ValveLiTzer Redux

Step 2 Cut and Mill the Wood Case

Start by cutting out two rectangles that are larger than the outline of the case from the Russian birch. Cut out a similar rectangle from the polycarbonate plastic.

Glue the two pieces of wood together using carpenter's glue, and clamp them together for a good joint.

When the glue is dry (wait a day for good measure), spray the back of the pattern with spray-on adhesive, wait a minute or two, and stick it onto the wood (waiting a bit allows for easier removal of the pattern later on.) Securely tape the plastic onto the wood piece with masking tape, over top of the pattern.

**Note that in the pictures I show the paper pattern glued to the wood, and the plastic being cut separately. This works too, but you can save yourself some effort by cutting everything at once!**

On a bandsaw or scroll saw, cut out the pattern being careful to maintain smooth, even lines. You may need to reapply masking tape to the plastic to keep it from sliding around. With the outside perimeter cut out, set the plastic aside for now.

Drill two 1/4" holes inside the cutouts where the aluminum plates will eventually go. On the scroll saw, do the interior cuts making sure you follow the inner line. This cut doesn't have to be too precise, but try to be neat anyway.

Now on to the milling. Start by scoring the pattern on the middle line with an x-acto knife, which defines the edge of the aluminum plate. Peel off just the thin strip - this makes milling easier. I learned this the hard way too.

Load up the milling bit into your Dremel, and mount it in the drill press attachment. The Dremel will be used as a mill, or a top-down router. Set the wood piece with the bit in the middle. You will need to precisely set the depth of the cut - instead of using the lever on the side, I "permanently" set the depth by changing how far up the stand the Dremel was mounted. Set the depth to be equal to the thickness of the aluminum.

Now, spin the Dremel at 20-25,000 rpm and carefully mill out the ledge up to the edge of the paper pattern. To avoid overloading the bit or burning the wood, do multiple passes, each time shaving closer to the line. Periodically check the cutting depth as it may come out of adjustment. Repeat for the smaller valve cutout at the top.