Tenon cleanup

[tim lucas]

Using a blind dado for a joint and the tenon needs lots of cleanup

In the Shopbot link, is the pocket tool setup used to clean it up?

Thanks
Tim

[Donald Thomson]

I have the same issues. All my tenons have to be cleaned up. Another problem is most of my tenons are cut about .0156" to long. So I have to take all my cabinet parts with tenons to the edge sander and sand them off so the parts fit properly. Yes, I have micrometer my bits and my material to the nearest .001". I have updated all my material thicknesses when I create the TWD file for the CNC.

I also have an issue with dados and rabbits. I get a very narrow section in the middle of the dado that is left behind - not cut. This is very prevalent for drawer box bottoms and long dados for cabinet part joinery (mortise and tenon). I have to clean everyone out. The Link cuts one side of the dado, then the other side of the dado and doesn't clean up the middle.

[Josh Rayburn]

Tim,
May I ask what kind of tools you are using? Those parts look like they were cut with a chainsaw. I wonder if pocket cleanup isn't the only problem?
jnr

[Kerry Fullington]

I agree with Josh. I think this is a tooling problem.

[tim lucas]

I cut the pocket with a 1/4" down and use a compression for the outline
It seems like the pocket should cut out a little more

Thanks
Tim

[Forrest Chapman]

Depending on the thickness of your material if you use a mortised compression bit with a shorter upshear it will help as long as the upcut portion is below the pocketed surface.

Forrest

[Ralph Balanik]

For what it's worth. There is a beta version of the link 1.0.21 Beta 1. If you use a ShopBot you should use this version. If tenons are too long you might try setting the dado depth clearance deeper when you create your cabinet, if the tightness of your machine is similar to the tolerances you set in your settings one can cancel the other out pretty quick. Besides tooling edges, there can be issues if feed speed is not optimal. Last suggestion is - try changing direction of cut. I get good results with climb cut using particle core but I found that conventional cut is cleaner on ply core materials. Hope some of this helps.

[Donald Thomson]

Ralph,

Where does one get the beta version of the Link? Been waiting for over 3 years for a release to fix some of the Link issues.

As far as cutting goes, I climb cut all my outlines (leaving a 1/32" skin), then reverse the direction (conventional) for the final pass. My first pass cuts all the way down to 1/32". I don't do multiple climb cut passes, only 1 climb cut pass, then 1 conventional cut pass. I get really clean, and accurate, cuts this way - except on tenons. I use a mortise compression bit versus a straight compression bit. The mortise comp bit has a smaller upcut portion.

[Ralph Balanik]

Don,

I am sure if you phone in to Thermwood that someone will be kind enough to send you a link to the "link". I was having a lot of problems and the beta version fixed most of them.

[tim lucas]

For what it's worth. There is a beta version of the link 1.0.21 Beta 1. If you use a ShopBot you should use this version. If tenons are too long you might try setting the dado depth clearance deeper when you create your cabinet, if the tightness of your machine is similar to the tolerances you set in your settings one can cancel the other out pretty quick. Besides tooling edges, there can be issues if feed speed is not optimal. Last suggestion is - try changing direction of cut. I get good results with climb cut using particle core but I found that conventional cut is cleaner on ply core materials. Hope some of this helps.

Hi Ralph,
Yes I am using the beta version and the tenons are not to long - everything is as it should be - the dados cut very nice I was just looking for a little overcut that might help clean up the ends after the profile cut. This is a soft wood and that adds to the problem.

Thanks for the ideas
Tim