# Boardcut the Easy Way



## The Gopher (Aug 25, 2010)

I have been wondering how long it actually takes to make an HDPE boardcut so i timed myself and took some pictures along the way.

First i use a removable double stick tape to adhere the pattern to the HDPE.



Then i head to the scroll saw to cut close to the pattern. HDPE machines so well that you don't have to get that close and risk nicking your pattern.



Then i use the first station on my custom router table, a flush trim bit.







While the pattern is still taped on, I drill pilot holes where needed.



Then I remove the pattern and finish the holes.



Back to the router table and round-over the slingshot.



The last step is to use a counter sink bit to take off the sharp edges on all the holes. Add a lanyard and Voila, less then 10 minutes! By far the longest step was cutting it out on the scroll saw at about three minutes, I should have put a new blade in!



I follow the exact same process for wood slingshots, of course there is a lot of sanding to be done after the last step.


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## ChapmanHands (Oct 14, 2013)

Wow, now that is fast, thanks for sharing


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## Arnisador78 (Apr 10, 2013)

Great! Thanks for showing us! Is the double sides tape cheap? I like the way Bill Hayes does it by screwing the template to the board where the pilot holes go. Ten minutes... That's pretty efficient.


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## Dr J (Apr 22, 2013)

Thanks for sharing your methodology! Whatever works well is the important thing!


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

I really like the GS-12 but this really seems like an improvement. Have you made this available as a template ? I would really like one of these.


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## Urban Fisher (Aug 13, 2014)

Awesome post Gopher!! I enjoy building them as much as I like shooting them! But just a reminder to some people like myself that live in a small apartment and may not have a shop or access to many power tools. I do the same however, I use a coping saw, files, dremel tool and sandpaper. Sure it takes me longer, but it can still be done with simple hand tools.


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## Devil'sRival (May 30, 2014)

That makes me want a scroll saw even more. I've been eyeing the harbor freight one for a while. The coping saw gets it done but at a much slower pace.

That does look like an improvement in the GS 12. Let us know if you put a template up.


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## you'llshootyereyeout (Apr 5, 2014)

That's how I do it. Except I don't have that awesome 3 in 1 router table! So I spend more than ten minutes looking for router bits. Oh and I use pins in the pilot holes instead of double stick tape. I read the other day that to reduce counter sink chatter that the counter sinking should be done with the pilot hole then drill to final size. I haven't tried this yet but the description reminded me.


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

Cool thanks for sharing!


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## Susi (Mar 3, 2013)

I've GOT to make myself a router table! I've no excuse as to why not, I've got a gob of motors just sitting around. A couple pulley wheels and a band to up the speed from 1750 RPM to say 4000, would that work OK? What RPM do you recommend...too fast might heat up the material, too slow and you know the problems...what's your RPM recommendation guys?

Also I want to make it so the motor raises and lowers to adjust the bit that way instead of remounting it and fussing with it...just raise or lower a lever attached to the motor mount for slight variations in height of the bit. The band (car water pump belt essentially) would "give" enough for a 3/8" up/down adjustment. But would a band sustain the RPM or would it be best to gear it or use bicycle chain and sprockets? Wide gears would sustain an up/down adjustment but bicycle chain and sprockets likely would not and I dunno how cool bicycle chain would be at high RPM. Suggestions, please.

Or would it be best to just cop out and buy a router and mount it under a table with some sort of mount that permits up/down adjustment?

By the way, your speed is almost as good as an injection system at way under the cost t!!! Hey it's good enough for production, ain't it? If you can knock out, say, six or seven or so per hour in a production line concept, work stations already set up to knock out fifty or 100 at a session, and sell 'em for $15 profit over costs, that's pretty good money for shop work where I come from. A C note per hour or better ain't bad.

I agree with Matt's idea of using a pilot hole then drilling to eliminate chatter of reamers. If the piece is clamped to the drill press table it won't chatter if a high enough speed is used anyway...just touch it lightly and it's done with a drill stop adjusted right for depth.. In all materials I first drill a pilot then ream it with a larger drill then chamfer/ream the hole...no matter what material. Also, if the hole needs to be a little more to the left, I can fudge it with three successive larger bits, favoring one side,. and it's usually right. I use as small a pilot hole as I can too...and bits seem not to drift off center using a pilot, especially larger diam bits such as half inch or more, Iit wants to drift, for the very tip of a large bit isn't pointed, it's like a chisel and won't self center easily, even with a center punch start. Center punch starts are OK for smaller bits such as 5/16" or smaller and a good double whack on the center punch in fact for 5/16". Also if you first drill a pilot, the bit chews into the material much faster for the chisel tip doesn't have to scuff its way into the material, the actual cutting part of the bit has freedom to cut away.

