Skip to content
New issue

Have a question about this project? Sign up for a free GitHub account to open an issue and contact its maintainers and the community.

By clicking “Sign up for GitHub”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy statement. We’ll occasionally send you account related emails.

Already on GitHub? Sign in to your account

Metric dovetails #2

Open
staylr opened this issue May 21, 2016 · 80 comments
Open

Metric dovetails #2

staylr opened this issue May 21, 2016 · 80 comments

Comments

@staylr
Copy link

staylr commented May 21, 2016

Hi,

The Incra metric dovetail templates use imperial dovetail bits. It doesn't look like pyRouterJig allows entering a 12.7mm bit width. Is there any way around this?

Cheers,
Simon.

@lowrie
Copy link
Owner

lowrie commented May 21, 2016

Hi Simon,

I'm trying to think of a way around this, but still have good-fitting
joints.

There's 2 issues. By default, pyRouterJig will round to the nearest 1mm.
That's one issue. For 12.7, that's 13 mm. Right now, it also doesn't
allow for an odd-numbered width, which is the second issue. These
constraints made it easy to get perfect-fitting joints (zero gap or
overlap), but are probably too restrictive. I need to think about this
some more.

I don't understand your statement that "Incra metric dovetail templates use
imperial dovetail bits". Which templates are these? I don't know of any
metric versions, except that pyRouterJig generates.

Thanks,
-Rob

On Sat, May 21, 2016 at 1:44 AM, Simon Taylor notifications@github.com
wrote:

Hi,

The Incra metric dovetail templates use imperial dovetail bits. It doesn't
look like pyRouterJig allows entering a 12.7mm bit width. Is there any way
around this?

Cheers,
Simon.


You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#2

@staylr
Copy link
Author

staylr commented May 21, 2016

Thanks for that. I meant the templates in the Incra Master Reference Guide Metric Addendum.

@lowrie
Copy link
Owner

lowrie commented May 21, 2016

Ahh, I didn't know about the Addendum. In my Imperial book, there is a
"Depth of Cut Chart - Metric" table on page 3. See the attached image,
which I found online (for a German manual). It refers to MDOVA, MODVB,
etc., which I assume are the metric templates, which I don't have. It
would help me if I knew the "approximate depth of cut" for each entry in
the template. This value should be printed on the template. If you could
supply these values, I would really appreciate it!

Thanks,
-Rob

[image: Inline image 2]

On Sat, May 21, 2016 at 8:03 AM, Simon Taylor notifications@github.com
wrote:

Thanks for that. I meant the templates in the Incra Master Reference Guide
Metric Addendum.


You are receiving this because you commented.
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#2 (comment)

@staylr
Copy link
Author

staylr commented May 22, 2016

Template Bit Approx Depth of Cut Spacing to Set Depth
MDOVA 5/16" 10° 6mm 14mm
MDOVB 5/16" 10° 6mm 14mm
MDOVC 1/2" 14° 7mm 22mm
MDOVD 1/2" 14° 7mm 22mm
MDOVE 1/2" 14° 7mm 22mm
MDOVF 1/2" 14° 11mm 20mm
MDOVG 1/2" 14° 11mm 20mm
MDOVH 1/2" 14° 11mm 20mm
MDOVI 5/8" 7° 15mm 28mm
MDOVJ 5/8" 7° 15mm 28mm
MDOVK 3/4" 7° 18mm 34mm

@lowrie
Copy link
Owner

lowrie commented May 22, 2016

Thanks Simon.

On Sat, May 21, 2016 at 6:23 PM, Simon Taylor notifications@github.com
wrote:

Template Bit Approx Depth of Cut Spacing to Set Depth
MDOVA 5/16" 10° 6mm 14mm
MDOVB 5/16" 10° 6mm 14mm
MDOVC 1/2" 14° 7mm 22mm
MDOVD 1/2" 14° 7mm 22mm
MDOVE 1/2" 14° 7mm 22mm
MDOVF 1/2" 14° 11mm 20mm
MDOVG 1/2" 14° 11mm 20mm
MDOVH 1/2" 14° 11mm 20mm
MDOVI 5/8" 7° 15mm 28mm
MDOVJ 5/8" 7° 15mm 28mm
MDOVK 3/4" 7° 18mm 34mm


You are receiving this because you commented.
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#2 (comment)

@lowrie
Copy link
Owner

lowrie commented May 23, 2016

Simon, this is going to take me longer to implement than I thought. I'll
let you know when I have something to try, but it might be a while.

