Mostly my mill has been used for engraving, although I've used it to shape a
few custom pieces. Recently I ran into a problem though. I starting
cutting some stencils with it. I found milling off a block of wood flat,
and then securing my sheet to that worked fairly well, but when working with
metal I've had a hard time figuring out how to secure the pieces I want to
remove. They tend to shift, bind the cutter, and it goes SNAP. On light
stuff or small jobs I can sit there and watch for it to get close to going
through and then take a couple tungsten scribes and use them to hold the
waste piece down until the cutter is done and clear. Still it seems like
there should be a better way to do that. On a detailed stencil or a piece
of aluminum sheet I can find myself standing there for quite a while. I had
considered pocketing the entire waste piece, but that would really increase
the time to do a job. Also, Lazy Cam really throws in a lot of strange
artifacts that need to be manually edited out before you can get a final
piece. Not horrible if you are doing twenty of something, but the time to
get a good piece can be pretty horrible when doing just one of something.

My latest project is to try and make some commemorative coins for a local
event among friends, and pocketing out the entire coin is obviously not the
best option. LOL. I have pretty much decided to finish one surface of the
coin, cut it out, and then drop it into a pocket in my wood block to do the
other side. My problem seems to be in finding a way to cut it out without
having it slide and bind as soon as it starts to come loose from the stock.

Bob La Londe wrote:

Mostly my mill has been used for engraving, although I've used it to shape a
few custom pieces. Recently I ran into a problem though. I starting
cutting some stencils with it. I found milling off a block of wood flat,
and then securing my sheet to that worked fairly well, but when working with
metal I've had a hard time figuring out how to secure the pieces I want to
remove. They tend to shift, bind the cutter, and it goes SNAP. On light
stuff or small jobs I can sit there and watch for it to get close to going
through and then take a couple tungsten scribes and use them to hold the
waste piece down until the cutter is done and clear. Still it seems like
there should be a better way to do that. On a detailed stencil or a piece
of aluminum sheet I can find myself standing there for quite a while. I had
considered pocketing the entire waste piece, but that would really increase
the time to do a job. Also, Lazy Cam really throws in a lot of strange
artifacts that need to be manually edited out before you can get a final
piece. Not horrible if you are doing twenty of something, but the time to
get a good piece can be pretty horrible when doing just one of something.

My latest project is to try and make some commemorative coins for a local
event among friends, and pocketing out the entire coin is obviously not the
best option. LOL. I have pretty much decided to finish one surface of the
coin, cut it out, and then drop it into a pocket in my wood block to do the
other side. My problem seems to be in finding a way to cut it out without
having it slide and bind as soon as it starts to come loose from the stock.



Make an aluminum clamping fixture to hold the coin blank by clamping the
circumference, i.e. pocket out the hole to size, do a horizontal hole
for a clamping bolt and cut a relief slot so you can tighten it. Cut the
blanks via another method, like sizing and parting on a lathe. Then drop
a blank into your fixture, clamp, engrave one side, unclamp, flip,
reclamp and engrave the other side.

"Pete C." wrote:

Bob La Londe wrote:

Mostly my mill has been used for engraving, although I've used it to shape a
few custom pieces. Recently I ran into a problem though. I starting
cutting some stencils with it. I found milling off a block of wood flat,
and then securing my sheet to that worked fairly well, but when working with
metal I've had a hard time figuring out how to secure the pieces I want to
remove. They tend to shift, bind the cutter, and it goes SNAP. On light
stuff or small jobs I can sit there and watch for it to get close to going
through and then take a couple tungsten scribes and use them to hold the
waste piece down until the cutter is done and clear. Still it seems like
there should be a better way to do that. On a detailed stencil or a piece
of aluminum sheet I can find myself standing there for quite a while. I had
considered pocketing the entire waste piece, but that would really increase
the time to do a job. Also, Lazy Cam really throws in a lot of strange
artifacts that need to be manually edited out before you can get a final
piece. Not horrible if you are doing twenty of something, but the time to
get a good piece can be pretty horrible when doing just one of something.

