CNC Tips & Tricks is a perennial favorite on the Cabinet Conferences run by Woodworking Network. Such sessions are included at Wood Pro Expo, the regional show, and at Cabinets & Closets Conference & Expo.
At the Charlotte Show these two events will be co-located at the Charlotte Convention Center, and members of the Cabinet Makers Assocation will share their CNC knowledge and experience.Moderated by CMA Executive Director Amanda Conger, this panel session will include CMA members and shop owners Tracy Yarborough and James McGrew, owner of James McGrew Cabinetmakers, Columbia, South Carolina.
Yarborough (left) is owner of Maple River Woodworks in Florence, South Carolina, and past president of the Cabinet Makers Association. Here's a sampling of the type of questions and answers you can expect (and bring your own specific questions as well):
For guys starting out on a CNC, what’s the kind of basic tool kit that you’ve got to have?
Well, it probably varies for everybody, depending on what you do. We do a qualified blind dado. We predrill. I’ve had issues in the past with guys who would screw – we do plant-on backs – we’ll have guys that will put one screw in each side and think that’s good. We’ll have other guys who will put, you know, 35 screws in. Somewhere along the line I said, “OK, I’m going to put a hole where I want a screw, and you’re going to put a screw in it.”
So, we have that bit, which is the 3mm. We have a 3/8-inch compression bit. We have a 1/2-inch downcut and a 3/4 -inch downcut just for the Legrabox, because it’s got that thing that’s got to get routed, and the 3/4 does it in two passes. And an 8mm and 10mm. I’ve got all the places to hold them, so if we use it, I bought a drill for it so it’s perfect, and it’s not trying to wallow it out. We’ve also got a 35mm drill for doors. - Answered by CMA Member Chris Dehmer, Darkhorse Woodworks, Atlanta
Material hold-down is critical for CNC cutting
One facet that is often overlooked when analyzing tool performance is material hold-down. Secure material hold-down is imperative to prevent movement of material and vibration during the cutting process. - Answered by Red Book Best Practices Guide
Assuring dust gets out of the cutting tool flutes
Efficient dust extraction is also key to ensuring dust is guided out of the cut and into the dust collection system. If dust is a problem, a dust extraction collet nut can help facilitate removing dust out of the cutting flutes so the tool does not overheat and is not recutting chips. - Answered by Red Book Best Practices Guide
You can meet these and other Cabinet Makers Association experts at the Wood Pro Expo Cabinet Conference, March 6 at Wood Pro Expo Conference. The show is co-located with Cabinets & Closets Conference & Expo at the Charlotte Convention Center March 6-8, 2019. The Cabinets & Closets Conference & Expo last appeared in Charlotte in 2011. The Wood Pro Expo brand comprises a series of strategic regional events, located in key areas throughout the U.S. where professional woodworkers congregate. www.woodproexpo.com
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