Re: ATM 13.75" Biscuit cutter

[Richard Schwartz <richas@idt.net>]

-- [ From: Richard Schwartz * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] --


-------- REPLY, Original message follows --------

> Date: Wednesday, 07-May-97 01:15 PM
> From: PFAFF2@delphi.com        \ Internet:    

-------- REPLY, End of original message --------

Bob, that is one BIG biscuit cutter!  I do the same thing by cutting out a
13" square.  I scribe a circle on the glass for guidance, then use a diamond
tile wet-saw to cut the corners off the square.  I then cut the corners off
the octogon, and if any corners remain, I cut those off.

I then locate the center of the glass polygon and attach a metal disk with a
central hole using bee wax or pitch. I chuck up a high speed diamond bit in
my drill press and let the hole in that metal disk ride on the conical point
of a simple jig.  The edge of the glass rides on furniture castors. 

I just feed the glass into the diamond bit by hand, with liveral application
of turpentine.  (I would use water, but it is my dad's drill press and he
would get angry!)  About five times around the edge is enough to knock off
all the remaining corners and yield a nice edge.

Chips on the front surface are less than 1mm and are easily beveled out.  It
helps to take light cuts on the last couple of passes.

OK, I guess I will bring some slides to RTMC to share with Bob Pfaff.  I
also have some other ideas that work for me and may be generally useful.

My dad once told me that if you are desparate and clever enough, you can do
ANYTHING with a drill press.   I am starting to believe the same thing about
a router!