Cutting out large Opendesk files

Projects
28

Anyone tried these 1/4 sheets from Home Depot or Lowes?

It would be interesting to find a common size available at the store so everyone could grab the same one.

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30

Yeah, they’re 24" x 48" with minimal to no voids. Make sure to use a downcut spiral bit to protect the veneer. Good for skateboards and the like.

Part of me thinks we should go for a chair. In the woodworking world, chairs are considered more difficult than tables and are a way to show you’ve taken your craftsmanship up a notch. The same goes for carving one. There are more planes, hence more connections to fit together.

On the other hand, making a flat-pack table will possibly be more simple and accessible to people just getting into flat-pack style stuff.

My biggest personal challenge is that although I really like the flat-pack concept, the Ikea-like aesthetic that most of these designs create doesn’t work at all with the solid oak Arts & Crafts style furniture I’ve made over the last twelve years. I’ve already filled my house with just about all the stuff we need, so carving new furniture would be a “just for fun” prospect.

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31

Most of the OpenDesk chairs and small tables fit within the carving area of an XC1000 for a single-stage carve. And most of the larger table tops can be cut with a two-stage cut with proper zeroing and registration.

32

One thing that needs to be mentioned is that right out of the carve, the parts will all have a 90° edge which will not be resilient enough for assembly/disassembly. You will need to either break or ease the edge with at the very least some 220 grit sandpaper or possibly a 1/8" round-over bit in a router.

I’ve always wanted to experiment with chucking up the round-over bit in the XC and using the proper offset and Easel to perform that function, then mirror the image and do the other side. This is a perfect example of doing it by hand is much easier, but the process, accuracy and repeat-ability of having the machine do it is important.

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Dremel has a bit that will work perfectly in a cnc router. I have used them on several small projects. No need to worry about an offset; just measure the dia. of the bit’s bottom guide, ease down on the depth until you like the ‘cut’, and just do an outside ‘cut’.

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