Curious to see if any 1F users have attempted tin punch projects on their CNC. If so, do you have any design, clamping, or bit tips or tricks to share?
I have not, but it sounds interesting! Are you thinking of actually punching the holes, or milling/drilling them?
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I have been experimenting in VCarve Pro using the “Copy Along Vector” tool to place circles on test patterns. Then using the drilling toolpath to punch the holes. Best set-up I have come up with thus far is using a tapered ball nose bit with .18 DOC.
Test material has been 24 gauge aluminum sheet metal from Lowes. Metal rides up the bit on extraction if use anything other than tapered bit. Tape and glue seems to be best clamping, but could use improvement. My biggest pain point is the design work. There is a tedious amount of finishing in the software.
I am planning on building a buffet cabinet to match a dining table I build a few years ago and would like to use the 1F for more than drawers, doors, etc.
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For the workholding, you could probably sandwich the sheet metal underneath a reasonably thick piece of scrap MDF or plywood, basically using it as a big caul, and hold it all down with perimeter clamps. Then just drill right through the “caul” into the sheet metal. That should take care of the lifting problems, and allow you to use an ordinary drill bit if you wish. If you’re making multiple copies of the same pattern, and your alignment is repeatable, then you’ll already have the holes in the caul when drilling duplicates.
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good call - will try the sandwich technique. And yes, there would be multiple panels with same pattern so would be reusable and prevent some waste. Thank you, sir!
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You’re very welcome, and please let us know how it works out!
Some years back, I watched Charles Neil’s entire YouTube video series on building a pie safe. One of the charms of the hand-punched tins is the slight indentation surrounding each hole. It’s questionable whether a Onefinity could or should generate enough down-force to pierce virgin sheet metal. But if you chuck up some sort of awl-shaped tool, I’d bet it could do a fine job of lightly flaring the holes once you have them drilled.
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like the awl idea - that I will test. Thanks again.