Your Best Pattern Holding Method ??

[Rob Will]

What method do you nornally use to hold patterns for use at the router table. Double-sided tape? surface mounted clamps? screws?

I have my first commission ;):rolleyes: coming up to build a maple step stool. This may have several slightly curved parts. I want to build the whole thing using a pattern system at the router table.

Don't laugh but I really need to set this up like a production run. That is the only way I'll ever get it done. I might go ahead and make several (family Christmas gifts - the Maple came from my grandfather's farm).

In a production environment (no CNC :p), how would you set up and hold the patterns?

Thanks,
Rob

[David Duke]

I normally use double stick tape; however, if you can mount your template on the back side (out of sight when finished) I have used a pin nailer to attach. Its a lot faster and the template will pull right off when finished.

[Jamie Buxton]

Screws where feasible. I know they're not going anywhere. Where screws can't be used, toggle clamps. Put blocking on the pattern so that the workpiece is registered horizontally as well as vertically.

Make the pattern longer than the workpiece, so that the bearing on the pattern-following bit rides on the pattern before it starts cutting into the workpiece.

Make the pattern big enough that your fingertips are not near the bit, and so that if things go bad, only the pattern and the workpiece will get damaged.

Bandsaw reasonally close to the final dimensions. The less material you're removing with the router, the less the likelyhood of the bit grabbing the workpiece away from you.

[Rob Will]

Screws where feasible. I know they're not going anywhere. Where screws can't be used, toggle clamps. Put blocking on the pattern so that the workpiece is registered horizontally as well as vertically.

Make the pattern longer than the workpiece, so that the bearing on the pattern-following bit rides on the pattern before it starts cutting into the workpiece.

Make the pattern big enough that your fingertips are not near the bit, and so that if things go bad, only the pattern and the workpiece will get damaged.

Bandsaw reasonally close to the final dimensions. The less material you're removing with the router, the less the likelyhood of the bit grabbing the workpiece away from you.

Jamie, do you feel that large diameter curtters are more likely to grab the work than a small ones? No difference?

I have allready noticed a little of that. Thanks for the tip.

Rob

[Stan Smith]

I normally use double stick tape; however, if you can mount your template on the back side (out of sight when finished) I have used a pin nailer to attach. Its a lot faster and the template will pull right off when finished.

Thanks for that tip. I had to make a rabbet cut for my router plate to mount into my table saw wing. I used a pattern mounted with double stick tape. I didn't have a pin nailer at the time, but do now and I'll use it in the future. Someone also suggested using a glue gun, but I've never tried it.

Stan

[Jamie Buxton]

do you feel that large diameter curtters are more likely to grab the work than a small ones?

I think that larger diameter cutters are less likely to grab, because they're hitting at a flatter angle. However, I don't have experimental evidence to back up that guess one way or the other.

[Rob Will]

I think that larger diameter cutters are less likely to grab, because they're hitting at a flatter angle. However, I don't have experimental evidence to back up that guess one way or the other.

Makes sense. I have heard several say that they cut pattern work on a shaper (3 x 3" Byrd head etc.) . I'm sort of watching fo a deal on a shaper.

Rob

[Jim Becker]

If it's going to be a pattern that is going to be used more that one-to-a-few times, then consider making a sled for that pattern with toggle clamps to hold the work in place. It's far safer that way, too. If the part needs multiple edges done, it takes multiple sleds, but the end result is extremely consistent.