How to keep material down?

[ilsaarin]

I have quite common problem and now I would like to get some tips how to solve it.

I cutted some pieces from 1mm thich plastic sheet. My spindle is air cooled and it blows quite hard to the material. The result is that material will raise up from the table. And when I have only 2mm cutting lenght in my 1mm end mill, the material will start to melt.

So, how to keep material down while cutting and engraving? There are some solutions in the market. Here is one of them: http://www.team-haase.de/pages/gravuranschlag.html

Do you have own solutions or any proposals what to buy. The one at Team Haase is not suitable for my device.

Thanks,

Ilkka

[Gippetto]

Ilkka,

There are cutters wich are pushing the object back to the table, socalled down-cutters, i use them to and
works ok.
Further you can use a vacuumtable, can be build quit easy for less money.

Ruud
www.gippetto.eu

[John Murphy]

I recently purchased engravers tape. It is super sticky on one side, and less so on the other. It can be reused up to 15 times(So I'm told, but I haven't tested that). I also tried just a generic two sided clear tape from a local big box. It also worked fine, but left some adhesive on the back of the parts, which I had to clean off.

The engravers tape is expensive, but does not leave any residue on the parts.

john

[gravirozo]

hi

yepp it is melt, because the air hasn't enough coolingeffecf... i personally use some household stuff like windex... it is "lube" enough the mat, and it won't stick on the tool, causing deposit,,,
to hold down, i all the time cut on a ply wood, and for larger part, with the router i make holes for smallscrews...
on this way i can set the srews very close, but the bit still don't catch it...

i've been cutted a lot plexi and acryl.... so i figured out, the air doesn't work... might be in some condition, but when you cut an inch or over plexy.... the air just not enough.... and the surface with fluid sure be shiny...

das gravuer ansclag neine richtig...

you could try that german stuff, but you get some chip under that "shoe" and that will make extra engraving... you dont want...
it ging to cost you about 100 bux, and you might can't return if it doesn't work...
i like as they advertisin, profi, you mount in seconds...

[ilsaarin]

Hmm. Double sided tape has one problem. My last cut was from 800mmx130mm sheet so there is quite a lot material to tape before cutting. But I just remembered that there is some kind of engraving mat available which has a sticky surface. It can also be washed and it works again as new. I have to buy one down-cutter for testing also.

I cutted polyethylene sheet and cutting was just fine where blade really cutted. But where sheet was raised too high, material started to melt.

Gravirozo had a good point in his reply about unwanted engravings while using that "shoe".

EDIT: that sticky engraving mat costs 119€ = ~160USD !!! That's it then.

Ilkka

[gravirozo]

yepp...

this is i tried to say... a box of small screw like 6ga 1/2long with panhead cost about3 dollar... and you can use several times... if there's some larger area, that you can't place hole in the middle, still the halfway folded ducktape is working....(the aluminum)...

to pay off 160 dollar of sign.... you have to make a lot... and simple mineral spirit, or just your wife's nailpolish remover clean it...
as i read somewhere on the forum... a simple shopvac attached to a mdf box... already a vacumtable.... about of 50 dollar.... the local woodshop has cheap mdf dropoff... even a whole sheet cheaper like the tape...
since i'm hobbyist i can find the cheapest solution

[Uncle Hai]

I have old ShopBot prt98 no vacuum system (thanks to Vectric about tabs system) just clamps on the go. Thing I deal with 1/16" PVC is 2" blue foam for sacrifice board with thin 2xside tape sheet (Oracal) and clamps (on the go as long you have 3 points hold a working sheet down most I work with 4'x8' size) whole thing on table.