Roamdog (in )
said:

Your nntp client is reversing the quoting. %-)

| Duck soup. I have a CNC router that can cut hexagons from a full
| sheet at a time. With a 1/8" bit there'll be minimal waste but
| maximum cutting time (~100 pieces/hr). A larger bit will provide
| smoother cuts and reduced cutting time (~200-350 pieces/hour), but
| more waste. It's less expensive to have a wider kerf because MDF
| costs less than either machine or human time.
||| How large a bit (is a kerf the same thing as a bit?) would you
||| recommend? As you note, a small amount of waste is more cost
||| efficient since the material is way less expensive than the
||| labor.

You need to see some samples so /you/ can make that decision. As
usual, these choices involve trade-offs that only you can make. I'll
let you look at similar parts cut with 1/8", 1/4", and 1/2" bits (most
of the difference in smoothness results from flexing of the bit.)

A /kerf/ is the cut or channel made by a saw. I've used the term here
because of the similarity of result. A /bit/ is the (usually
replaceable) cutting part of a tool.

| FWIW, 1/32" off won't exactly look "seamless". Will you want a
| "frame" for the picture? How about a shipping/storage box?
||| What do I need for a "seamless" look? Can your machine do that?
||| I will not need a frame. May consider a storage box--had not
||| thought about that.

If you're going to visit the shop Saturday I'll do "show-n-tell" with
some samples.

[Just so that nobody feels left out, nearly everything Roamdog will
see and handle has appeared at one time or another on either a.b.p.w.
or my web site - and visitors to the shop are always welcome.]

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/solar.html