ShopBot: the Colletsium! a Router Bit Holder

by ADXMatt

47K87040

Intro: ShopBot: the Colletsium! a Router Bit Holder

Every Shop Bot CNC operator knows how frustrating it can be to have unorganized router bits laying around. We wanted to create a solution for storing bits that was also fun! In this instructable we will show you how to use your Shop Bot CNC to make The Colletsium!

ADX is a hub for collaboration where individuals and organizations make and learn. By sharing tools, knowledge, and experience, we’re doing things better – working together. Our makerspace, learning center, and custom fabrication shop allows anyone to bring their idea to life. In our 14,000-square foot facility, high-profile designers work alongside students, retirees share their knowledge with novice builders, and entrepreneurs collaborate with hobbyists.

Materials Needed:

--ShopBot

--Toolpath Generating Software (I use Vcarve Pro 3 in this instructable)

--Plywood (Any thickness over ½”, I use 1” Apple Plywood in this instructable)

--4 Screws thicker than your material

--Hand Drill¼” Down

--Spiral Router Bit

--Phillips Head Driver Bit

--Impact Driver

--Jig Saw or Band Saw

--Trim Router Bit (any thickness)

--Router Table or Hand Router

--Wood Glue

--3-4 Clamps (4”+ clamping capability)

--Scribe or Pocket Knife

--Sandpaper (I used 150 grit and 220 grit)

--Belt Sander and/or Orbital Sander

--25/64” Drill Bit (for registering while gluing)

STEP 1: Download and Setup

1. Download Routerbit_Colletsium.dxf.

Register Material

--Open Routerbit_Colletsium.dxf in VCarve Pro

--Set up information: X & Y dimensions of material or dimensions of entire cnc bed

--Thickness of material

--0 on the table

--No offset

STEP 2: Setup Toolpaths

--Based on your material, move and rotate the pieces around to fit (note that the compiled view of the file is for reference and not intended for toolpaths)

--Join open vectors

--Highlight pocket paths. This step is up to you because I provided extra pocketing paths for thinner material. Make sure the feed of your bit is slowed to 2.0 for small circle pockets.

--0.25” Pocket: Layer 2 second tier large holes, Layer 3 second tier larger holes and third tier fourth hole

--0.5” Pocket: Screw/Miscellaneous pockets Layer 1 triangle shape

--0.75” Pocket: Trim Router Holder, Layer 1 single hole

--Profile Inside Cut-Through: Layer 2 inner tier all small holes, outermost tier all small holes, Layer 3 all remaining holes, Layer 4 all remaining holes

--Profile Outside Cut-Through: All Layers outside shape. Add tabs!

--Preview the toolpaths is highly recommended. There are a lot of depths and paths going on and it will save you some strife to see what the paths will look like in the program.

---Save the toolpath.

STEP 3: Install Bit

Since this part of the instructable is a common thread in all of our instructables for Shop Bot CNC, on VCarve Pro 3, we have dedicated an entire, separate instructable for this part of the process.

That instructable can be found here.

On to the next step!

STEP 4: Run the Job!

Now that you have gone through the bit and material setup process you are ready to start cutting!

-Go ahead and press the CUT PART button on the red control panel and load file

-Start your vacuum

-Press START

-Agree to new bit, zeroed axis and tell her to run

-Stand-by with STOP switch in case something goes wrong

-Turn off vacuum when finished

STEP 5: Finishing!

--Deinstall the material

--Use a jig-saw or bandsaw to cut out the pieces

--Using a router-table, use a trim router bit to ease the edges for a more comfortable grip

--Open the router disk with two-pronged tool

--Install router bit with collet using wrenches

--Set the router to an appropriate height for your material

--Push the router going against the direction of the router’s spin (it’s spinning counter-clockwise)

--Glue up the layers by gluing Layer 2 and 3 together first

--Scribe the edges of the layers to avoid gluing beyond the layer overlap

--Use a 25/64” drill bit as a referencing tool, clamp the two glued layers together

--Use a wet paper towel to clean off excess glue while it’s wet

--After 15 minutes unclamp the layers and glue the back of Layer 4 and the top of Layer 3 (scribing beforehand) and glue those layers together. Cleaning up glue as necessary

--You can begin hand sanding the tops of the layers while the layers are clamped together. Otherwise, wait 30-60 minutes before unclamping

--Use a belt sander or an orbital hand sander to finish the edges

STEP 6: Show Everyone!

Now go and show everyone your fantastic new router bit holder! Want to custom brand your Colletsium? Stayed tuned for new instructables on how to do just that!

37 Comments

antares46 6 years ago

I really like your bit storage project and would like to make it. However, when I download the file AutoCad says it is missing something. Is the file available somewhere? I don't mind paying if you want.

geodad6 7 years ago

Nice name for this!!!! Love it!

CoyP1 8 years ago

What font did you use for the "Are you not interchanged?" Making two of these!

kenbob 8 years ago

Great instructable, thanks for sharing, and I Loved the name - actually laughed out loud - Brilliant. I would make one but it is a "bit" more than I need :)

audreyobscura 8 years ago

Collet-seum! BEST PUN TITLE OF 2015! So good, and so smart!

Thanks for sharing this stadium-style storage solution ;)

monster30 8 years ago

awsome idea ,thanks for sharing ,GodBless

EduardoO1 8 years ago

Thanks for sharing, I did !!!

alanrobertson 8 years ago

Love this idea and love the name even more,I'm making one asap.

buck2217 8 years ago

Good play on words, but do I really need something like this, being the most organised person on the planet --------------------- HELL YES!!!!

I have at least 2 of every tool as I put them down and can never remember where, (things like tape measures I probably have 20 and I bet I would still struggle to find one)

Love organisational tools Great I'ble

Phil_S 8 years ago

Right on the button buck

Sometime after midnight, my tools get their little shoes and socks on and explore every nook and cranny of shed, garage, loft, house, van etc.This leads to the spectacle of a grown man tearing the place up, emptying the vacuum cleaner bags, the refuse bags and so on. I'm currently "organising" the garage so that I can find that "special" screw. How many times do I mentally note "Three #2 Pozi screwdrivers and can't find one"?

I like to think it's the symptom of a busy person, rather than a short-memory, drop the tools at 7pm worker.

No good having tools if you can't find them, till the next time.

Phil S

itsmescotty 8 years ago

ditto on the tape measures I can lose two or three without moving my feet, sigh.

andrew.mead.1253 8 years ago

Forget about tape measures; discover the distance between the tips of each end of your outstretched hand and use that to calculate the length of objects--say goodbye to pin-point accuracy but it's usually good to within 1-2% and unless you're having a bad day on the table saw--you can't loose or misplace your hands or digits. (I was going to mention the distance between my outstretched opposite digits, then realized...can't really do that anymore, now days, if you know what I mean).

vincent7520 8 years ago

Why using simple older solutions when you can have a complex and time consuming system of fabrication at hand ?

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