My latest project is to try and make some commemorative coins for a local
event among friends, and pocketing out the entire coin is obviously not the
best option. LOL. I have pretty much decided to finish one surface of the
coin, cut it out, and then drop it into a pocket in my wood block to do the
other side. My problem seems to be in finding a way to cut it out without
having it slide and bind as soon as it starts to come loose from the stock.



Make an aluminum clamping fixture to hold the coin blank by clamping the
circumference, i.e. pocket out the hole to size, do a horizontal hole
for a clamping bolt and cut a relief slot so you can tighten it. Cut the
blanks via another method, like sizing and parting on a lathe. Then drop
a blank into your fixture, clamp, engrave one side, unclamp, flip,
reclamp and engrave the other side.

Don't forget to include a couple access notches in the fixture to allow
the coin to be removed easily.

"Pete C." wrote in message
ster.com...

"Pete C." wrote:

Bob La Londe wrote:

Mostly my mill has been used for engraving, although I've used it to
shape a
few custom pieces. Recently I ran into a problem though. I starting
cutting some stencils with it. I found milling off a block of wood
flat,
and then securing my sheet to that worked fairly well, but when working
with
metal I've had a hard time figuring out how to secure the pieces I want
to
remove. They tend to shift, bind the cutter, and it goes SNAP. On
light
stuff or small jobs I can sit there and watch for it to get close to
going
through and then take a couple tungsten scribes and use them to hold
the
waste piece down until the cutter is done and clear. Still it seems
like
there should be a better way to do that. On a detailed stencil or a
piece
of aluminum sheet I can find myself standing there for quite a while.
I had
considered pocketing the entire waste piece, but that would really
increase
the time to do a job. Also, Lazy Cam really throws in a lot of strange
artifacts that need to be manually edited out before you can get a
final
piece. Not horrible if you are doing twenty of something, but the time
to
get a good piece can be pretty horrible when doing just one of
something.

My latest project is to try and make some commemorative coins for a
local
event among friends, and pocketing out the entire coin is obviously not
the
best option. LOL. I have pretty much decided to finish one surface of
the
coin, cut it out, and then drop it into a pocket in my wood block to do
the
other side. My problem seems to be in finding a way to cut it out
without
having it slide and bind as soon as it starts to come loose from the
stock.



Make an aluminum clamping fixture to hold the coin blank by clamping the
circumference, i.e. pocket out the hole to size, do a horizontal hole
for a clamping bolt and cut a relief slot so you can tighten it. Cut the
blanks via another method, like sizing and parting on a lathe. Then drop
a blank into your fixture, clamp, engrave one side, unclamp, flip,
reclamp and engrave the other side.

Don't forget to include a couple access notches in the fixture to allow
the coin to be removed easily.

When I engraved plates I drilled a hole through the fixture where it hangs
off the table allowing me to push it up out of the socket with a pencil
eraser. Since I do not have a lathe I am trying to consider other ways to
do this however. I had certainly considered cutting ing out my coins first.
Atleast that way if one binds and gets damaged atleast I won't have wasted
all the time on surfacing and engraving.

P.S. For another project I engraved a punch of metal core plastic coated
poker chips and it worked out pretty good.

Bob La Londe wrote:

"Pete C." wrote in message
ster.com...

"Pete C." wrote:

Bob La Londe wrote:

Mostly my mill has been used for engraving, although I've used it to
shape a
few custom pieces. Recently I ran into a problem though. I starting
cutting some stencils with it. I found milling off a block of wood
flat,
and then securing my sheet to that worked fairly well, but when working
with
metal I've had a hard time figuring out how to secure the pieces I want
to
remove. They tend to shift, bind the cutter, and it goes SNAP. On
light
stuff or small jobs I can sit there and watch for it to get close to
going
through and then take a couple tungsten scribes and use them to hold
the
waste piece down until the cutter is done and clear. Still it seems
like
there should be a better way to do that. On a detailed stencil or a
piece
of aluminum sheet I can find myself standing there for quite a while.
I had
considered pocketing the entire waste piece, but that would really
increase
the time to do a job. Also, Lazy Cam really throws in a lot of strange
artifacts that need to be manually edited out before you can get a
final
piece. Not horrible if you are doing twenty of something, but the time
to
get a good piece can be pretty horrible when doing just one of
something.

