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Computer-controlled Machining.md 14.31 KiB

#Computer controlled machining

This week is about making something big using a CNC milling/routing machine. I want to explore the possibilities of CNC machining - drill, pocket, dog-bones, nesting, etc. I tried to make a versatile furniture piece so that I can use different joints and experiment with them.

Page Summary

  1. Introduction
  2. Design
  3. Nesting
  4. CAM
  5. Test settings
  6. Machining
  7. Assembly
  8. References
  9. Design Files
  1. Introduction

Material available for use is a veneer plywood of size 2440 x 1220 x 17 mm.

On checking with a vernier caliper, thickness varies between 16.9mm and 17.1mm. So I'll use an average of 17mm thickness for my design.
I wanted to make a desk with adjustable height so after some viewing some references, I decided to make trestle legs for a desk setup.

I started by making a 3D version of IKEA's FINVVARD to understand how it works.

Since, I didn't have access to the lab during this week, I did the CAM part according to tools used in FabLabBCN.
Later when I used FabLab SP, I did it again using Vcarve Pro.

  1. Design

I learnt about some details from the 50 Digital Joints poster. For the group assignment, I made a joint using both profiling and pocketing.

I also made some versions of the finger tennons, lapped finger tennons, throughhole finger tennons to design the trestle.

Here is how the final legs look. I need to make 2 of these and put any flat board on top to make a tabletop.

Here it is in 3D.

  1. Nesting

Next, I lay everything flat on the XY plane and did a make 2D. For nesting I used an online service called nestandcut.com to nest all parts in twice the quantity on a sheet of 1220x1220x15 mm. (Half a sheet). I uploaded a dxf file that I export from Rhino and imported the nested dxf back.

I made some changes manually to fit it all in the available sheet. Like I put two parts insode the big board and nest it within to make more space for the missing parts. Here is what that looks like:

  1. CAM

RhinoCAM

Next, I shifted to the Windows partition of my computer and installed RhinoCAM. I opened the RhinoCAM machining browser plug-in in Rhino6. First I set it to MILL. In the program tab, I set up the material stock - 1220x1220x15.5 mm, the machine details - 3 axis , post - shopbot.

I set the origin at the left bottom corner and the Z at the top of the material stock.