howto fixture ABS sheet plastic?

As the subject says.....

I would like to machine some 2D shapes out of ABS sheet plastic, but I don't know how to hold the stock while doing so.

I think some sort of adhesive w/ a sacrificial backer would be best, but then don't know what to use. Something that I can stick it down, machine it and then peel off the part and clean off the adhesive.

The only other option I can think of is vacuum, but that is a lot more involved than the other method.

TIA

Jeridiah

Reply to
jw
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Dependingo the soze of the pieces I had good success using double side Scotch tape. If the pieces are real small though there is not enough gripping power in the tape. Trial and error will guide you.

Reply to
Errol Groff

I will give it a shot. Any particular brand or style(of tape) that seems to work better?

JW

Reply to
jw

Use Indoor-Outdoor carpet tape. There are 2 kinds. The stuff that works has a fabric weave in it. The fine weave tape isn't as good. We ust it a LOT for router hold downs.

Scott.

Reply to
pbc76049

This is easy. If plastic has no paper then get some from gavrielli. Use

3M 77 adhesive and glue that sucker down Mill away. That works in the sign trade all day long.
Reply to
daniel peterman

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Reply to
jw

In the past I've used double-sided carpet tape from the hardware store to mill thin stock, usually with a piece of sacrificial aluminum under the tape. The worst was probably 0.015" thick nylon which was milled into 1/8" x 1/4" pieces with 0.060" holes on end of each piece and a 1/32" x 0.10" slot on the other. I used a 1/32" end mill for all but the hole, which made with a drill bit. The major problem was pulling up adhesive into the end mill, which would gum up the works so to speak. Getting the cutting depth just below the work helped, but it still needed cleaning after each piece. Acetone generally worked well to release the work, though ethanol should also work.

You'd probably want the sort of double-sided tape that does not have a foam base.

Mike

Reply to
Mike Henry

At work we're really fond of a no-backing kind of tape called Mactac. Mactac appears to be the manufacturer and it is most awesome stuff. The fact that it's just the adhesive alone means all the shear strength in it is the surface its bonded to. We use it to secure parts and/or tools together temporarily for drilling, milling, and part holding, but it also has permanent applications elsewhere in the factory. Takes a good bit of patience to get apart two solid objects, since they are so securely bonded together. Give it a bit of a wedging and wait before prying some more. I like to secure some objects together by using regular masking tape on the more fragile surface, putting the mactac on the masking tape, the putting them together. The tape combination allows a surface with some variations in it to stick to a more smooth surface, and spreads out the load so it doesn't peel up vinyl or other thin surfaces and finishes. Never had to buy it, so I wouldn't know where to get it.

| I will give it a shot. Any particular brand or style(of tape) that | seems to work better? | | JW |

Reply to
carl mciver

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