Soft materials such as aluminum and plastic however will climb the bit when a pilot hole is used if the hole isn't wee small, so they have to be clamped down to the drill press table to avoid climbing the bit. Especially HDPE will climb a bit...the softer the material, the more it wants to climb a bit, the bit acts as a tap..

chuck


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Thanks for the step by step construction ... always interesting.

Cheers .... Charles


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## Susi (Mar 3, 2013)

When I cut HDPE on a band saw I use ordinary masking tape and cover the billet. Then using a ball point pen I trace out the template on the tape instead of attaching the template to the work. Seems much simpler to me. Masking sticks to HDPE and most everything else. Another tip using masking tape, when I cut anything that is hard to mark on, I put a small piece of masking on the cut site, measure and mark the tape with a precise line from a ball point pen...then remove the tape when its done...same for center punching...put a small piece of tape there and mark it with a cross or dot, position your center punch on that, and your center punch will want to stay put on the tape whereas on metal it wants to slide off a bit especially on steel where the point can't grab the metal while you lift your hammer to strike it, and your center punch dent is off the mark.

Home made router table questions/comments

I've GOT to make myself a router table! I've no excuse as to why not, I've got a gob of motors just sitting around. A couple pulley wheels and a band to up the speed from 1750 RPM to say around 4000, would that work OK? What bit RPM do you recommend...too fast might heat up the material, too slow and you know the problems...what's your RPM recommendation guys. Also I want to make it so the motor and it's chuck raises and lowers to adjust the bit that way instead of remounting it and fussing with it...just raise or lower a lever attached to the motor mount for slight variations in height of the bit. The band (car water pump belt essentially) would "give" enough for a 3/8" up/down adjustment. But would a band sustain the RPM or would it be best to gear it or use bicycle chain and sprockets? Wide gears would sustain an up/down adjustment but bicycle chain and sprockets likely would not and I dunno how cool bicycle chain would be at high RPM. Suggestions, please.


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## Btoon84 (Nov 22, 2011)

Gopher, looks like you're ready for the big leagues with a 10min sling like that! Nice setup and thanks for showing us how you do it. I really like your router table gig. Looking forward to the next installment of Gopher Rocks.  oh, question, what do you use to manipulate that little thing around those router bits? surely you're not just holding it with your bare hands are you? Have I mentioned routers scare me?!


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

Thanks for showing really cool router table and end product looks saweeeet
Cheers


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## The Gopher (Aug 25, 2010)

Susi, routers are usually much faster than 4000 rpm. a standard single speed router is around 22,000 and variable speed routers usually go from about 10,000 to 25,000 or so. The routers i use are all fixed speed ~22,000.

Btoon, just my fingers! and i still have them all too. In all honesty, routers scare me too, but i go slow and pay attention. The moment that i start to feel too comfortable around the router is when i have to tell myself to pay attention.


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

How did you get that pebble finish on the sling, that looks nice ?

wll

OOOPS .... saw it was already on the plastic when you made the sling !


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## flaco (Mar 5, 2015)

The Gopher said:


> Then i use the first station on my custom router table, a flush trim bit.


I can't make out from the picture and was curious, does the flush trim bit has a bearing to keep from shaving the template? I saw the other bit to round the corners has one on top to ride against the template.


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## The Gopher (Aug 25, 2010)

Yes the flush trim bit has a bearing that rides the template.


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## LBH2 (Jul 20, 2013)

Gopher &#8230;.thanks for the tutorial&#8230;&#8230;.hope Mother Nature is being kind to the North Country!!!! LBH2


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## flaco (Mar 5, 2015)

The Gopher said:


> Yes the flush trim bit has a bearing that rides the template.


I was able to see more detail on the my tablet and see the bearing on the bottom near the router, so this is like the bits used to trim Formica? I have some that I used when building my kitchen cabinets with and without the bearings but didn't think those are large enough to trim 3/4 stock.


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## The Gopher (Aug 25, 2010)

LBH2, we had a light winter, some cold, but very little snow, so much less than an average winter.

Flaco, I can go up to 1" thick stock with this bit.

Also, back up to one of Susi's posts about the bit riding the soft plastic when using a pilot hole, he was right on. When i started drilling just a very shallow pilot hole, only a few mm deep as a marker then you don't get the grabbing and riding, thanks Susi!


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