Wow this is pretty cool! Why not! CNC is used for almost any medium right? I don't know much about CNC other than what I read here, but I really thought this cool. They are attaching a Donek D4 Drag knife to their machine.

 

 

It is something that a lot of people are doing…some pretty good stuff being produced.

Edited August 24, 20233 yr by KevTN

1 minute ago, KevTN said:

It is something that a lot of people are doing…some pretty good stuff being produced.

It looks really fun Kev!!!

It does look fun, people are making some great things.

With a vacuum table it is pretty easy to do.  I had a student once, who made a coat stand with a shelf half way up with a shallow elliptical pocket for keys, a hook for an umbrella to hang from, and accommodation for the post(s) to pass through.  I CNC cut the shelf for her and suggested she lined the bottom of the key pocket with some felt or cork.  She had some leather samples and after trying to hand cut an ellipse of leather she got frustrated.  I remembered that for the large CNC in the shop there was a drag knife, and said I thought since I already had vectors for the elliptical pocket I might be able to use the small Probotix CNC to cut the leather.   Found the drag knife.  Aspire has a gadget toolpath for drag knifes so we gave it a try.  First try, just pining down the leather didn't work.  As she was going to glue in the leather we eventually used some spray adhesive to glue it to a plywood scrap which I could clamp down.  Cut perfectly, and peeled off nicely.  She had a few different color/textures of leather so we cut another two using the same strategy.   Worked out great and the student was delighted. 

 

Such are the challenges I do miss a bit now that I'm retired. 

4D

On 8/25/2023 at 4:34 PM, 4DThinker said:

Such are the challenges I do miss a bit now that I'm retired. 

Thanks for this reply 4D, I missed this one, would it be something you'd like to do again if given the chance? Or are ya pretty much going to keep on keeping on with the medium of wood?

I retired the minute I turned 65, as the administration decided to interfere with a well established award winning furniture curriculum developed over 100+ years of teaching with myself and two other experienced educators.

 

Since then no students from my college have made it to either of the national students furniture design competitions we were regular winners at. 

4D  

@4DThinker, there's a reason why we can't find any youngsters that can swing a hammer these days.

The only irony is that in furniture design and fabrication a hammer is usually the least used tool.  Mallet, maybe, for those who like to use a chisel to clean up tenons and mortises.  That and a sledge hammer for those pesky glue ups where room for the glue was forgotten.  That and when a mistaken glue up needs to come apart. 

4D

Just now, 4DThinker said:

The only irony is that in furniture design and fabrication a hammer is usually the least used tool.  Mallet, maybe, for those who like to use a chisel to clean up tenons and mortises.  That and a sledge hammer for those pesky glue ups where room for the glue was forgotten.  That and when a mistaken glue up needs to come apart. 

4D

Ya your right 4D, my comment was more about in the world of the trades, we can't find kids that can swing a hammer, we still use the heck out of hammers in the field.

Given how many YT video I watch of building garages and workshops and such, I feel a little sad for the lowly hammer.  Most builders I watch are using battery powered nail guns.  That may be why "hammer 101" isn't being taught much anymore.