Sliding table for shaper

Doug Sinjem

Member
Messages
400
Location
La Habra Hts. CA
I came up with this idea after seeing the unique 250 raised panel door machine. It's basically a sliding table...but a really long one. I got the idea from the Unique 250 door machine. I'm able to do all the pieces for a door on my shaper with out it but figured I would save alot of time and set up in not having to use the power feeder. Also it's a problem to run the end grain on a narrow raised panel using the feeder, it wont keep the board exactly straight against the fence.

I still need to make some kind of pnematic hold down. Probably a continueous bar with rubber on the bottom operated by by two air cylinders one at each end that will clamp the wood to the table.

So I can use my infeed fence which is digital to reference everything off of. One thing I like to do when making cabinet doors is cut all my pieces to size before I do any shaping. This way if I have say very short rails (for a narrow door) I can do the cope cut first and get rid of the blow out by doing the profile cut by clamping it to the table and sliding it through. Basically the same way you would do it on a Unique 250.

Here's a couple of pics any input is welcome.


Sliding table fixture 001.jpg

Sliding table fixture 002.jpg

Sliding table fixture 003.jpg

Sliding table fixture 004.jpg

Sliding table fixture 005.jpg


Doug
 
When I get the hold down system figured out I will post some more detialed pictures of how each piece is indexed and clamped to the table. The base plate is 3/4" aluminum and the table is 1". The bearings are about 250# capacity per wheel. The catalog I bought them from had about 5 different ways to go, this is bascially a v track and a v wheel. It's smooth and accurate.

Doug
 
doug, does your table give you linear motion in two axises or just one?
i`ve been toying with the same idea for a 3 axis table and have hsk linear bearings and 1-1/4 rod on hand for two axises and some 6` racks and a pneumatic gear motor for the third axis.....my intentions are to create a kinda universal type machine to where it`ll do what a multi router or a unique machine will do simply by changing the mounting and tooling.
 
No Tod it is just in on one axis. I didn't think I would have enough spindle height to go with a two axis like the Unique. Hopefully I can steer my customers away from the arch top doors as this is the application I designed it for. Actually since building the table I've come across some other really nice door machines. One I saw at the Vegas show was a "CNC Miter machine" which cuts the miter and an intergral mortise and tenon. When set up right you can pump out some nice moulded doors which are easy to clamp up and get perfect miters.

I just have to come up with a good clamping system set up for clamping and holding down the long stiles and panels. Unique use some type of bar system which I may try or several air cylinders similair to whats on a construction boring machine.

I've seen David marks use a multi router on his show...the spindle on that is horizontal. Are you planning to try and make this for your shaper or design a whole new machine.


Doug
 
a whole new machine.....i`ve been bouncing ideas around in this empty vessle on my shoulders for a coupla years now and have got as far as gathering most of the parts.....right now beans are more important than building new mousetraps:eek:
 
my one functional cell just sparked:eek:......look at the clamping system on a face frame assembly table, those cylinders and bar are off the shelf items that can be configured in lotsa different configurations.
 
Hi Doug,

My Robland X31 combo machine has a sliding table for the shaper like all of the Euro combos. Your idea looks great but, if what your looking for is the 3 axis ability of the Multirouter then you may have a problem. I've used the multirouter and it's great for making mortises but, not much else. The 3 axis horizontal boring machine on my combo is esentially a multirouter.
 
tod, where can you find those clamping systems? i have been bouncing around an idea to build my own frame table similiar to the kreg table. can't seem to bring myself to shell out 2600 bucks for theirs...

i'll do some searching, not sure what to search for...maybe clamping systems??

thanks



doug, nice looking table. i hope it works well for you. i see you're still using that itty bitty router though....pitty :D

chris
 
Hi Doug,

My Robland X31 combo machine has a sliding table for the shaper like all of the Euro combos. Your idea looks great but, if what your looking for is the 3 axis ability of the Multirouter then you may have a problem. I've used the multirouter and it's great for making mortises but, not much else. The 3 axis horizontal boring machine on my combo is esentially a multirouter.


No Chris just a straight sliding table for making doors. As I said I dont think I have enough height to go two axis and be able to make arches.


Doug
 
tod, where can you find those clamping systems? i have been bouncing around an idea to build my own frame table similiar to the kreg table. can't seem to bring myself to shell out 2600 bucks for theirs...

i'll do some searching, not sure what to search for...maybe clamping systems??

thanks



doug, nice looking table. i hope it works well for you. i see you're still using that itty bitty router though....pitty :D

chris

Thanks Chris I calmped a few pieces from the edge of the table and ran them through and it worked great. Just have to figure out the clamping system.

Doug
 
my one functional cell just sparked:eek:......look at the clamping system on a face frame assembly table, those cylinders and bar are off the shelf items that can be configured in lotsa different configurations.

Tod that was my original idea...it's similiar to what I have on my construction boring machine. I'm not sure if they will apply enough pressure plus they may or may not have to be slid around to accomadate different size pieces.

The Unique and I believe the e-z door both have a solid continous bar with what looks like a continous rubber cusion/pad along the entire bottom of the bar with an air cylider at each end. So you just center the workpiece on the table and should have even clamping pressure.

Doug
 
That slider rocks Doug!

Did you look at the Ritter stuff at AWFS? They have a similar setup for coping, with much shorter slide. Has pneumatic pressure bar and some tricky switches to de-activate the clamp when you return to start point. I took the Jessem VP down there to try to convince them to make a bolt-on-top slider for coping on shapers.

I made some auxiliary fences for my raised panel shapers that locate with a dowel for repeatability and have a continuous strip of aluminum (in case the carbide contacts it by accident, witch it will sooner or later with employees) under the cutter. Keeps the panel from diving into the cutter. I have a little jig that I use for narrow panels that has a chaser board the same thickness as the panel, plus a strip of 1/4" ply that extends over the top of both the panel and the backer board. The feeder wheels ride on the 1/4" ply and move the whole thing through the cutter.

A slider and clamp would be sweeeet though! Nice work.

If I start doing arches and can justify it, the Unique 250 was a nice looking machine.
 
Thanks John I should have it finished up soon. I just got the air cyliders for the clamping mechanism. Same ones that are used on the Unique 250. The sliding table will do everything a 250 will except arches. All pieces will be clamped and run thru the cutter. I think it will have about a 54" long capacity.

I didn't look at any of the ritter stuff, I had a Ritter line boring machine and gave it back and got a gannomat instead. Wasn't too impressed with their stuff.

Doug
 
Finished up the sliding table. Got the part numbers for the air ram that Unique uses and set it up that way. Everything seems to work good. Just need to figure out a fast way for indexing parts.


Dresser 006.jpg

Dresser 007.jpg

Dresser 008.jpg

Dresser 009.jpg


Doug
 
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