Jig for cardstock

[Jiten Patel]

Quick question for you guys. My custom jig I got built is not finished yet as they are having problems figuring out how to add registration stops for my cardstock.

What I need is basically two adjustable stops on the x and y axis, so I can register card stock up to it. They need to be adjustable due to the fact we use various sizes of card stock. We operate a class 4 laser set up and cut single sheets one at a time. So as you can imagine, need something to butt the card up against so we can click go again and again. At the moment, we have to preview mark (a laser to show what area is to be marked by the galvo) to line up each piece then hit go. With the stops, we would not need to line up, just push the card up against the stop and hit go.

I was thinking small magnets on the honeycomb? I dont want to damage the laser in anyway, nor do i want to damage the honeycomb when taking the magnets off. Would this work? If so, what sort of magnets would I need?

[Dan Hintz]

Jiten,

If it were me, I'd glue some steel rules an inch or so outside of the laserable area on top and left side. Then, I would make a number of L-brackets out of acrylic that bring the registration point you want back into the laserable area. For example, let's say the rulers are 1" outside of the laserable area. If you need to etch an item that fills the entire laserable area, an acrylic 'L' is laid down against the rulers that is 1" on both sides. Make an 'L' sized for each design you have.

[Robert Walters]

Jit,

I have an idea in mind, but could you provide a photo of your machine?
Especially of the existing guides and cutting table.

Also, what increment do you want the XY stops at? 1mm? 5mm?

[Jiten Patel]

Thanks guys,

Dan, the guy who is making our jig tried the rulers which was my original idea, but because the honeycomb has a lip all about it, the cardstock would just slip underneath. Unless I'm not getting what you are trying to say?

Robert, I will take a pic when I get home tonight and post it up.

[Dan Hintz]

It would be easier to describe if you show a picture, as Robert requested. ULS and Epilog machines don't work well at high speed near the edge of the table, so some of us place 1" acrylic strips along the rulers to offset our work to the sweet spot of the table.

[David Fairfield]

When I need precise registration, I make a new jig for each run, just a cardboard sheet taped in place to the honeycomb with packing tape. File has the jig in a separate layer. Cut the jig, run the file as many times as I need. At the end of the run, the jig goes into the recycle bin.

On the lip, the Epilog has a lip on the honeycomb too. Took me forever to figure out that the other side has no lip... flipped it the other way round, lip gone... doh! :-)

Dave

[Jiten Patel]

Hey folks,

Here are some pics of my basic setup for now. This is the temp bed I am using until the final one is finished. As you can I see I have no way to register my card stock.

Sorry about the mess, was late last night after doing a job.

[Dan Hintz]

Use the ruler's lip to your advantage. Cut an acrylic 'L' that follows the top and left ruler. If design 'A' is placed into the center of the bed when the top edge is 1.3" down from the ruler and 1.7" to the right of the left ruler, cut an 'L' that uses those dimensions and label it "Design A". When it comes time to cut that design, throw the 'L' on the table, and snug the paper up into the corner... instant centered sheet of paper.

[Rodne Gold]

You will find life a lot easier if you stop using the honeycomb. You could most likely use a fairly open stainless steel mesh samwiched between 2 open squares of acrylic which make up a frame and could then make multiple jigs to suit your sizes , if you make 2 or 3 of each you can preload , cut , remover , reload the next jig etc quick.

[Jiten Patel]

Thanks guys. I think I might try Dan's idea as it seems a lot simpler and easier to implement. I will it when i get home, hopefully the lip it large enough to hold the arcrylic in place.

Sawmill is amazing. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of talent and knowledge here. Incredible.

[Mike Null]

Why not make rulers with pegs that'll fit into the openings of the honeycomb?

[Dan Hintz]

hopefully the lip it large enough to hold the arcrylic in place.
If they're not, add some acrylic on top of them... you can still see the ruler beneath, and it gives you as thick of a lip as you could want.

[Gerhard Fourie]

You will find life a lot easier if you stop using the honeycomb. You could most likely use a fairly open stainless steel mesh samwiched between 2 open squares of acrylic which make up a frame and could then make multiple jigs to suit your sizes , if you make 2 or 3 of each you can preload , cut , remover , reload the next jig etc quick.

