Imagine the possibilities

When we installed our MultiCam CNC plasma cutter last week we weren’t sure exactly what we would do with it. We just knew the things that are now possible in our shop will be very cool and unlimited in scope. It was the same with the MultiCam CNC router ten years ago. Today Peter designed the brackets for the gutters they will install on their house. The image was drawn by hand and then imported into EnRoute for vector tracing which only took a second. The back piece of the bracket was designed using the drawing tools. The first prototype was cut on the plasma cutter this morning. Cutting it from a sheet of 3/16″ thick steel took less than a minute and welding it together only a minute more. The result is charming and will add a stunning detail to the house!

Published with permission from precisionboard.blogspot.com. Source.

Dino comes to life

The dinosaur bones were slipped over a bent steel pipe to form the backbone of the velociraptor. I spaced then out and took a look to see how it would work.

It needed a little tweaking and twisting to get things looking right. To give the skeleton more life I cut both ends of the pipe and added more bend before welding them back on at a slightly different angle. This brought the head and tail around in a more striking curve. I then tack welded things into place. I now have to do the final welds before we lift him onto a fallen tree which we will sculpt beneath him.

The mail box will be welded into his double handed grip. To get to this stage took less than an hour.

Published with permission from precisionboard.blogspot.com. Source.

Never stop learning. Again.

I consider myself somewhat of a power user when it comes to using our cnc machining software, Enroute Pro 5.1. So why in the heck and I spending 3 days training on the software in Denver, Colorado?.

Simple. I’ve said it repeatedly…. Never stop learning. When I found out that my friend Dan Sawatzky was going to be here, It was a no brainer. I grabbed Bryan from the shop and we made the trip out.

Dan has become one of my most trusted friends and mentors over the years. Any time we get to spend together usually ends in many hair brained ideas, and a few really good ones. This year was no different.

In addition to Dan, Jeff Hartman coordinated the whole event. He taught and hosted us at his shop every evening after class. Jeff is a great teacher and knows Enroute in and out, as he should, since he and his brother in law are the creators.

In more news….we’ll be announcing an amazing event in the near future that came to fruition during our class time together.

That being said, I don’t care how good you are at anything. You can always learn more by helping others and you might just have that eureka moment in the process.

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Later this week, we’ll talk about the Letterheads meet in Cincinnati!!!!

-Jim

Published with permission from Synergy Sign & Graphics. Source.

Edge Bonding: A PB-Fast Set walk-through

Out technical staff at Coastal Enterprises has received questions frequently in regards to using PB-Fast Set for edge bonding. Here is a quick step by step picture aided explanation of how it’s done.

This sample of PBLT-15 was cut into two pieces. Our goal is to use PB-Fast Set and bond the halved pieces back together without any gaps or separations.

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What you will need for this bonding project is PB-Fast Set, a spray bottle with water, paper towels or a shop rag, the Precision Board needing to be bonded, clamps that will fit the measurement of the Precision Board (we used pipe clamps), and a working space large enough to accommodate the project.

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Place the two pieces of Precision Board in a way that the edges you want to bond are facing “up” or on top. You will distribute the PB-Fast Set on ONE SIDE of the two edges leaving ¼” of space away from the edge allowing room for the PB-Fast Set to expand. Spread the PB-Fast Set uniformally using a tongue depressor or brush.

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With the spray bottle of water, mist the other edge needing to be bonded. This will activate the PB-Fast Set causing it to set up and secure the bond.

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**NOTE** At the point of contact between the two edges being bonded, you will be on a bit of a timer. You have 4 minutes of working time, so you must work quickly to use your clamps and align/connect the edges.

We used pipe clamps to connect the two pieces. You may use any clamps you like that will securely hold the two edges together for a seamless bond line. Wipe excess adhesive off for an easier clean up.

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At this point, you must allow a full 30 minutes of time to ensure the bond has fully cured. Once cured, sand the excess to a smooth finish allowing for a clean and tight bond line.

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PB-Fast set requires no mixing, works well on wood, metal and most other materials. It’s easy to cut, carve, sand or machine, and cuts cleanly.

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Find out more about PB-Fast Set and our other companion products here.

Pile of bones!

Once we got the new MultiCam plasma cutter set up and tested it was time to give it a spin. Russell asked me for a file and I was happy to oblige. It was time for Phoebe’s mailbox to be cut at last! It was pure magic to watch it run through the file! It ran flawlessly – right out of the box!

We had quite the pile of pieces when the machine was done.

Published with permission from precisionboard.blogspot.com. Source.