Nibbler Table

Dec 03, 2017 7 Replies

Alright. Why isn't this a commercial product? Maybe it is and I just didn't see it.



Usually you see guys on YouTube video justifying the value of their Harbor Freight (or other brand of nibbler) by cutting sheets held floppily in the air or off the floor. That seemed to me that unless you are particularly well coordinated or had a lot of practice to be a "rough" operation. Now I'm pretty good with a table. I can do carving with one if I have to. I think that's partly because I can have two hands on the work piece if need be, but also because the work is fully supported. Why not with a nibbler?



Ideally the punching action should be reverse for a table mounted unit, but if its made height adjustable I see no reason it wouldn't work with the current range of power nibblers on the market.



I'm going to make one. Small 8x12 table for now. Probably with a heavy angle on one edge to mount in a vise, but if it works out well I have considered making a table as a leaf attachment for my table saw to support even large stock. (Warning! Wood working content.) I already have a leaf extension for my one of my routers that works out better than a small router table or even a small shaper table.



The only other thing I can think of to make it easier to use and manipulate would be a foot valve for air or a foot switch for electric.


I would note that this is not an original idea. I have seen atleast one home made nibbler table on YouTube. I thought of it, but I was definitely not the first to do so.

There are nibbler clamps, which you can use to clamp a nibbler to a table, and several home made nibbler tables online.

But there is a serious commercial tool that does the same job, on a somewhat larger scale, and it's been around for, oh, probably a century. It's called a punch press. d8-)

There also are very small window-and-door punching machines for aluminum window contractors.

Don't forget the Rockwell Blade Runner saw. With the proper blade it should be able to tackle most anything nibblers would do...

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On Dec 3, 2017, Leon Fisk wrote (in article ):

Look at the Amazon reviews, starting at one star. This is not a good replacement for any real tool.

Joe Gwinn

Would you prefer to cut plywood curves freehand with a saber saw or a bandsaw, assuming equal cutting speed?

I'd prefer to do it on a CNC router, but I get your point. A 4x8 or a

5x10 is on my wish list.

Looks like a jigsaw cum scrollsaw, heavily made out of flimsy plastic. Pass.

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