Occasionally, I have to machine both sides of part, and my CNC does not have register pins. Even if it did, I would still have the challenge of keeping the piece in place on the vacuum table after cutting one side and turning it over.
My solution is to lay a piece of 1/4-inch MDF on the table, and cut out the outline of the piece I am machining. The part is held side-to-side by the cutout, and the 1/4-inch sheet maintains the integrity of the vacuum for adequate hold-down force. Then it’s just a matter of machine, flip, and machine again.
To machine both sides of parts, Erik Bittner takes a sheet of 1/4-inch MDF and cuts a recess for each part. That keeps the part from shifting and maintains vacuum pressure so he can machine the part, flip it, and machine the other side.
Why I’m a CMA member
“I've been a member of the Cabinet Makers Association since 2004 (that long already?), and the help I have received from the forum and individual members has been priceless. Whatever issue comes up in my shop, I know that other CMA members have faced the same thing and will be generous with their advice.”
– Erik Bittner, Case by Case Cabinets, Norwood, Massachusetts
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FDMC Special Edition: Cabinet Makers Association |
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