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Thread: How to cut 24" circles out of 1/2" thick maple plywood in LARGE quantities?

  1. #16
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    I’d make a jig to cut on the bandsaw, then a jig at a sander to clean the edges. Both using a 1/4 deep peg in the center. Might be able to freehand the sanding at a disc or edge sander.

  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt Day View Post
    I’d make a jig to cut on the bandsaw, then a jig at a sander to clean the edges. Both using a 1/4 deep peg in the center. Might be able to freehand the sanding at a disc or edge sander.
    A jig on a router table would give you faster clean up.
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  3. #18
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    I would cut the wood into squares and then cut the circles from the squares.

  4. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Mel Fulks View Post
    A router with a SINGLE FLUTE bit would cut fast and real accurate. Band saw is good too ,but a little less accurate.
    Are you talking about a CNC router? So to cut through a 1/2" thick plywood, how many passes do I need for a router with a single flute bit with good speed? Thx

  5. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by lowell holmes View Post
    I would cut the wood into squares and then cut the circles from the squares.
    Which method is fastest to cut from squares to circles? bandsaw?

  6. #21
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    I own a cnc router and I cut 1/2 inch plywood with it fairly often. First of all, I don't know why one would want to use a single flute bit. A quarter inch 2 flute compression bit like someone else already mentioned would cut faster and produce dramatically better cut quality. I don't have a very powerful spindle but I would cut at 150 inches per minute and I would cut it in 2 passes. A 24 inch circle would take about 20 seconds if my calculations are correct. A fast machine could cut it in a single pass at 300-400 inches per minute. How much do you want to spend on a machine?

    Quote Originally Posted by Byron Lu View Post
    Are you talking about a CNC router? So to cut through a 1/2" thick plywood, how many passes do I need for a router with a single flute bit with good speed? Thx

  7. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Byron Lu View Post
    Are you talking about a CNC router? So to cut through a 1/2" thick plywood, how many passes do I need for a router with a single flute bit with good speed? Thx
    Not CNC ,just ordinary router. One pass with single flute router bit, drill one hole thru which bit is dropped

  8. #23
    BS, then pin router. Fast and perfect.

  9. #24
    A single flute bit cuts faster for the same reason a 5 point hand saw cuts faster than a 10 point. OP doesn't have a CNC

  10. #25
    I had to cut circles from .75" PVC a couple of days ago. I cut square blanks, marked drilled center holes, then routed with router that I keep mounted to a circle jig base. Took me a grand total of about 20 minutes to make four of them. IME, a human with a good setup cuts circles faster than a CNC, but setting up the several tasks necessary eats up any time saved.

  11. #26
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    It seems the main, or only complaint OP has is "sanding the brown edges" from the laser, and does not want pin hole in center.

    Any bandsaw stacked blanks, or router cut will need even more sanding. so no benefit there.

    Dedicated router table would be great for cleanup, but probably not overall better than current sanding.

    So, there seems to be no improvement in process here yet.

    OP did not say how well the "brown sanding" is going.

    Maybe the answer is to continue w the laser cutting, but develop a more specific dedicated edge sander....
    Attachment table to a oscil edge sander for example.


    Marc
    I'm pretty new here, not as as experienced as most. Please don't hesitate to correct me

  12. #27
    Thanks for your info on a cnc router. I just did some research and axiom ar8 pro/elite vs camaster stinger II seem to be good choices here. I am okay spending 6k to 12k if I have to. If a much cheaper bandsaw solution serves the same purpose, I will go that route.

    I just want a FAST solutions - right now my need is about 150 rounds (24" or 18") per month.

  13. #28
    So I still need sanding the edges of the circles cut via a cnc router or a bandsaw?
    Right now the circles I laser cut has very smooth but brown edge. I am using a belt sander by holding the circle vertically and rotate as I sand. Since all the circles are stained afterward, some stains (lighter stains such as antique white) require cleaner sanding.

    My current complaints about laser cut circles: 1. slow speed, at about 30 inches per minute, so each circle takes almost 3 mins to cut; 2. brown edges requires sanding.

    So if other methods also require sanding, then I could still benefits from having a higher productivity with shorter time spent on cutting all the circles?

    Quote Originally Posted by Marc Jeske View Post
    It seems the main, or only complaint OP has is "sanding the brown edges" from the laser, and does not want pin hole in center.

    Any bandsaw stacked blanks, or router cut will need even more sanding. so no benefit there.

    Dedicated router table would be great for cleanup, but probably not overall better than current sanding.

    So, there seems to be no improvement in process here yet.

    OP did not say how well the "brown sanding" is going.

    Maybe the answer is to continue w the laser cutting, but develop a more specific dedicated edge sander....
    Attachment table to a oscil edge sander for example.


    Marc
    Last edited by Byron Lu; 07-21-2019 at 3:51 AM.

  14. #29
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    Hi Byron,
    I think that the beauty of using a cnc router like the ones you have mentioned is that your process will be faster and less labor intensive than some of the other band saw suggestions. This could possibly free you up to work on another job while the cnc is running the circles, and I would think that there would be very minimal cleanup and/or sanding of the edges. In my business (metal machining) I often have one or two of the cnc machines running parts while I am working on other parts on the conventional mill or lathe.
    David

  15. #30
    Yes, I can see your point here. My goal is to reduce the total time/effort to cut circles in bulk. The bandsaw method and manual router method all require pre-cut into smaller squares vs a CNC table (say 4x4') I can just send a half sheet in and come out with four circles). I guess my ultimate question is: which way will save me time when I cut them in bulk.

    Quote Originally Posted by johnny means View Post
    I had to cut circles from .75" PVC a couple of days ago. I cut square blanks, marked drilled center holes, then routed with router that I keep mounted to a circle jig base. Took me a grand total of about 20 minutes to make four of them. IME, a human with a good setup cuts circles faster than a CNC, but setting up the several tasks necessary eats up any time saved.

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