Thanks,
-Rob

On Sun, May 22, 2016 at 8:31 AM, Rob Lowrie rob@lowrielodge.org wrote:

Thanks Simon.

On Sat, May 21, 2016 at 6:23 PM, Simon Taylor notifications@github.com
wrote:

Template Bit Approx Depth of Cut Spacing to Set Depth
MDOVA 5/16" 10° 6mm 14mm
MDOVB 5/16" 10° 6mm 14mm
MDOVC 1/2" 14° 7mm 22mm
MDOVD 1/2" 14° 7mm 22mm
MDOVE 1/2" 14° 7mm 22mm
MDOVF 1/2" 14° 11mm 20mm
MDOVG 1/2" 14° 11mm 20mm
MDOVH 1/2" 14° 11mm 20mm
MDOVI 5/8" 7° 15mm 28mm
MDOVJ 5/8" 7° 15mm 28mm
MDOVK 3/4" 7° 18mm 34mm


You are receiving this because you commented.
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#2 (comment)

@staylr
Copy link
Author

staylr commented May 24, 2016

No problem. I had a look at the code myself, looks like this breaks some fairly basic assumptions.

@lowrie
Copy link
Owner

lowrie commented Mar 9, 2017

Hi Simon, I know it's been a while, and you've probably moved on. But I think I may have figured out a way around this, even with the current version.

Under the units preference, set "Increments per mm" to 100. The last digit of the bit width needs to be an even number (too complex to explain), so approximate your bit widths as follows:

5/16" -> 7.92 mm
1/2" -> 12.70 mm
5/8" -> 15.88 mm
3/4" -> 19.04 mm

With the depth of cut set as in your table, you'll see the program gives the corresponding "Spacing to set depth" numbers, to the nearest mm.

EDIT: But then the router passes are obviously placed to within 0.01 mm, which is not attainable with the INCRA. Rounding to the nearest 1 mm might be accurate enough, but this needs to be tested, and I have no way to test it.

@vladsan
Copy link

vladsan commented Oct 5, 2017

When I'll get my Incra LS metric I'll test it. So I am sure that everyone who use metric positioner eagerly willing to have full access to it's capabilities. Waiting for metric

@lowrie
Copy link
Owner

lowrie commented Oct 11, 2017

OK vladsan. I haven't looked at this code in quite a while.

@Matthew670
Copy link

Just stumbled onto this...using the original Incra jig...so looking forward to the metric work along
Cheers for all your work.

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Valdas2000 commented Jan 8, 2018

Hello.
I walked thru the code. There are some improvements I can contribute.
1 - QT5 support
2 - Template labels extension (bit diameter and angle, board width, bit depth)
3 - Support imperial dovetails bits in metric
4 - Make Align line always visible on gray-scale prints
5 - Russian language support

Are you ok if I submit such changes into your stream ?
Imperial features got now calculation changes.

Regards.

PS. There are some tricks allows half mm positioning on Incra. So in theory it is possible to have odd cut spacing (I try such tricks but not sure if it make sense to put such feature into the application code)

@lowrie
Copy link
Owner

lowrie commented Jan 8, 2018

@Valdas2000 Sounds great! If it all possible, can you break the pull requests (changes) into 5 separate pull requests, each corresponding to your list? That It will make it easier for me to review and merge. I can understand that this request might be difficult, but I also fear that all of your changes may reflect a lot of code changes.

Also, could you explain more on the 0.5 mm spacing trick? Do you believe this same trick would allow 1/64" spacing for imperial systems?

Finally, your message implies that either you've fixed metric for dovetails, at least for imperial bits. Is that true? Do your fixes work for metric bits?

Thanks for your interest and work!

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Valdas2000 commented Jan 8, 2018

Hello.

I will brake the pull requests. no problem.

0.5mm trick is easy and will work on 1/64 as well.
Let's we need to make join with 13mm period. So space between A cuts is 13 mm.
The point is we need to get 6.5 mm offset to get from A to B cuts. However space in B line still 13mm.