Rodney

Please explain what you describe as a "fairly open stainless steel mesh". This sounds like a solution to my problems.

Regards

Gerhard

[Rodne Gold]

You dont have to have a honeycomb table , in fact the honeycomb tables are not that great in that the tops of the cels get bent , they get real dirty and there is a fair amount of flashback. You can use a very open stainless steel or metal wire arrangement as well , you might even get better results. Like a tennis raquet type arrangement. You could even try ordinary galvanised chicken wire , stretch it over a frame like a silk screen mesh and then use that. Maybe the galvanised wire will be less susceptible to flashback? You can get very thin piano wire or reels of thin resistance or any other wire and make your own mesh by stretching it on a wood frame with small tacks on the side - like a riempie chair. We dont cut card or paper tho , so cant tell you whether it will work with that , however its worth a try , it will cost boggerall to make a small wire frame thingy.
If you really wanted to , you could even hook the frame up to your extractor if you closed the bottom of the frame and has a port and tube to the extractor , almost make it a vacuum table with a mesh top , if fume extraction is an issue in your machine.

[Jiten Patel]

Rodney,

thats what ours acts like, a vacuum table, holding the card in place as well as taking the smoke away to protect the card from smoke damage.

I do like the idea of making a cheaper with chickenwire, or thin wire stretched across. Might give that a go when the honeycomb dies (it is falling apart already from cleaning all the bits off after each cut).

[David Fairfield]

Hey Jit... off topic... but wondering if you could post a video of your machine in action, or post a link to a manufacturer's demo that shows it doing the sort of work that you do. Just to entertain my daydream about getting a galvo someday! :-)

Dave

[Robert Walters]

Jit,

I hope this makes sense...

Ignore the size/scale/angles, etc - I'm only on the first cup of coffee ;)


The size of all holes are to whatever dowels or pins you can find that fit easily.

The holes are offset to whatever resolution you want to have in positioning.
If you want 1mm resolution, then offset the holes by 1mm - but only in one axis.

You can also add tick marks to give you measurement scales as well.

The holes are "staircased" so there is enough meat left in the material for the adjacent hole(s).

The purple holes are drilled in your existing acrylic enclosure or into a frame the you place on top.

The yellow T-Bar is one solid piece of acrylic (or whatever), not two pieces.
Be sure to "notch" (or drill a tiny hole) where XY intersect so you get a tight corner to position paper against.

The yellow T-Bar gets pinned to the purple holes using only two dowels - one for each end.

The T-Bar will extend outside the enclosure dimensions in both the X and Y axis, but I thought that may not be too much of an issue.

This way, you won't need multiple fixtures, just write down where you pinned the T-Bar to .
http://i51.tinypic.com/sx0woy.jpg

[Jiten Patel]

Robert, thanks for the diagram. Thats almost exactly what i had in mind, but it didnt work out because the edge of the honeycomb has a lip, so the rules were raised up from the honeycomb. This meant that the cardstock would just slide underneath.

David, when I get a mo, I will post up a video of it in action.

[James Terry]

I see that "the lip" on your table as well as the honeycomb insert has measurements on it. Isnt that edge essentially a registration point for your laser anyway? Normally one would push the honeycomb insert all the way to the 0,0 spot. It seems to me that you can do the acrylic "L" or "T square" kind of concept but just make it smaller so that it fits inside of and butts up against your lip. The lip is there to be your friend. It never moves, so use it. Of course, I may have totally missed the problem here...

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=188042&d=1300963044

[Neil Pabia]

On the lip, the Epilog has a lip on the honeycomb too. Took me forever to figure out that the other side has no lip... flipped it the other way round, lip gone... doh! :-)

Dave
The lip side was supposed to face up?

[Dan Hintz]

I see that "the lip" on your table as well as the honeycomb insert has measurements on it. Isnt that edge essentially a registration point for your laser anyway?
On galvos, the center of the table is the sweet spot... better focus, less kerf.