MisterDrow Posted January 24, 2017 Report Share Posted January 24, 2017 So I'm having the manufacturing floor at my workplace make these components for me out of acrylic for a more permanent mortising jig to use on my router. Looking forward to getting the pieces so I can get it all put together. I'll still need to drill out the holes to mount it to my router but I figured I can easily handle that part. Maybe I'll bring my router plate in, though, and have them do it after this part is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted January 24, 2017 Report Share Posted January 24, 2017 That's great. Having those services handy can be a nice benefit. You might want to work in a threaded position for a stop post for setting repeating mortises like on table legs. I really find it hard to believe that these guys went out of business. Saved me a mortising machine, a Domino and a Dowel Max Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandorLush Posted January 25, 2017 Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 @gee-dub What is that wondrous contraption!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted January 25, 2017 Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 interesting! In for more info and finished pics from OP ... what is ETA? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben_r_ Posted January 25, 2017 Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 3 hours ago, CandorLush said: @gee-dub What is that wondrous contraption!? It was a Mortise Pal. But the guy killed the company a few years ago and they are all but gone now. Rarely youll find one pop up on eBay and I have seen some chinese knock-offs on places like Ali-Express, but for the most part they are gone. Was a good unit, but I sold mine off when the Domino came. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterDrow Posted February 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 So here's the plate, fresh from the mfg floor. The rails were drilled in the wrong location so they're fixing those. Now I've got to go home and mark it for the holes to mount to the router. Now, anyone have any tips for drilling acrylic? I'm worried about cracking it when I go to drill the holes for the screws... the main hole and rail slots were laser cut here and now I'm starting to think I should have given them the router plate and had them laser cut those, too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 1 minute ago, MisterDrow said: I'm worried about cracking it when I go to drill the holes for the screws Clamp the acrylic tightly between 2 pieces of mdf or ply & then drill. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterDrow Posted February 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 Just now, drzaius said: Clamp the acrylic tightly between 2 pieces of mdf or ply & then drill. Then it's a question of lining everything up properly with the hole in the plate when I can't see it... I guess worst-case I can drill a hole in one side of the MDF clamp-up to match the one in the middle... line that up and then mark and drill... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterDrow Posted February 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 3 minutes ago, Lester Burnham said: I've drilled holes in control panels that have lexan/plexi over the artwork for arcade machines a bunch of times. The way I do it is clamp your acrylic to a board and drill little pilot holes through it and the board, then clamp another board on top of the acrylic, sandwich like, and use the pilot holes on the other side to drill through with your proper size holes. That sounds like a good way to do it... I've seen some sites reference special drill bits for plexiglass... I take it that's not necessary? Lower speed w/ a slower feed rate, maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterDrow Posted February 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 Just now, Lester Burnham said: What size holes are you drilling? Arcade button holes are 1 1/8" so I always used a hole saw bit. 1/4" with a countersink for the mounting screws on my Triton router. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterDrow Posted February 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 Yeah, I'll get some scrap... there's a bin of it out in the shop. This stuff is 3/8" so not much thicker... I'll let you know how it goes! Worst-case, I'm out the $30 it cost me to have this made and will have another one done with the holes being done as a part of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted February 3, 2017 Report Share Posted February 3, 2017 On 1/25/2017 at 7:07 AM, CandorLush said: @gee-dub What is that wondrous contraption!? Minor threadjack . . . . apologies. That is the second version of the 'Mortise Pal'. I sold my original version to a forum member. You can easily make your own templates for it if you want something specific; dowel, multiple dowels, double tenons, etc. I make my own tenon stock out of scraps from whatever project I am currently working on. MisterDrow will be able to do the same. @MisterDrow I drill and couterbore acrylic at the Drill press without issue. Use proper speed for the bits and clamp the material down so it can't stutter. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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