Normally I do the following.
1 - Put a 0.5 mm shim between Fence and sub Fence. (I uses stainless steal shim same size to sub-fence)
2 - Center my fence system as usual (actually we got 0.5 mm extra)
3 - pass A cuts as usual
4 - Step to B cuts (6 mm)
5 - Move the shims out (got 6.5mm offset)
6 - make B cuts

Shims works better than micro-adjust.

I updated calculation for metric part to get imperial dovetail bits working.
For now I test the templates on my Incra.

@lowrie
Copy link
Owner

lowrie commented Jan 8, 2018

@Valdas2000 Ahh, great idea on using the shim. At a minimum, I will put that idea into the documentation.

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Seems I got Metric working well.
Also
QT5 migration fixes:
1 -Fix mouse events (was not covered by previous pull request)
2 - Fix screenshot issue

@lowrie
Copy link
Owner

lowrie commented Feb 8, 2018

That's great, Valdas...feel free to do a pull request whenever you are ready. Looking at your branch, it looks like all the changes are in router.py. Your file formatting may be messed up (I'm not sure), but I can fix that later. Or run pylint.

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Hello.
As about localization. I've got the following issue:
The local language file (ts). Have to be compiled via lrelease. It is a special QT tool shoped with development package. I am not sure if it is available on MAC. I spend lot of time to get it because of huge size of dev package for Microsoft.

Does it make sense to commit a binary translation file (qm) as well as ts source ?

@lowrie
Copy link
Owner

lowrie commented Feb 20, 2018

Can you supply a simple python script/code that uses the ts file? I can see if it works on the Mac.

I do not like the idea of binary files in the repo. I'd rather they be downloaded, from a reputable site, but the code user.

@lowrie
Copy link
Owner

lowrie commented Feb 20, 2018

Have you considered gettext?

https://docs.python.org/3/library/gettext.html

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Valdas2000 commented Feb 20, 2018

Hello.
I don't like idea to keep binaries as well. May be it's make scene to distribute localization as a separate set (like you have for wood patterns). Application works fine even if no localization files presents.

The issue with gettext is that it's tricky to use it because python3 recommend to avoid some functionality.
Also it's not that good for QT because developer have to carry about interface translation too much.

That is the reason I bring up QT5 translation way. It offers ability to avoid restart on translation switch.
http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/internationalization.html

Some more about translation flow for developer (done).

1 - create a QTranslation object
2 - load translation file
3 - register translation in the application (the benefit is that app send signal to all Windows to rebuild them, so translation can be changed on fly)
4 - wrap texts into tr() call (seems we have no worry about encoding)

Localization flow (done 95%):

1 - run pylupdate5 (it shipped with pyQT5) over the source file to get ts file created
2 - edit ts file to paste translation for strings (the file must be UTF-8 encoded).

Compile (done on Windows)

1 - Compile ts file into qm via lrelease tool. The tool shiped with qttools5-dev-tools.
Can you please verify in you able to compile the ts file
https://github.com/Valdas2000/pyRouterJig/tree/py3_qt5/ts

Regards
Valentin

@lowrie
Copy link
Owner

lowrie commented Mar 10, 2018

@Valdas2000 I used pylint to clean up a lot of the code. I hope that doesn't ruin anything that you're currently working on.

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

I merged the changes into my code. Sorry it took a little bit while.
Pulled-up changes to you.

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

More issues.
Scale is not correct on print.
I try to print on high-res 738dpi and 1400dpi printer and got wrong size.
BTW on 600dpi there is 1 mm (~0.039") scale error for 200mm (4") boards.

@lowrie
Copy link
Owner

lowrie commented Mar 18, 2018

If the scale on print is off, try print_scale_factor in the .pyrouterjig config file. In your case, if the printed size was too small, do

print_scale_factor = 200.0 / (200 - 1)

or if too big,

print_scale_factor = 200.0 / (200 + 1)

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Thank you.
I just try to figure out the cause. Normally it's should be the case.
Probably it is somewhere in the printer driver options.

