An Open Source for New Furniture

If you like puzzles and aren't afraid of the words "Assembly Required," OpenDesk is for you.

Image: Courtesy Lynton Pepper/OpenDesk

The four-person workstation desk is available as a free digital download from OpenDesk. All you have to do is cut the parts out of plywood with a CNC router, finish, and assemble them.

DIY used to imply low-tech – inexpensive, ad hoc, do-it-yourself at home. Rube Goldberg would have been considered a DIY kinda guy. But now, DIY has taken a decidedly digital twist. You can download computer files from a company in London to make your own furniture here in Portland. It’s a sort of wiki-furniture marketplace, a 21st century design and manufacturing workshop folding together global and local.

OpenDesk is the London company, founded in 2011 by three architectural designers. They've designed asmall selection of basic tables, stools, and a 4-person desk, and they’re sharing the digital files for free to any and all takers – or rather, “makers.” The pieces are intended to be made of plywood or fiberboard, and cut by a computer-controlled router (a CNC machine) following the digital file instructions.

This is where the “DIY = make it yourself in your basement” equation goes all whacky, and where“digital” and “handmade” dissolve into a sort of wormhole of possibilities. Welcome to the 21st century. Who has a CNC machine in their basement? Though there aren't any Portland area makers in the “OpenDesk maker network” yet, maybe that person is you –  ADX has CNC machine that anyone can join and learn how to use, after all.

The innovative OpenDesk process essentially allows you to insert yourself into the IKEA production line at whatever stage you’d like. The furniture you get can be virtual – the free and open source files on your computer – or in various stages of physical fabrication: sawn, unfinished wood; flatpacked, finished pieces ready for you to assemble; or fully assembled, just open up the box.

The idea is that while the design is globally sourced, the assembled (or sawn or flatpacked versions of the materials) will come from someone near where you live. So for instance, if you lived in Pittsburgh, PA, then Ollie would make you a desk for about $1200. Or he’d flatpack it to you for about $1000. Or he’d send you the sawn, unfinished parts for about $700. None of these prices include delivery, of course, because the idea is to be local. (Probably you'd ride your bike over to his studio and pick up the goods.)

It’s seems like a nice way to share worldwide knowledge and expertise while also enabling people to do whatever level of hands-on work they want to do, here and now. If you’ve graduated beyond just IKEA furniture you assemble yourself, you can get inexpensive furniture that’s a step up in quality. If you’re ready to join ADX and dive into the modern world of DIY making, it’s a way to get a step up and not start from computer-design scratch.

Spiral Router Bits

Question:-I have a question about spiral router bits as I have no experience using them. I have a chance to get a couple but with limited funds right now, I only want to get ones that I would use frequently. What type (up/down/compression), what diameter, and what function would you use them. From everything I’ve read it looks like an up-cut bit is used for hand-held routing when doing mortises and a down cut for router table work for dadoes, rabbets grooves. What are your thoughts? Thanks and keep up the great work!

Answer:- Quality solid carbide spiral bits combine effective chip removal with a continuous shearing action cut not obtained from a standard straight bit. You’ll get smoother cutting action with better results.

Up-cut Bits provide faster cutting while they pull chips up and out of the work or towards the router. They are excellent bits to use when cutting material in a router table since they tend to hold the work piece to the table itself. Ideal for mortise and tenons, grooving, slotting or routing deep blind holes. Down-cut Bits cut slower and push chips away from the router to eliminate top surface splintering. Use for pattern cutting or when going completely through the board as it allows clear vision of the cutting line. Ideal for fine finish work such as veneers, laminates, inlays and repairs because they prevent upper edge tear outs. Use Down-cuts for trimming and sizing.

Compression Bits Cuts through stock and gives clean cuts in both top and bottom. No tear out as bit is designed to pull work into the center of the stock. Ideal for double sided veneer plywood, melamine, and laminates. As for size recommendations, it really depends on the specific application you intend to use the bit for. We find that the 1/8″, 1/4″ and 1/2″ Up-cut and the 1/4″ and 1/2″ Compression bits are the most popular for our customers applications.

CNC / CAD /CAM links

Sales and Service of CNC Router,laser,plasma,waterjet,RP Machines,CAD/CAM Software ::: http://www.rpmtools.in
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3D Models ,Digital Designs,and Artcam files ::: www.akolippo.com

CNC Router India's super store ::: www.cncrouter.in

CNC Router Application Research Institute ::: www.cncrouter.co.in

CNC Router for sale in India ::: www.rpmtools.co.in

Upload your resume for fast and best job's appointment ::: www.springboardindia.com

 Food for needy ::: www.grainrain.org

Information on sulur,coimbatore,kovai ::: www.sulur.info

World class Laser Machines to cut,engrave and mark ::: www.wisely.co.in

Economical and ideal CNC Routers for all your carving and cutting works ::: www.robozz.in

Knowing your CNC Router Machine Software

Hi,
We all know that what sets the CNC machine apart from all other manual tools in the manufacturing industry is its computerized nature. Instead of having to manually operate certain tools, we use computers to input commands and allow the machine to follow your instructions to the dot. For our part, it makes everything more convenient and accurate. This is why the software is important. It’s the software that translates your data into something that could be understood by the machine. That way, the machine can process the raw material and turn it into the exact result which you imagined and patterned.

However, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all type of software. Naturally, different manufacturers and brands compete by offering the best CNC router machine software that they can develop. They also build different types of software to best fit the purpose of a particular model. CNC machine software is often classified in two perspectives:

1. Software availability (i.e. freeware, built-in, and independent)
2. Purpose (i.e. as to the machine’s main function?)

If you’re planning on investing in CNC routers, you’ll eventually have to deal with the software. It’s ideal that you know how each of these types varies from one another. That way, you can make better choices when you need to replace the built-in software of your machine. Anyway, it’s not so hard to figure out the classification of the software in terms of purpose, since it’s all about matching the software to a type of machine, which could either be:

1. Router;
2. Engraver; or
3. Plasma Cutter;

These three require different kinds of software simply because they function differently. CNC router machine software is designed to let users input dimensions in cuts and shapes more accurately in wood routing. A router’s main function, after all, is to cut through wood at a specific depth and angle. CNC routers may also differ in terms of axis flexibility. Thus, a 5-axis router might work better with a certain type of software as opposed to the typical 5-axis router.

The CNC engraver, however, focuses more on tasks that require a bit of intricate design. Instead of straight and measure angles and depths, you need to work with patterns and images which you have actually drawn. That’s why this type of machine would need CNC engraver machine software.

There are those who might say that a CNC plasma cutter has the same function as a router. This may be true, since both do cutting tasks. The only difference is that they cut different materials. Routers cut wood, while plasma is intended for sheets of metal. But this difference on the raw material used alone calls plasma cutters to use CNC plasma cutter software.

Keep these things in mind next time you plan on getting new software for your CNC machine. If you’re still confused about matters on compatibility and the different features of different programs, you can always ask your manufacturer for advice.


About the company:

At ez Router, we've made it our business to offer robust, affordable and easy to use hobby CNC and business CNC cutting machines. We've got a model for every place and space in CNC routers, oxy-fuel and CNC plasma cutters.