My latest project is to try and make some commemorative coins for a
local
event among friends, and pocketing out the entire coin is obviously not
the
best option. LOL. I have pretty much decided to finish one surface of
the
coin, cut it out, and then drop it into a pocket in my wood block to do
the
other side. My problem seems to be in finding a way to cut it out
without
having it slide and bind as soon as it starts to come loose from the
stock.



Make an aluminum clamping fixture to hold the coin blank by clamping the
circumference, i.e. pocket out the hole to size, do a horizontal hole
for a clamping bolt and cut a relief slot so you can tighten it. Cut the
blanks via another method, like sizing and parting on a lathe. Then drop
a blank into your fixture, clamp, engrave one side, unclamp, flip,
reclamp and engrave the other side.

Don't forget to include a couple access notches in the fixture to allow
the coin to be removed easily.

When I engraved plates I drilled a hole through the fixture where it hangs
off the table allowing me to push it up out of the socket with a pencil
eraser.

Yep, or access notches would allow use of tweezers or just a probe to
flip the coin out.

Since I do not have a lathe I am trying to consider other ways to
do this however.

Sounds like an excuse to get one You can even use a knurling tool to
put fancy edges on your coins.

I had certainly considered cutting ing out my coins first.
Atleast that way if one binds and gets damaged atleast I won't have wasted
all the time on surfacing and engraving.

Find a cheap punch press?


P.S. For another project I engraved a punch of metal core plastic coated
poker chips and it worked out pretty good.

Nifty.

"Pete C." wrote in message
ster.com...

Bob La Londe wrote:

"Pete C." wrote in message
ster.com...

"Pete C." wrote:

Bob La Londe wrote:

Mostly my mill has been used for engraving, although I've used it to
shape a
few custom pieces. Recently I ran into a problem though. I
starting
cutting some stencils with it. I found milling off a block of wood
flat,
and then securing my sheet to that worked fairly well, but when
working
with
metal I've had a hard time figuring out how to secure the pieces I
want
to
remove. They tend to shift, bind the cutter, and it goes SNAP. On
light
stuff or small jobs I can sit there and watch for it to get close to
going
through and then take a couple tungsten scribes and use them to hold
the
waste piece down until the cutter is done and clear. Still it seems
like
there should be a better way to do that. On a detailed stencil or a
piece
of aluminum sheet I can find myself standing there for quite a
while.
I had
considered pocketing the entire waste piece, but that would really
increase
the time to do a job. Also, Lazy Cam really throws in a lot of
strange
artifacts that need to be manually edited out before you can get a
final
piece. Not horrible if you are doing twenty of something, but the
time
to
get a good piece can be pretty horrible when doing just one of
something.

My latest project is to try and make some commemorative coins for a
local
event among friends, and pocketing out the entire coin is obviously
not
the
best option. LOL. I have pretty much decided to finish one surface
of
the
coin, cut it out, and then drop it into a pocket in my wood block to
do
the
other side. My problem seems to be in finding a way to cut it out
without
having it slide and bind as soon as it starts to come loose from the
stock.



Make an aluminum clamping fixture to hold the coin blank by clamping
the
circumference, i.e. pocket out the hole to size, do a horizontal hole
for a clamping bolt and cut a relief slot so you can tighten it. Cut
the
blanks via another method, like sizing and parting on a lathe. Then
drop
a blank into your fixture, clamp, engrave one side, unclamp, flip,
reclamp and engrave the other side.