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Well.
At least one case. The mouse zoom also impacts prints. Not sure if that should work in the such way.
Steps to reproduce
1 - Check Menu->View->Zoom Mode
2 - Use mouse to zoom in or zoom-out
3 - Print.

lowrie pushed a commit that referenced this issue Mar 25, 2018
@davidwilyman
Copy link

Hi Rob and Simon. Great that you are trying to find a solution for the Metric LS Positioner which uses Imperial Dovetails and I can only add my encouragement. Trying to get good quality Metric Dovetail bits in the UK is difficult so can’t use the pyrouterjig to create new templates and use Incra's standard templates. Incra provide 51 templates for the Imperial version and only 26 for the Metric so without pyrouterjig we Metric users are missing out big time.
Hopefully you will be able to find the time to continue improving this great program.
Best wishes,
David

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Valdas2000 commented Jul 16, 2020

Hello David

Some years ago I made changes in the project and now it is able to create metric and imperial patterns for metric and Imperial bits. However you can combine metric bits and imperial pattern and reverse.
I also add gentle cut feature that generate pattern for multi-pass cut to use narrow bit for wide cuts.

It works well for me. You can try out my fork.

Regards
Valentin

@RaBuAc
Copy link

RaBuAc commented Nov 30, 2020 via email

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Valdas2000 commented Nov 30, 2020

Q: I have a micro adjust which I can use to center. Is there a way to add this option to the program that the shoulders become symmetrical?
A: It is possible to add an option but the fence setup procedure became more complex. Also, the "price" for the feature is that you have to re-setup fence too often. In general it looks like not not a big deal to setup fence to the center of the bit than do surface cuts (for Half Blind Dovetails joints you need to cut the board surface to half with of the bit). But than you have to shift fence forward for 0.5mm. Now put your template inside and align black line. After that you can make cuts. After that don't forget to setup fence back :) So there is no changes in template itself but in the workflow.
That twist can be tricky for beginners and really hard on complex custom joins when various bit diameters used.

Re “Bit depth 19mm on your picture make you join too tied it got 0.33mm overlap. So tenons does not fits into the grooves. It is better to chose bit depth around 14.5mm you will get good fit. The gap is about 0.2mm which is quite fine for a good join.”
Q: This is interesting: There seems to be a misunderstanding by me. “Bit depth” is “the cutting depth of the router bit” - I interpreted this as the maximum possible cutting depth of the router bit (i.e. physical length). But I understand that this is wrong.

A: Heh! That is the trick which Incra does not share. Bit depth on Incra Dovetail workflow is to manage tight of the join ;) (That is the main difference with the regular tenon machines like Leigh Super Jig which manages join tight by cut distance).
Here is some information about the template

Q:But what to choose? I wondered already that my board thickness was no parameter anywhere, (in my case it is 10.4 mm thick). I experimented according to the INCRA recommendation with the bit height by making the initial cut tests with two samples starting with a bit height right above the board thickness and then raised it to get a tighter fit. But I failed.
A: Let's start from the basic setup. And than make a Half Blind Dovetails with your bit V7 D12.7 (that you used for your first template). It is a little bit improved because we know the perfect fit overhang ;). The tricky point is to move from tight to loose join (otherwise setup workflow does not work).
So the steps are following (need 2 boards of any thickness):

  1. Set bit depth to 6mm and make cuts on your test boards line on Incra instructions. They would not fit if you try because join is too tight.
  2. Now move bit down and set bit depth to 5mm. Cut the boards over existing groves and try try to fit (better but yet tight)
  3. Low down the bit by 0.5mm. and cut over the existent groves. Soon you'll got good fit. (There would be a gap at the top but do not wary it will be setup step only). It is better to setup every time you change settings. (refer to the story at the end of the mail)

I assume you have 10.4 mm thick boards. So with your bit setup you can make Half Blind Dovetail join with your template.
(definitely need to take some pictures from the process)

Q: You recommend Where do you get the 14.5 mm from – i.e. is this experience or can I derive this value somewhere from – or is it just above the boards thickness?
A: It is easy. You can change bit depth and application advice you perfect fit overhang. I just walk from 3mm to the bit diameter and got all suggested overhangs. Different bits have different maximum depth of cut. Be careful and never exceed it. The application have no limits on that. Usually you have 2 perfect fit depths for the bit. Depend on that and type of the join you can choose thickness of the boards.

Some WIKI about gap visualization

The setup story:
Probably you have Master Lift or something similar in your table. The lift offer 1/32' precision. The bad news is that once you locks the lift it moves into unpredictable way so bit depth changed (+-0.07mm). (I mount precised digital ruler onto my lift and can manage this issue). It happen because the helical gear is free running so the lock shifts the router a little.
So. Setup is essential step. And for depth adjustments I discovered the flowing rules.

