Cutting a square grid out of 6mm mdf -advice please?

[goose]

Hi Folks,
I am hoping to pick some of my fellow forum members brains.

I have some sheets of 6mm thick mdf, which I need to cut out a 2.5cm square diamon pattern out of. To make some large mesh covers for a project.

Marking out the pattern etc is no problem. But the sheets are about 1.2m x 1m and so there are a lot of diamonds/squares to cut out. What would be the easiest way, can it be done with the likes of a router?

My wood working skills are pretty average, I have a small selection of tools and usually work on small models and bits, so this is new to me.

Its the shear number of the cut outs and getting the precise 90-degree corners that is concerning me. So need a quick, simple and reliable method.

Many thanks

John

 

[CNC Paul]

CNC

Where are you located ?

 

[dchallender]

Can't you buy 6mm fret work mdf at B&Q? - I know you can definitely get it in my local timber yard - maybe not 2.5cm diamond but lots of other patterns as I have used it myself in the past to make radiator covers.

Darren

 

[jasonB]

I've done it twice for raddiator covers from 4mm MDF.

Make a template long enough cover the largest diagonal distance and cut squares in this. Clamp to your work at 45degrees and cut with a router & guide bush, move to the next increment and cut again etc etc.

You may find something already out their try Jali or Wither Browne.

Jason

 

[Joiner]

You're a pipper for punishment!

Why don't you just go to...

http://www.jali.co.uk/

 

[goose]

I looked at a few comercial fret work peices, but the application its intended for, needs to be pretty exact.

I don't own a router at the moment, but might have to change that for this project. I was not quite sure a router could cut out the exact 90- degree corners needed. Really only looked at them as edge profiling tools. Its one of the few tools I really know nothing about. I will have to cure that shortly I believe.

I will have alook at the Jali site too. Many thanks for the tips and advice.

 

[Lee J]

might be easier to get the b&q fret worked mdf and with a hack saw/fret saw make the cuts bigger. sort of cut 4 diamonds or whatever to make it 25mm

 

[jasonB]

not quite sure a router could cut out the exact 90- degree corners

If you need the internal corners square and not slightly radiused then CNC or DIY routering will not do it, you are likely to get a 2mm radius as a 4mm bits as thin as you want to go.

Lazer cutting will give square corners but can leave scorch marks on the cut surface, OK if you are intending to paint the MDF.

Jason

 

[CNC Paul]

not quite sure a router could cut out the exact 90- degree corners

If you need the internal corners square and not slightly radiused then CNC or DIY routering will not do it, you are likely to get a 2mm radius as a 4mm bits as thin as you want to go.

Lazer cutting will give square corners but can leave scorch marks on the cut surface, OK if you are intending to paint the MDF.

Jason

You can machine square corners with a CNC

 

[Johnboy]

Paul said

You can machine square corners with a CNC

Internal corners? Can you explain how please Paul. It would make my life easier if I could machine square cornered recesses with my CNC mill but I dont have a zero diameter cutter

John

 

[jasonB]

I think you need a few more axis on your machine to do sq internals, If memory serves me right the bit is pointed and gets tilted into the corner.

I would assume this is a more expencive option a sit must take longer to do.

Jason

 

[Woody Alan]

My mind is wandering around to the idea cutting trenches/dado across the sheet at the appropriate angle. A piece of sheet for each direction of the lattice then cut the sheet into strips. Then glue the two together to form your "mesh"

Alan

 

[Joiner]

But it still won't be square.

The only way you're going to get true square corners (without recourse to laser cutting) is with a morticer, indexing the set-up wouldn't be difficult, just very, very time-consuming and life is too short for stuffing that kind of mushroom!

 

[jasonB]

You would also need a morticer with a 600mm throat to get to teh middle of a panel!!

Jason

 

[Joiner]

Buggered all round then, really!

 

[Steve (Correze)]

I think you need a few more axis on your machine to do sq internals, If memory serves me right the bit is pointed and gets tilted into the corner.

I would assume this is a more expencive option a sit must take longer to do.

Jason

You can square-off internal corners on a 3-axis machine using aggregate tooling, such as horizontal spindles or vertically-oriented circular saws. It does take far longer though.

Can't think of any aggregates small enough to get into a 25mm hole though, at least not on the machines we use (Homag/Weeke), so you'd definitely need a 5-axis machine with the ability to handle small tooling.

For 6mm MDF, I'd have expected the panels to be stamped out rather than cut by CNC, much, much faster and gives square corners.