Super Glue Fixture

[artemis]

Hopefully this is the correct forum for such a post.

I have about 100 small .053 thick stainless steel coupons that are 2.75x8.5" in dimension. I want to engrave my logo into them but have been concerned with how to hold them in a vice. I build this small acetal fixture to hopefully be able to hold these as well as other thin objects with superglue (2P-10) and powdercoat tape between the fixture and part being cut. I haven't tried it out yet still mustering up the courage to fling a piece of stainless through my CNC panels (tho a .020 ball-nose engraver probably wont apply enough forces like a shellmill would "ask me how I know this"). Drilled/Reamed some 0.250 holes to accept dowel pins for consistent indexing. I'll send photos of the engraving once I do that.

 

[extropic]

@artemis

I'm not familiar with the process you intend to use to hold your workpieces.
Can you explain what gets glued to what and how you plan to take it apart?

 

[artemis]

@artemis

I'm not familiar with the process you intend to use to hold your workpieces.
Can you explain what gets glued to what and how you plan to take it apart?

You can see the red/pink powder coat tape both attached to the plastic fixture as well as the stainless steel coupons (3rd photo). The super glue+activator are applied to the tape and the coupon is indexed against the dowel pins for repeatability. Once the machining operation is complete you remove the tape from both pieces and viola (famous last words).

-Art

 

[RJSakowski]

With the dowel pins providing restraint against shearing forces, you should be good. Extra insurance would be to add an adjustable stop on the free corner. The .020" ball nose won't create much force. I use double sided carpet tape for milling printed circuit boards using a maximum end mill size of 1/4" with no problem.

 

[artemis]

With the dowel pins providing restraint against shearing forces, you should be good. Extra insurance would be to add an adjustable stop on the free corner. The .020" ball nose won't create much force. I use double sided carpet tape for milling printed circuit boards using a maximum end mill size of 1/4" with no problem.

Thanks RJ, I've seen it applied in the past successfully, with significantly more forces so figured that would be the case but good to hear some confirmation..

 

[Winegrower]

I don’t know what the overall setup limitations are, but holding 0.053 stainless in a mill vise is not a problem. Maybe provide a backing plate or such to prevent deflection near the center.

 

[artemis]

I don’t know what the overall setup limitations are, but holding 0.053 stainless in a mill vise is not a problem. Maybe provide a backing plate or such to prevent deflection near the center.

Having a backing plate would just result in the metal bending outward rather than inward at the center (test indicator confirms this). That being said, I'm ultimately just trying a method I'm unfamiliar with which could prove optimal in the future for many scenarios.