A guy is out trying to make a buck by delivering 1700 1/8" thick circles and his thread gets high jacked.

Rocky eating steak tonight? Glad to hear your wife got missed and Rocky is doing well. That is one great dog you got there.

Yes, the pucker factor, setting up the file in the right place and being sure you don't have a brain skip (fart). They are what kill you. I check my location lots of times before starting. Also to be sure the file I want to cut will fit in the material that is sitting on the table.

Sorry Nils. :)

I'm at the computer designing promotional items this morning and the MM thread reply keeps popping up.

Yea, Rocky's pretty cool. We've got 4 dogs and they are a cast of characters. I wonder some times, who owns who.

Glad someone is making a buck. I better get back to work.

Greg,

I do not mind you guys using my thread. Come up with any great ideas to get more business, I am interested in hearing about it.

I think I came out even. Destroyed some bits in the process of doing the job. Those small pieces get jammed and that is all it takes and your are installing a new bit.

Nils,

When I find something that works and brings in customers, you'll be the first to know.

I always fear the tabs will break during cuts & ruin job due to the job shifted from its position or waste pieces get in the way of the bit & cause loss steps... the worst night mare...

That's a beautiful sign. Can you take a picture of the bit you used to cut that 2" acrylic?

Nils, I hate to say it, but I just priced the same piece of acrylic here in Taiwan and I got a quote from my supplier for about $350 US for each piece. The price per cubic inch must be sky high over there!!!!

David,

The general contractor bought the material so I didn't have to be concerned with the price. I just didn't want to screw it up and have to buy one also.

Roberto Cavalli Sign Update
 

I recently learned from the contractor that hired me to cut the 2" Acrylic for the sign, that a Vice President for the Roberto Cavalli Corporation in New York told them that my letters were the best letters that they have ever had done for a store.

I was very pleased to hear that because it means my abilities are of a high quality. But it also means that the machine that Gerald designed is competitive with other CNC machines that are available and cuts better than most.

Thanks Gerald for sharing your design.

Nils, my drawings were only a guide, and do not guarantee that you will get a good cut. . . . . . as you found in the beginning. You must give yourself the credit for really getting stuck in and tweaking your machine until it gave that high quality.

Good work.

i would chase up Roberto Cavalli HQ and try to become a nominate suppiler meaning that any GC will need to order there signs from you.

Nils,

Looking back, your rough cut was done with a 1/2" Bit at 150 IPM.

If you don't mind, would you share your finishing pass information. Also, whats the allowance (how much did you "skim" cut) on the finish pass?

Thanks,

P.S. - Still working on the marketing aspects. Nothing worth sharing yet. Your doing the best marketing anyways, high quality work. Keep up the good work.

Nils,
I second the RCHQ followup. A letter and pricing schedule with availability times. You would get the defacto order.

GOOD LUCK - I know how hard you worked on getting that machine cutting beyond perfect.

Sean

Gerald,

The quality of the macine may of come from my efforts but the quality had the basis in an excellent design and lots of quidance.

Thanks for the comments from all.

Greg J, I will get back with you on the particulars. I used a 0.5" bit for the rough and I did use a 0.25" bit for the finish cut.

Thank Nils,

Haven't done allot of plastics, but I'm sure the time will come.

I'm finally getting my cut quality on hard woods down. Allot less sanding and minimal machine marks.

Funny how its not the MM design effecting cut quality, rather operator issues (pass depth, feed rates, etc). Garbage in, garbage out.

Just a quick update.

The display company that I have been cutting prototypes, just gave me a large order. 400+ sheets of 3/16" x 48" x 96" Acrylic. When I have some time I will take a picture of the sheet after I cut them. Wish I could sell them also.

No time, sheets to cut.

Well done Nils!

Glad to hear that !!!

Congratulations! Nils, we'll look forward to your insights on sheet material handling, as apparently you'll soon be an expert. Go easy on your back!

...I think Nils is going to look like its snowing in his shop soon!

Way to go Nils, :)

Congrats Nils! Let me know if you need some pointers on shoveling snow! I know a little about that. :);)

Well do Nils!

X'mas came early for you this year!

Wish orders like these keep flooding in!


#PS,
I know who to talk to when I start cutting acrylic

Thanks to all for the nice comments. My logistics side is working over time.

There has not be too much white stuff. I have found that I can use my dust collection which has helped some and the rest I clean up and return so it can be recycled.

I was breaking up the remains and putting it in a garbage container for recycling but I have stopped breaking them up after each cut because it was taking too much time. I now leave the remains of the sheet and stack them. Just doing this has allowed me to go from cutting two sheets per hour to three. See the photo.

I am currently cutting the 3/16" material with a 65-012 bit but I am going to try today a 63-743. I have had good results with the first one. I have cut 32+ sheets with one bit and it is starting to get dull. The 63 is made for plastic so I hope it will cut longer.

I cut in one pass and I am running at 130 IPM with the router at 18,000.

The displays are going to a discount department store gearing up for the holidays.

Nils have you tried faster cutting? Im not cutted acrylic lot, but i had feedrate 5500mm/min at 18K spindle speed ( thats about 210ipm) Tool i used was 4mm one flutehttp://cerin.it/Scheda41a.asp?ID=930...ti=4&NPrezzi=1 I agree that faster speeds give worse cutting quality, but when it isnt so important then you may try. Time is money :)
How you did fix sheet on spoilboard, i do not see on picture any screw hole.

About tool wearing. Im a lot cutted here PE sheets, and i think that you can cut with one bit about 30-40 sheets is normal.

big job - congrats! what is your timeline?

Nils,
Can you post a picture of the completed parts assembled? Just curious. :)

Nils, It looks like you could save some material by nesting the parts a little different. Have all the pyramid looking pieces on one sheet and all the circles on another sheet. I just bring it up because of the material in the corners and in-between the pyramids.

I'd second Russell's comment.

Even if you aren't paying for the material you still have to handle it, get it delivered, stack it, put it on the table, remove it, dump it.

looking at the photos you could do as Russell suggested putting circles on one sheet and pyramids on another

How about nest all the pyramids on one end of the sheet and put the circles at the other end of the sheet. maybe try rotating the pyramids 90 degrees to see if the leaves less waste.

Russell's idea will leave less waste because you loose a lot at edges of nested circles where the straight edge of the material means you have roughly semicircles of wasted space all along the edges.