Don't forget to include a couple access notches in the fixture to allow
the coin to be removed easily.

When I engraved plates I drilled a hole through the fixture where it
hangs
off the table allowing me to push it up out of the socket with a pencil
eraser.

Yep, or access notches would allow use of tweezers or just a probe to
flip the coin out.

Since I do not have a lathe I am trying to consider other ways to
do this however.

Sounds like an excuse to get one

Its on my maybe someday list.

You can even use a knurling tool to
put fancy edges on your coins.

That would be cool.

I had certainly considered cutting ing out my coins first.
Atleast that way if one binds and gets damaged atleast I won't have
wasted
all the time on surfacing and engraving.

Find a cheap punch press?

I suppose that is a possibility. Know of anything that will punch a 2" disc
out of sheet aluminum easily and cheaply? I do have a 12 ton hydralic press
with an air operated jack already for other projects. I've got .090 amd
..125 aluminum scraps laying around to play with.


P.S. For another project I engraved a punch of metal core plastic coated
poker chips and it worked out pretty good.

Nifty.

For cut-out pieces, you leave a few tangs at equidistant points,to hold
the part in place. Then, cut the tangs with dykes, saw, etc to remove.
Finish the spots.
JR
Dweller in the cellar

Bob La Londe wrote:
Mostly my mill has been used for engraving, although I've used it to
shape a few custom pieces. Recently I ran into a problem though. I
starting cutting some stencils with it. I found milling off a block of
wood flat, and then securing my sheet to that worked fairly well, but
when working with metal I've had a hard time figuring out how to secure
the pieces I want to remove. They tend to shift, bind the cutter, and
it goes SNAP. On light stuff or small jobs I can sit there and watch
for it to get close to going through and then take a couple tungsten
scribes and use them to hold the waste piece down until the cutter is
done and clear. Still it seems like there should be a better way to do
that. On a detailed stencil or a piece of aluminum sheet I can find
myself standing there for quite a while. I had considered pocketing the
entire waste piece, but that would really increase the time to do a
job. Also, Lazy Cam really throws in a lot of strange artifacts that
need to be manually edited out before you can get a final piece. Not
horrible if you are doing twenty of something, but the time to get a
good piece can be pretty horrible when doing just one of something.

My latest project is to try and make some commemorative coins for a
local event among friends, and pocketing out the entire coin is
obviously not the best option. LOL. I have pretty much decided to
finish one surface of the coin, cut it out, and then drop it into a
pocket in my wood block to do the other side. My problem seems to be in
finding a way to cut it out without having it slide and bind as soon as
it starts to come loose from the stock.




--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes
Doubt yourself, and the real world will eat you alive
The world doesn't revolve around you, it revolves around me
No skeletons in the closet; just decomposing corpses
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dependence is Vulnerability:
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Open the Pod Bay Doors please, Hal"
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.."

Bob La Londe wrote:
Mostly my mill has been used for engraving, although I've used it to
shape a few custom pieces. Recently I ran into a problem though. I
starting cutting some stencils with it. I found milling off a block of
wood flat, and then securing my sheet to that worked fairly well, but
when working with metal I've had a hard time figuring out how to secure
the pieces I want to remove. They tend to shift, bind the cutter, and
it goes SNAP. On light stuff or small jobs I can sit there and watch
for it to get close to going through and then take a couple tungsten
scribes and use them to hold the waste piece down until the cutter is
done and clear. Still it seems like there should be a better way to do
that. On a detailed stencil or a piece of aluminum sheet I can find
myself standing there for quite a while. I had considered pocketing the
entire waste piece, but that would really increase the time to do a
job. Also, Lazy Cam really throws in a lot of strange artifacts that
need to be manually edited out before you can get a final piece. Not
horrible if you are doing twenty of something, but the time to get a
good piece can be pretty horrible when doing just one of something.

