Locating Handibot with Laser Sight for Precise Shape Cutting

Hi there, I'm using the Handibot to cut out a playfield for a custom pinball machine. I have tried to use the large material jig for this purpose, but it's not really accurate enough over the entire playfield, especially when a cut lands across multiple tiles.

My new plan is to make each cut separately after having printed out the AI drawing and pasting it onto the plywood. I'm wondering how I might go about positioning the Handibot with the laser sight to cut something like the attached drawing at a precise location?

Also, is it possible to have the Handibot run through a pretend cut just to show the track it will use?

I hope this makes sense!

Thanks,
Nathan.

My input below.

Loudon951 Wrote:
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> Hi there, I'm using the Handibot to cut out a
> playfield for a custom pinball machine. I have
> tried to use the large material jig for this
> purpose, but it's not really accurate enough over
> the entire playfield, especially when a cut lands
> across multiple tiles.

Have you seen my instructable on using the Jig? With enough care, you should be able to index as accurately as with a laser.
A lot of things like this are about practice and being meticulous.
>

> My new plan is to make each cut separately after
> having printed out the AI drawing and pasting it
> onto the plywood. I'm wondering how I might go
> about positioning the Handibot with the laser
> sight to cut something like the attached drawing
> at a precise location?

[www.youtube.com]

The laser lines are about a mm wide so you should be able to get within .5 mm using the laser. I don't know if this is good enough for you or not. It is for most large projects.

>
> Also, is it possible to have the Handibot run
> through a pretend cut just to show the track it
> will use?

Sure, just zero the Z well above the material, and it will ghost cut just fine.
>
> I hope this makes sense!
>
> Thanks,
> Nathan.

You can aircut with the handibot by seeing the Z scaling to 0 when you start the job. You can also turn the router off too.

As far as the laser rig, I made my own, and Mark is spot on, the laser beam is too wide. Plus, you've got more room for error. You've got to aim the laser, and eyeball it in.

The large material jig is tough, but if you're really anal about it you can get it to work. Any error you make is amplified the farther out you get. If I were you, I'd not use the spacers but start with the first row. Take your large material jig and make sure it's dead straight. I check mine with a long level. I clamp it to the level and then screw it to my bench (or clamp)

Then cut your first row. Then take up the jig rail and move it up being super careful to set it right.

The large material jig is tough, but if you're really anal about it you can get it to work. Any error you make is amplified the farther out you get. If I were you, I'd not use the spacers but start with the first row. Take your large material jig and make sure it's dead straight. I check mine with a long level. I clamp it to the level and then screw it to my bench (or clamp)

Eric,
This is a very good idea for those times you really need it accurate. I will try it and see how it works. I have good results with one spacer but two or more and things get dicey quick.

Another thing you can do on large items is to save a copy of your Vcarve file then rotate the work in Vcarve, and cut from the other side.
On a large piece, you could do this three times and cut along each edge of your rectangular workpiece.

Thanks for your thoughts guys.

My main issue is with getting the rotation of the Handibot correct, it would be nice to have laser lines that mark the x and y axis.. The .5mm accuracy will be fine if I make each cut individually as all but one cut fits in the 6"x8" footprint.. Might have to try and jerry rig something!

Vertically and horizontally aligning the lasers is no problem, I have mine that way for the same reason you want yours that way.

Mine are just stuck to the mount with sugru, but you could build a mount and include an alignment pin.

[plus.google.com]

page down to April and you can see mine.

Loudon951 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for your thoughts guys.
>
> My main issue is with getting the rotation of the
> Handibot correct, it would be nice to have laser
> lines that mark the x and y axis.. The .5mm
> accuracy will be fine if I make each cut
> individually as all but one cut fits in the 6"x8"
> footprint.. Might have to try and jerry rig
> something!

Just a quick suggestion on 'air-cutting' ...
If, after getting your tool positioned, zeroed, and ready for the cut, you move to say a Z of 1.0 and turn the router off ... then cut the file using the 3D offset function (found in the file set-up dialog), your starting location will be treated as 0,0,0 and the tool will move over the material exactly 1" above your true cut (*of course, if your cut depth is greater than 1" you will need to position the Z higher than 1). When you are ready for the real cut, just run the file again with router on and not using the 3D offset function.

On the registration issue, I might note that we situated those little crosses in the yellow plastic (just below the handles) with the idea that we would develop some sort of marking/template for making position marks over a work area for a large project. Once the area was marked up, one would use the crosses to sight tile locations across the area. And, that's one we have not gotten to ... (don't know how it would compare to jigs).

Ted Hall, ShopBot Tools