing on the second pass (Step 7) does not roll along anything. and let me be clear. I'm not trying to make this come to an exact point. I'm leaving maybe a 32nd of an inch between the 45's and I want to continue to do that. The problem is that the bearing on the second pass, does not hit anything. BUT the little ring on top of the bearing does hit there. So essentially I have something that still follows the shape and lets me finish the product. HOWEVER, It burns the wood badly and leave a small groove right at the tips of those 45s. One of the things i'm trying to eliminate is having to excessively sand any part of the tool. I want to route it and pretty much be done with it. The chamfer bit i'm using has the bearing at the bottom. Could my answer lie with a bearing at the top and follow the master shape again?? Is there a chamfer bit like this?
4) Edge Banding Dual 45 router bit - This isn't a problem as much as it was an idea. I thought maybe an edge banding router bit would be my answer. and if the product I'm attempting to make was bigger, this would be the solution to my problems and maybe still is. BUT, I attempted it tonight and what it did was cut into my master piece as well. Which wouldn't be a big deal except that with as large as the edge banding bit is and as small as my piece is, it cut to much out of the master to make this a viable option. Essentially, if you look at the big hook on my final piece, the master that is underneath it would probably get cut all the way through. (I stopped before this happened).
So hopefully that wasn't confusing. If it was I will repost with alot more photos. But I'm looking for all the ideas you can think of because I'm out of them.
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