My latest project is to try and make some commemorative coins for a
local event among friends, and pocketing out the entire coin is
obviously not the best option. LOL. I have pretty much decided to
finish one surface of the coin, cut it out, and then drop it into a
pocket in my wood block to do the other side. My problem seems to be in
finding a way to cut it out without having it slide and bind as soon as
it starts to come loose from the stock.


You might try making the base plate into a vacuum table, cutting and
drilling a vacuum manifold under the parts to hold them down. Or glue
them to a substrate with a glue that can later be cut or heated, or
dissolved away. Wood turners often glue a thin piece of paper between
the material they are turning and a faceplate, then split the paper when
they are done to free the work.

Stuart

"Stuart Wheaton" wrote in message
Bob La Londe wrote:
Mostly my mill has been used for engraving, although
I've used it to
shape a few custom pieces. Recently I ran into a
problem though. I
starting cutting some stencils with it. I found milling
off a block of
wood flat, and then securing my sheet to that worked
fairly well, but
when working with metal I've had a hard time figuring
out how to secure
the pieces I want to remove. They tend to shift, bind
the cutter, and
it goes SNAP. On light stuff or small jobs I can sit
there and watch
for it to get close to going through and then take a
couple tungsten
scribes and use them to hold the waste piece down until
the cutter is
done and clear. Still it seems like there should be a
better way to do
that. On a detailed stencil or a piece of aluminum
sheet I can find
myself standing there for quite a while. I had
considered pocketing the
entire waste piece, but that would really increase the
time to do a
job. Also, Lazy Cam really throws in a lot of strange
artifacts that
need to be manually edited out before you can get a
final piece. Not
horrible if you are doing twenty of something, but the
time to get a
good piece can be pretty horrible when doing just one of
something.

My latest project is to try and make some commemorative
coins for a
local event among friends, and pocketing out the entire
coin is
obviously not the best option. LOL. I have pretty much
decided to
finish one surface of the coin, cut it out, and then
drop it into a
pocket in my wood block to do the other side. My
problem seems to be in
finding a way to cut it out without having it slide and
bind as soon as
it starts to come loose from the stock.


You might try making the base plate into a vacuum table,
cutting and
drilling a vacuum manifold under the parts to hold them
down. Or glue
them to a substrate with a glue that can later be cut or
heated, or
dissolved away. Wood turners often glue a thin piece of
paper between
the material they are turning and a faceplate, then split
the paper when
they are done to free the work.

Stuart

I like the vacuum table idea. How much would it take to
work? Would, say,
a hand operated brake bleeder pump be enough? Might be if
only one item
was being held?
phil

On 2009-03-12, Phil Kangas wrote:

"Stuart Wheaton" wrote in message

[ ... ]

You might try making the base plate into a vacuum table,
cutting and
drilling a vacuum manifold under the parts to hold them
down. Or glue
them to a substrate with a glue that can later be cut or
heated, or
dissolved away. Wood turners often glue a thin piece of
paper between
the material they are turning and a faceplate, then split
the paper when
they are done to free the work.

[ ... ]

I like the vacuum table idea. How much would it take to
work? Would, say,
a hand operated brake bleeder pump be enough? Might be if
only one item
was being held?

Unlikely. A vacuum table has leaks even at best. You'll need a
pump which can keep ahead of the leaks. You might work with a shop vac,
or even a house vacuum cleaner, if you don't need the maximum hold.

