Machining can be a great way to create intricate designs in a variety of mediums. Using your CNC lathe, you can easily work with mediums like wood, metal, and even foam. If you want to create a project that requires design work on both sides of a panel, then you will need to carefully machine these two-sided panels to ensure their accuracy.
Here are three tips that you can use to help increase the success rate of your two-sided machining projects with a single attempt:
1. Outline your sheet with your CNC tool on the spoil board.
It's important to use spoil boards for any projects that might require through-cuts, but these spoil boards can also serve as valuable tools when it comes to working with two-sided projects as well.
Outlining the perimeter of your material sheet on the spoil board gives you a guide in which you can place the sheet when you are ready to turn it over and begin machining the back side. Having this easy guide in place ensures that your machine's router will be able to easily locate precise locations on your panel, allowing your designs to easily match up with one another.
2. Rely on your CNC machine's pins.
If your CNC lathe is equipped with pins that are designed to hold your cut materials in place throughout the machining process, you should rely heavily on these pins to help you complete two-sided projects with ease.
Start by securing your raw materials in place with the pins, then machine the more complicated side of your sheet first. Once the design is fully engraved, the pins will automatically flip the sheet so that your lathe can begin to machine to reverse side. Allowing pins to complete the flipping process ensures that your two-sided projects will turn out accurate on your first attempt.
3. Mark the orientation of your raw materials.
In order to ensure that you don't end up with a design on one side of your project that is upside down, it's important that you take the time to mark the orientation of your raw materials before you begin machining.
This is especially important if you have a lathe that doesn't utilize automated pins to hold materials in place. Make a small mark at the top of your panel so that you can easily identify the top when flipping the panel to create an image on its reverse.
Being able to successfully machine two-sided projects will allow you to create a variety of products with your CNC lathe machine in the future. Contact a company like Aero Mechanism Precision for more information and assistance.
