veneer ring billets

[dakota]

I would like to make some new ring billets with a veneer. Kind of old school type rings, similar to this scruggs. I havent worked with veneers yet, so I am wondering about pressing a black, blue, black veneer and how much extra room to allow for glue and such when I do this. I can buy the veneers in .030 or .035 or .040 ... I would like to buy the .040, but I am wondering if anyone that has experience with this can chime in and maybe save me time and mistakes.

I am thinking I will try to fit a 3 veneer stack into a .125 slot, so .040 (.120)makes it really tight or .035 (.105) seems like it has a litte extra room, but I'm just not sure how much glue they absorb and such when you stack veneers.

Thanks,

dakota

Thanks,

dakota

 

[MVPCues]

I don't consider .120 into .125 tight, but that might be another topic.

This is something you really have to figure out for yourself as parameters will vary.

I suspect you are asking because you are not really milling the slots to an exact size because you don't have that type of equipment. Are you cutting a slot width with one pass, ie, your slot width is constrained to the size of your cutter? If so, you must laminate the veneers together while applying consistent pressure and then measure the thickness once cured and cleaned up. Then, buy an appropriately sized cutter. You can buy endmill cutters < .125 in increments of .001. The .040 veneers should be quite small enough to finish out < .125 if they are adequately pressed during lamination.

You didn't say how you are cutting a .125 slot, so this might not apply.

 

[dakota]

I don't consider .120 into .125 tight, but that might be another topic.

This is something you really have to figure out for yourself as parameters will vary.

I suspect you are asking because you are not really milling the slots to an exact size because you don't have that type of equipment. Are you cutting a slot width with one pass, ie, your slot width is constrained to the size of your cutter? If so, you must laminate the veneers together while applying consistent pressure and then measure the thickness once cured and cleaned up. Then, buy an appropriately sized cutter. You can buy endmill cutters < .125 in increments of .001. The .040 veneers should be quite small enough to finish out < .125 if they are adequately pressed during lamination.

You didn't say how you are cutting a .125 slot, so this might not apply.

Kelly,

Thanks for your reply.. I appreciate the input.
You are correct, I should have elaborated. I have a Cuesmith Deluxe and I will be using the Porter Cable Router to cut a slot using a predetermined slot cutter size. I was thinking if I use 1/8 slot cutter and .040 veneers that it should work well. However I didn't know if I was missing anything with my equation. For example when glue is applied to 3 sheets of veneers if there was any expansion or anything that I wasn't accounting for. I plan to give it a try, and just thought I would check here to make sure I wasn't overlooking anything simple since I am a rookie wiith veneers.

Thanks,

dakota

 

[ELBeau]

I can buy the veneers in .030 or .035 or .040 ... I would like to buy the .040, but I am wondering if anyone that has experience with this can chime in and maybe save me time and mistakes.

Thanks,

dakota

Thickness of veneer varies. Just because you order .040 doesn't mean that it'll be spot on. In my experience, even if it is spec'd out at .030 it may vary .005 or so either way. Having a thickness sander to sand to size or the appropriate-sized cutter/cnc will go a long way. You'll probably want to make a practice cut with your 1/8 cutter to see what size you actually wind up with.

I have other sizes than you mentioned on my site. If you're limited in equipment, you may need to order a variety of widths to make up your veneer stack to fit the groove you can cut.

Best of luck!

 

[scdiveteam]

Hi,

Before I used my CNC for ring slots I used wing cutters to make my slots with a vertical router attachment.

I bought multiple wing cutters in different oddball sizes and sometimes I would sand the slot a little so there would be tighter fit. You don't want to sand the veneers because it will effect the ring geometry proportion.

If you look on the internet I am sure you will find different sizes for what you need. You want to press your veneers with tite bond and then measure them. Just remember that a .125 3 wing slot cutter will usually make an oversize curf. If your router mount is just off of plumb by a hair you could be .005 over. .005 over is OK but any bigger and you may have a glue line that could be ugly.

One you get your veneers glued together you must make some test cuts on a dowel. A little sanding in the grove is is always better so you get a tight fit.

Good Luck,

Rick

 

[BHQ]

You don't want to sand the veneers because it will effect the ring geometry proportion.

not if they're all ran thru a drum sander equally
i sand my materials to FIT the slot
more than one way to skin a cat
poor cat

all of these were MADE to fit the slot

 

[KJ Cues]

You are a crafty critter there MR. BHQ.
I'm likin what you're doing with rings.
You should realize though that at some point your
creative thinking is going to have to go back in the box.
Not many will tolerate innovation.
Good work dude.

KJ

 

[scdiveteam]

You don't want to sand the veneers because it will effect the ring geometry proportion.

not if they're all ran thru a drum sander equally
i sand my materials to FIT the slot
more than one way to skin a cat
poor cat

all of these were MADE to fit the slot

Brent,

Those rings on the ebony cue and shafts are off the wall man, very cool looking.

Rick

 

[tlayne]

Super cool!

Those rings are outstanding Brent, very nice work!

 

[LGSM3]

Brent, correct me if im wrong but you made or adapted a machine to do your rings since you were without a vertical mill....right?

Nice job, good to see you didnt stop at one and are coming up with new variatiions of the original

 

[BHQ]

Brent, correct me if im wrong but you made or adapted a machine to do your rings since you were without a vertical mill....right?

Nice job, good to see you didnt stop at one and are coming up with new variatiions of the original

jakester, i cut all my slots with a router (pc laminate trimmer) in the vertical position with a variety of different slitting saws using kj's arbor.
the blades come in thickness ranging from .5mm to 3mm,
in 1/2mm increments @ 30mm diameter
i have occasionally stacked two blades together.
i also use a 3/16" 3wing cutter and a 1/4" 6 wing cutter, both at 2" diameter

rick touched on it above, i.e. when i use the .250" ,
the slot actually comes out at .262"
which means the cutter is either not perfectly perpendicular to the billet
or there's some runout in the collet
or a little of both

there's a "sweetspot" on those arbors.
sometimes it takes a few trys to hit that sweetspot, then it just sings

if it isnt on it, that sob zinging around at 30k rpms sounds like a helicopter
scaryyyyyy :yikes:
it reminds me of this guy:thumbup:

 

[SCCues]

You don't want to sand the veneers because it will effect the ring geometry proportion.

not if they're all ran thru a drum sander equally
i sand my materials to FIT the slot
more than one way to skin a cat
poor cat

all of these were MADE to fit the slot

My favorite custom cue designs have custom ring work! Everyone has there own likes and dislikes, but pretty ring work finishes a cue to me and yours are beautiful! Great work........

James

 

[Sport666]

Very nice work Brent

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

Brent, I always thought you were really really good. Now I know you are really really really good.

No wonder Stevie likes you.

 

[GBCues]

Wow Brent!

I can't even figure out how you did a couple of them.

Beautiful work.

Keep sharing,

Gary

 

[BHQ]

Wow Brent!

I can't even figure out how you did a couple of them.

Beautiful work.

Keep sharing,

Gary

which ones? be glad to tell ya