Good Luck,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

Phil Kangas wrote:
"Stuart Wheaton" wrote in message
Bob La Londe wrote:
Mostly my mill has been used for engraving, although
I've used it to
shape a few custom pieces. Recently I ran into a
problem though. I
starting cutting some stencils with it. I found milling
off a block of
wood flat, and then securing my sheet to that worked
fairly well, but
when working with metal I've had a hard time figuring
out how to secure
the pieces I want to remove. They tend to shift, bind
the cutter, and
it goes SNAP. On light stuff or small jobs I can sit
there and watch
for it to get close to going through and then take a
couple tungsten
scribes and use them to hold the waste piece down until
the cutter is
done and clear. Still it seems like there should be a
better way to do
that. On a detailed stencil or a piece of aluminum
sheet I can find
myself standing there for quite a while. I had
considered pocketing the
entire waste piece, but that would really increase the
time to do a
job. Also, Lazy Cam really throws in a lot of strange
artifacts that
need to be manually edited out before you can get a
final piece. Not
horrible if you are doing twenty of something, but the
time to get a
good piece can be pretty horrible when doing just one of
something.
My latest project is to try and make some commemorative
coins for a
local event among friends, and pocketing out the entire
coin is
obviously not the best option. LOL. I have pretty much
decided to
finish one surface of the coin, cut it out, and then
drop it into a
pocket in my wood block to do the other side. My
problem seems to be in
finding a way to cut it out without having it slide and
bind as soon as
it starts to come loose from the stock.

You might try making the base plate into a vacuum table,
cutting and
drilling a vacuum manifold under the parts to hold them
down. Or glue
them to a substrate with a glue that can later be cut or
heated, or
dissolved away. Wood turners often glue a thin piece of
paper between
the material they are turning and a faceplate, then split
the paper when
they are done to free the work.

Stuart

I like the vacuum table idea. How much would it take to work? Would,
say, a hand operated brake bleeder pump be enough? Might be if only
one item was being held? phil



I would do it as a sandwich. A bottom plate that is solid, A middle
layer that has an x-y grid cut into the interior and all connected to a
port for the nozzle of a shop vac, (1.25"), and a sacrificial top layer,
that you change for each new design, which has holes drilled to
intersect the x-y grid under the parts in strategic places.

Use MDF or something else quite flat and smooth surfaced for the top layer.

Good luck.

Stuart

On Mar 11, 8:41*am, "Bob La Londe" wrote:
Mostly my mill has been used for engraving, although I've used it to shape a
few custom pieces. *Recently I ran into a problem though. *I starting
cutting some stencils with it. *I found milling off a block of wood flat,
and then securing my sheet to that worked fairly well, but when working with
metal I've had a hard time figuring out how to secure the pieces

Two classic solutions: jeweler's wax (black hot-melt adhesive) can
hold a sheet firmly, but let go with gentle heating (like, on a hot
plate).
Coolant is required, of course.

Also, electrochemical machining (i.e. make a stencil, use it to
apply a mask, then etch in appropriate reagent). Copper and stainless
etch well with FeCl, and a little electric current and salt water
made washers from stainless shim stock last time I needed those.

whit3rd wrote:
On Mar 11, 8:41 am, "Bob La Londe" wrote:
Mostly my mill has been used for engraving, although I've used it to
shape a few custom pieces. Recently I ran into a problem though. I
starting
cutting some stencils with it. I found milling off a block of wood
flat, and then securing my sheet to that worked fairly well, but
when working with metal I've had a hard time figuring out how to
secure the pieces

Two classic solutions: jeweler's wax (black hot-melt adhesive) can
hold a sheet firmly, but let go with gentle heating (like, on a hot
plate).
Coolant is required, of course.

Also, electrochemical machining (i.e. make a stencil, use it to
apply a mask, then etch in appropriate reagent). Copper and stainless
etch well with FeCl, and a little electric current and salt water
made washers from stainless shim stock last time I needed those.

That is interesting. I could never get FeCl work on stainless steel. Mild
steel, copper, brass, yes. Stainless steel, never. Do you have more details?

--
Michael Koblic,
Campbell River, BC

On Mar 12, 5:28*pm, "Michael Koblic" wrote:

That is interesting. I could never get FeCl work on stainless steel. Mild
steel, copper, brass, yes. Stainless steel, never. Do you have more details?

I was using KPR photoresist, there was some adhesion difficulty (HNO3
acid
wash before applying the resist?), and it etched rather slowly, but
I was only going through 2 mils. The photoresist mal-adhesion just
put
a few pits into the field, didn't bother my application.