  1. Already increase depth of cut if possible.
  2. Use 2 keys for lift movement. Keep movement key fixed while lock the setup with a second key.
  3. In case you need decrease the cut it's better to already decrease step by step.
  4. Never try to play with low and top movements - it never works.
  5. Router bit angle is never exact. For well known brands (Freud, CMT, Leitz) precision is fine but for chip bits the angle floats for about +-0.3 degree. For such chip bits it's better to measure angle with a special tools.

@RaBuAc
Copy link

RaBuAc commented Dec 1, 2020 via email

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Valdas2000 commented Dec 1, 2020

Unfortunately I do still have some questions/clarification:

  1. Re: Micro Adjustments to perfectly symmetrical cuts (shoulders are the same):
    I do not understand the complexity of the setup process.

    You have to try. For me it is better to have even board sizes and never play with fence position. More setup consumes more time and lead to mistakes.

-> In case of unsymmetrical shoulders I can center micro adjust the fence so accurate that the shoulder can be symmetrical. If I then position the marker to the ALIGN line it should be all OK for the rest of the cuts.
Your note does indicate I need to do this several times?

Right. Once you change fence position the template stay correct because you just change you start point but cut distance remains the same. You just need to micro-august fence at proper workflow stage.

2. First of all some definitions (to clarify if I understand these correctly)
a. Overlap:= -Gap, if (Gap <=0) If a Gap is calculated <=0 then this is shown as GAP=0 and Overlap = Gap:
Overlap should be 0:
If the Fingers (pins) and tails do “overlap”, the fingers are wider than the tails, the fingers do not fit into the tails

A: In most cases overlap is not welcome but there are some exceptions. For instance cork and balsa need tine overlap because such kind of wood are very soft.

b. Gap:=-Overlap if (Overlap =< 0): If Gap is calculated >=0 then this is shown as GAP=Gap and Overlap = 0:
Gap should be > 0, but very close to 0 (best in 1/10 of mm?):
If the Gap is > 0 , then there is some “space” between the fingers and the tails. This means the fingers have some room to “move” and therefore the fit is not optimal.

A: In most cases you need some space. It depends on material and glue. Most of D3 glues consists water. Wood swells in water more or less so you need some room to join. It is also depends on materials. Palm swells more than oak but less than pine. However for D4 PUR glues family does not have the issue because PU glue pulls out water from most of materials.
For some of my projects I use "old school" bone glue (big gap because it is a hot glue) and some time fish glue (perfect gap because the glue is thin). In some rare cases garlic glue (it is perfect for gilding) is also fine. So the gap must be manageable.

c. Adjustment of Overlap and Gap with the Bit Depth:
The Gap and Overlap is shown in GREEN or RED depending if this is a valid setting or not

A: The green zone by default is set to 0.25 mm. For me 0.2mm is is perfect for D3 glue and red wood or European oak. I prefer long exposure time so swell is not an issue.
You can set your own green zone:
Tools->Preferences->Misc: Warning Gap (mm)

- Procedure for THROUGH dovetails:
a) Set the Bit Depth to the Board Thickness (because THROUGH dovetails)
b.) Is the Gap >= 0 near 0 (GREEN Colored) -> yes OK
c.) If the Gap is <0 (Overlap >0) (RED colored) then increase Bit Depth by 0.1 mm –> Goto b.

A: Good Idea but the bad news is that in most cases it is impossible to marry board with and bit depth because they not love each other ;). So it is nice to have a set of bits and pick the proper one. Secret rule is that the bit diameter shell be close to the board thickness (it is from old old woodworking books that recommend use the bit with bit diameter close to the board thickness +1mm -0.5mm).

Example: Board Width = 93mm; Bit Width = 19mm; Bit Angle = 7°
a.) Set Bit Depth = 10.3 -> Gap = 0; Overlap = 0.265 -> RED
b.) After some iterations over b,c) the setting Bit Depth = 15.9 mm leads to a Gap = 0.048 and a Overlap = 0 -> GREEN
-> Therefore the right setting for this 10.3 thick mm board with THROUGH dovetails and the given bit is Bit Depth= 15.9 mm !

