A Ramping, the VR Command and How to Tune Your Tool for Maximum Performance

No setting in the ShopBot control software (SB3) has more influence over the performance of your CNC than the VR [Values Ramping] command. I have no doubt that you’ve heard about ramping before, and to many, the idea of adjusting your VR settings is downright confusing and to some, scary. There seems to be a …

Continue reading >>> A Ramping, the VR Command and How to Tune Your Tool for Maximum Performance

The BradyVac II – A Production Vacuum Fixture on a Shoestring Budget

About 2 years ago, I set out to create a removable universal vacuum fixture for doing various jobs. (Please review my Nov. 2006 article) This universal fixture was coined the ‘BradyVac’ by Bill Young. The basic idea is to take a sheet of …

Continue reading >>> The BradyVac II – A Production Vacuum Fixture on a Shoestring Budget

A Tale of Three Bits…and The Poor Man’s Compression Spiral Trick

Selecting the right bit for cutting sheet goods can be tricky, so we’ll shed some light on different bit geometries you are likely to encounter and when to use them. For most sheet goods, a regular 2-flute straight bit is a good choice. It neither pushes nor pulls the chips up or down, and it …

Continue reading >>> A Tale of Three Bits…and The Poor Man’s Compression Spiral Trick

A Removable Vacuum Plenum that Maximizes Hold Down Potential

If you are anything like me, you want to be ready for any job that comes through the door. For me, this meant being able to quickly tool up for cutting 2” hardwood shapes that needed to be screwed down to a rigid spoilboard one day, and be able to hold down 4X8 …

Continue reading >>> A Removable Vacuum Plenum that Maximizes Hold Down Potential

A Sticky Situation

Sooner or later every CNC operator will come face to face with a challenging material hold-down problem that cannot be solved using conventional methods. Clamps get in the way, tabs/bridges require post-finishing of the part, screws don’t hold the part down in the center and vacuum is sometimes not strong enough for small parts without …

Continue reading >>> A Sticky Situation

Just a Little Bit?

If I had to describe my ShopBot CNC in one word, it would be, ‘versatile’. I can’t think of any other tool that I have purchased during my lifetime that can do as many tasks that my ShopBot can. I think that ShopBotters are also equally versatile, especially when it comes to doing big things …

Continue reading >>> Just a Little Bit?