Routing material larger than your tables limits

[Garfield_Graffix]

Ok, there hasd been a big discussion around our shop about putting a 10' or even12' piece of material on our 8' router and being able to work with it. Does anyone know how this could be done? People have told me that you can "fool" the machine by moving the material after some of the file has cut. It seems to me that by doing this you are just asking for trouble. I ask this because we built a 12' sign that the facers were cut in two sections and now you can see the seam. i know it should have been on the fab and finish guys to properly sand and bondo the seam but it still shows. That said, someone said that in Gerber Art Path there is an option called fencing that allows you to move the material and theoretically cut any length material as long as it wasnt too wide. I use Enroute 3.0 and would like to know if there is an option similar to this. Any thoughts and ideas will be appreciated.


Thanks

 

[Gino]

I'm not sure, but someone told me to make two separate jobs. Let it do the first half, set up some registration points... turn it around [backwards, not upside down] and then proceed with the other half and the second job. I saw someone demonstrate that at the 'Atlantic City' sign show recently. I didn't pay close attention to the steps because we don't have a CNC, but I liked the theory and it can be adapted to engraving machines too. That’s how you can monogram a baseball bat that’s 32” or 34” in a 20” booth.

 

[GB2]

In Gerber software, Artpath or 3d Autocarve, you have the ability to rout unlimited length with the paneling option. You send your job to the router and it cuts the first panel, then it pauses and instructs you to advance your material an exact specified amount, and then continues with the next panel until the job is complete. If you are careful and accurate with your operation the paneling is almost perfect and seamless.

 

[gerald]

I do this all the time. I measure my starting points and mark it on the material with a sharpie. That way I can see if the bit is goling to start exactly where I want it to. If possible, I st the cut up so I don't have to stop and start in the middle of a cut.

 

[Garfield_Graffix]

Hey GB2 do you know if there is a way to do this in enroute? If not can someone gimme a detailed breakdown of how to measure and advance the material to "fool" my machine?

 

[GB2]

Sorry to say, I don't know anything about Enroute software

 

[Just Another Sign Guy]

i do not know Enroute either but you are not fooling your machine this is just simply indexing.

the simplest way that i have had new operators do this is to route a series of registration marks at the beginning of your substrate and the end of your substrate or rather the maximum workable area on your table for demonstration we will just say half the length of your substrate, which you will then line up these registration marks that you created at the middle of your substrate (the end of your table) at the beginning or your home position by sliding the material down the table keeping your X axis straight, when you setup your registration marks just route through your substrate and slightly into your sacrifice sheet, line up the marks in your sacrifice sheet with the registration marks on your sheet and you should be indexed correctly assuming you do not change your home and again your baseline or X axis is truly straight

i find it easier to run as two separate jobs versus pausing setting up and continuing, but that is just how my mind works. hope this makes sense hard to put into words but really if you think about the mechanics it is not a hard process to do.