A: Heh. Seems 19mm bit is not the best choice for your boards. That is why we have set of dovetail bits. I'd recommend V8 3/8" or V14 1/2 (that one is perfect) and get your flow works (wide of fingers is not an issue because we have an application).
I also not sure if your 19mm bit allow such a deep cut. And there are some points why it is better to not have cuts lot deeper than the board thickness longer than 1mm (it can be nice design feature).

However it is yet possibility to get your bit working but the flow is more complex and you'll need more routing works. Also additional 45 degree bit like Yonico 13921 or similar required. I prefer this way instead of dancing twist with boards. It also help me to keep designed size of my boxes and make my сolleagues puzzled how dovetails combined with 45 degree join . But it is another long story. It is better to start from easy joints to setup own workflows.

3. I have the Sauter OFL 3.0 lift which can be adjusted in height 1/10 mm
https://www.sautershop.de/oberfraesenlift-set-ofl3.0-suhner-ual-23-rf-fraesmotor-set-ofl3-s1800?c=15183
All of lifts have some free run. In most cases it is less pronounceable but it is better to check.
My problem was that depth positioning works well enough but locking the lift broke the setup a little bit.

I've got https://www.incrementaltools.com/INCRA_Mast_R_Lift_II_p/incra-mast-r-lift-ii.htm (inch version offer 1/64" precision) and supply it with Digital Readout (not the Incra one but it offers 0.01mm step and 0.06mm accuracy) so precise positioning is not an issue for me anymore.

@RaBuAc
Copy link

RaBuAc commented Dec 3, 2020 via email

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Valdas2000 commented Dec 3, 2020

I have followed your recommendation and used another bit.
But the generated template looks odd – see the left and right shoulders in this file:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QfCEAk_VBLZuL6MPTbyWPVlJw1cGEFjU/view?usp=sharing
What is wrong?

Hello. Seems you warned that that right finger would be cut off. In case the thinnest finger part is less 1mm the program cuts it off (as you will get in reality). It is safe to have about 2-3mm

You can change minimal finger width.
Tools->Preferences->Min Finger Width.
However application does not allow to set less than 1mm because it is against reality.

PS. Seems there is a bug. 7-6.35 <1 so the right finger have to be cut off as well.

Best regards,

@RaBuAc
Copy link

RaBuAc commented Dec 3, 2020 via email

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Valdas2000 commented Dec 4, 2020

1. Where do I see the warning?
No warning implemented yet. Application just cut off the finger :(

2. I do not understand why the program does not shift simply the whole pattern to the left, i.e. create equal shoulders of 7.85 mm? Yes, there will then be not an center cut (3A) , but that shouldn’t matter for me.
The issue is that there should be a note somewhere on the template that the fence shell be micro-adgusted. Otherwise it can be an issue for template users.

I seem to miss something or is the solution so simple – offset by 4.5 mm to the left and all is OK.
Nice idea for backlog. Seems the center feature for dovetails need to be reworked.
For custom template shift implemented in editor. (Editor: All. Than use arrows in Move block)

Best regards
Valdas

@RaBuAc
Copy link

RaBuAc commented Dec 4, 2020 via email

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Valdas2000 commented Dec 4, 2020

_Q: Issue:

“The ALIGN line is located ½ the bit width on the outside of the right edge of the board… “
...
So has the definition of the ALIGN mark changed in your version to Roberts?_
A: Please refer
https://github.com/Valdas2000/pyRouterJig/wiki/PyRouterJig-Metric.-Fense-setup-instructions

@RaBuAc
Copy link

RaBuAc commented Dec 4, 2020 via email

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Valdas2000 commented Dec 5, 2020

I recalled having seen this – but this is different to Robert, isn’t it!
A: Setup is a little bit difference. Robert set the fence the bit corner (it works fine when imperial and metrics lives separately). For me it is unproductive workflow. I'd like to work instead of setup which is a waste of my time.

I feel this is not optimal because to align something flash is easier and more exact than to align something to the center of the bit (because the center is not really exactly marked).

Here my reasons:

  1. Center setup is easy as 123. Use any v-grooving or laser point bit for centered setup (like CMT 915.095.11). You got the exact center and only need to set your fence. It is lot more accurate than the visual style setup. It is easy to return back to the setup (you even can markup the fence position on the table).

  2. The center setup 10 times faster. With such setup you don't need to rotate bit to get proper edge position (are you sure you got 90 degree of the bevel). No need to look thru the fence (are you sure the point of the bevel touching the plane of the fence). Oh yes! There is also no need to get a ruler and blunt router bit verifying if it is "slightly touch" the ruler.

  3. You've got a single setup style. So you are already know the fence micro-shift (+0.5mm is most all that you need). With the center setup you don't need to re-setup once you change one bit to another. It is really hard to setup again and again finding the bit corner everytime. Once you got the center setup there is no matter what is the diameter of the bit. The fence is already set fine and you know exact micro august value in case you need to set to the edge (in such rare cases I needed that setup) .

  4. Metric micro august does not work for imperial (inch) bits and reverse. Try to get to the edge of 11/16" bit... Surprize! 11/16" = 17.4625mm so you have to shift fence on 8.73125. The same issue for 1/2" = 12.7. So it is time to shift the fence for 6.35mm and got out or precision again. All of that is not a big deal on imperial system but quite hard in metric. The same issue on metric bits in imperial system.

  5. My setup works well for metric and router bits. It produces correct offsets for cuts. In case we setup by radius for imperial (inch) bits we lost precise positioning ability. As an example try to setup 3/4 inch straight bit in Roberts style and make a center groove in a 100mm wide board.

  6. All machinery and assembling plans says that you must mark the groove center and width. All industrial workflows based on central axis of the rotating tool (drilling, routing, reamering, threading - uses center & diameter markup style and never uses edge style). So I prefer to stay on the same position.

@RaBuAc
Copy link

RaBuAc commented Dec 6, 2020 via email

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Q: I see your argument with imperial bits (5) , centering is easier and will make it easier with 3/4 and center groove. But at the same time, make with say a bit of 5/8 inch (15,875mm) a 1 mm cut at the edge of the board – you need to offset by 14,875 mm. Then you need to align to the edge I assume – or- how would you do that?

A: It is a little off-topic. Here we deal with dovetail imperial bits. But straight bits are metric so I answering your question I will use any metric straight bit to cut whole millimeters off ;)

Another option is to use imperial Wonder Fence on the metric Incra. It is equate exotic setup for the real cool cats.

However I use imperial straight bits.

  1. The great benefit of them is when need to make grooves for sliders. It is easy to make 3/8 (9.52 mm) center grove and then make 9mm slider. With 5/8" it is easy to make even more weak slider etc.

  2. Imperial bits are perfect when need to cut out less then 1mm. 5/8 for ~0.45, 1/2 for ~0.35 , 3/8 for ~0.25 and no micro-august all works "from the box". I need no setup - just uses a proper imperial straight bit.

  3. Use imperial bits everywhere where the diameter is not essential. The point is the 1/2" shank is more stable than 12mm. So plane, door making, stile and rail, top edge etc.

  4. USA made join bits are amazing (Freud). So I developed a workflow to use them (using spring steel sheet shims to get 0.15mm micro adjusts)

So, in essence, you seem to be have much experience for the various use cases (which I do not have yet) – are you professional woodworker?
A: Professional are the guys who make money on woodworking. I am just a 20 year experience amateur making furniture and funny gifts for me and my friends on weekends and vacations.

Btw. I have now ordered a V-Grove bit and will try it with the doughtails the next day – keep you posted.
A: Actually you don't need hi-end V-Grove until you doing engraving decor or play in free routing doing epoxy screaming arts.

Hope to here from you soon.
Some pictures appreciated

@RaBuAc
Copy link

RaBuAc commented Dec 13, 2020 via email

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Hello.
You've got nice result with plywood. My first try on it was even more worst. (Some fingers were completely broken). In general plywood is not the good material for routing.

1) Now what is the right setup of the bit depth – according to the corrected INCRA guide I did all correct ( I might better have used 10.1 mm)
A: There are many tiny tings impacts the join.

  1. Hold your desk well (using clamps)
  2. Avoid your router movements.
  3. Make sure you clamp your Incra well (there are 2step hold).
  4. The plywood is your headache. Try to start from natural wood (pine is good, birch is better).
  5. For the first time try join with minimum operations. Straight fingers first time is better than dovetail.

2.) If I would have used 10.8 according to the “original guideline” (do test cuts until you see a tight match -see Pic 3)
– do I have to create a template with 10.8 mm (this seems to be near to the value “(10.83 mm)” given in the template -> is this accidental or what does the 10.83 mm value mean?

A: You need no other templates. The one you made is just fine.
However I strongly recommend to start from a simple straight fingers join (10mm bit).
Also. It is better to use solid wood.

10.83 is the depth for perfect join (0gap). 10.1 gives you a 0.18 gap.

3.) How do I avoid the crash of the bit and the stop?

  1. Use a back board (soft solid wood only. Pine is the best). Pic3 there is a back board but it was plywood.
  2. Plywood is never flat. Use 2 clamps to avoid any possibility of shift and rotation.
  3. You probably seen wooden clamp on Incra's promo. The point is to use wood everywhere. Your instrument (router bit) can cut the wood.
  4. Here we returned back to the small first fingers. I use 2mm wooden shim clamped to my fence. So I not care if it broken on some unlucky day.

Next weekend is yours! I will made some pictures for you.
I have to complete temporary doors for your new house (hope to done that in a week) .

@RaBuAc
Copy link

RaBuAc commented Jan 2, 2021 via email

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Valdas2000 commented Jan 4, 2021 via email

@RaBuAc
Copy link

RaBuAc commented Jan 5, 2021 via email

@ScaredyCat
Copy link

ScaredyCat commented Feb 22, 2021

How do I use https://github.com/Valdas2000/pyRouterJig ? If I put in 12.7 as the bit diameter for a straight bit I still get the same error. I'd rather not have to buy entirely new bits that fall on exact whole numbers - especially as so many do not.

Unable to set Bit Width to: 12.7
Set to a positive value, such as: 6
Stright Bit Width must be an even number of increments.
The increment size is: 1 mm

@RaBuAc
Copy link

RaBuAc commented Mar 7, 2021 via email

@ScaredyCat
Copy link

How do I use https://github.com/Valdas2000/pyRouterJig ? If I put in 12.7 as the bit diameter for a straight bit I still get the same error. I'd rather not have to buy entirely new bits that fall on exact whole numbers - especially as so many do not.

Unable to set Bit Width to: 12.7
Set to a positive value, such as: 6
Stright Bit Width must be an even number of increments.
The increment size is: 1 mm

Ok, worked it out I think.

Preferences->Units ->Increments per mm

set it to 100

@davidwilyman
Copy link

davidwilyman commented Jun 5, 2021 via email

@ScaredyCat
Copy link

It would be better to put your image in Google photos. Google photos will allow you to use a generic link. No personally identifiable info required. Why would anyone want to give you their email address just to request access to it?

@davidwilyman
Copy link

Please find link to google photos as kindly suggested by ScaredyCat:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/BGpN5oGada7uSvDp8

@davidwilyman
Copy link

Dear Valentin,

I trust that you are well as you have not yet replied to my query. I am aware that some people have developed Long COVID which has been quite difficult to deal with.

Dear ScaredyCat, pending a response from Valentin, I have downloaded the latest Windows binary program rather than trying to run the scripts. However, setting the increments to 100 just causes the software to loop until I force it to close. We’re you able to get it to work and are there any pointers as to what I may be doing wrong.

For example does the download have to be in a particular set of folders.

Many thanks everyone for your assistance,

Best wishes,

David

@Valdas2000
Copy link
Contributor

Valdas2000 commented Jul 29, 2021 via email

@davidwilyman
Copy link

Dear Valentin,
So sorry that you have been so badly impacted by Covid-19. I hope that you make a continued recovery and take good care of your lungs when you do resume woodworking. The wood-database states:
All inhaled wood dust is hazardous to your long-term health. This chart simply lists specific woods that can aggravate symptoms through allergic reactions, or woods that are outright toxic in and of themselves. However, all woods produce fine dust when worked, which in turn can damage your lungs and cause a number of other adverse health reactions. (This particular health issue—and the unhealthy buildup of such dusts in small woodworking or hobbyist shops—has been dealt with at length on Bill Pentz’ website.)

@RaBuAc
Copy link

RaBuAc commented Jul 30, 2021 via email

@stuartabrown
Copy link

Hi. Thanks for all the work @lowrie and @Valdas2000 especially! I just wanted to check if there is a Mac download available for the branch that includes @Valdas2000 's changes.

Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment
Labels
None yet
Projects
None yet
Development

No branches or pull requests

9 participants