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Post by kraftt on Apr 5, 2017 23:22:47 GMT -5
I forgot, when you mentioned you had a 3D printer before, to ask if you've seen this:
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Post by ohan on Apr 6, 2017 4:34:04 GMT -5
Wow, that's brilliant! Wish it went as fast as the time lapses, but it's pretty damn fast.
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Post by reflector on Apr 6, 2017 9:54:43 GMT -5
I forgot, when you mentioned you had a 3D printer before, to ask if you've seen this: I'm somewhat familiar with SLA and the newer fast SLA printers that don't need to constantly agitate the resin, but the resins really disturb me. I'm not a fan of the toxicity. Not to mention that the resins aren't necessarily fully cured on parts so you have to seal them in post processing. That and they haven't developed to the point that FDM printers have with the variety of filaments available with all the various properties.
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luzzy
Junior Member
Posts: 91
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Post by luzzy on Apr 26, 2017 21:09:27 GMT -5
I guess I've had the Aerofix for 3 years or so. I've used it sparingly on a flat plane pretty much. I usually rely on the rubber friction system on the rail to hold it steady or if its an ultra important cut, I clamp it.
We are finishing a Hollister store and I was tasked with cutting 4 approx 16x16 access panels into and existing upright cabinet . To make it a bit more difficult , the cut outs will serve as the access panels . So one shot , has to be perfect , maybe 10k cabinet on the line.
I hadn't used the Aerofix on a vertical plane and I thought I remembered 45 degrees was the max. Well I took the attachment that came with the system and put it on my shortest rail. Awesome. Straight up and down. Rock solid hold. Made me look like a champ. I think I need to use this more often The Mafell rail system makes the Festool rails look like total garbage. Well done Mafell!
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Post by kraftt on Apr 26, 2017 22:03:17 GMT -5
That is awesome and I think the exact scenario everyone who buys the Aerofix looks forward to using it on. btw- what's your preferred method to finish/cut corners? Flush cut hand saw? Jigsaw? Ran into a guy on a jobsite recently with an Aerofix and after we worked together a while he let me try it out. I messed with it for a time and then asked if I could modify the slide plate for better suction and he surprisingly agreed. Took some photos because I’ve been experimenting with a DIY Aerofix myself and although the plate is the easiest to clone I think I'll prob just buy one eventually. I noticed the little adjustment nib, but even with adjustment the seal could be improved. I bent the plate so the dropdown cutout better sealed across deepest part of rail and then just added some red vinyl tape to close the most egregious spaces. Rail seemed to 'bite' faster.
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luzzy
Junior Member
Posts: 91
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Post by luzzy on Apr 27, 2017 5:06:27 GMT -5
That is awesome and I think the exact scenario everyone who buys the Aerofix looks forward to using it on. btw- what's your preferred method to finish/cut corners? Flush cut hand saw? Jigsaw? Ran into a guy on a jobsite recently with an Aerofix and after we worked together a while he let me try it out. I messed with it for a time and then asked if I could modify the slide plate for better suction and he surprisingly agreed. Took some photos because I’ve been experimenting with a DIY Aerofix myself and although the plate is the easiest to clone I think I'll prob just buy one eventually. I noticed the little adjustment nib, but even with adjustment the seal could be improved. I bent the plate so the dropdown cutout better sealed across deepest part of rail and then just added some red vinyl tape to close the most egregious spaces. Rail seemed to 'bite' faster. I ran the saw right to the corner so the kerf was even all the way around and then used a multi took and pull saw to finish. It's funny how great it works on any rail. I brought the slide plate with me, not realizing I didn't need it for this application.
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Post by kraftt on Apr 27, 2017 10:33:20 GMT -5
Ah yes the multi. Most of the time plunge cut-outs are covered by the lip/flange of whatever appliance/ flanged door etc. is dropping in but when the cut is exposed, or to be edge banded, I carry one of those cheap short flush-cut pull saws in the rail bag accessory pouch. If the panel is large enough I’ll slip in some cardboard drywall shims to stabilize it until I’m done with flush-cut saw.
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Post by kraftt on May 5, 2017 19:29:54 GMT -5
Though I've been tinkering with my own diy Aerofix I decided to pick up a 'poor-mans' version of the Aerofix and just bought the slide plate and f-af o separately. (I'm putting together a detachable bottom plate for the f-af o so I can hang it off the end/edge of work just like the top mounting f-af u. Less to carry around and I already have plenty of small diameter short hoses for the rest.) Anyways I wanted to correct something discussed earlier in the thread. Toomanytoys was correct to see the brass disc on the bottom of the f-afo as an 'eccentric'. I thought that it screwed tight and lifted / locked an independent plastic plate with it. The slot that fits into the rail connector channel is not independent of the body. GIF's below show the function:
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Post by kraftt on May 5, 2017 19:36:55 GMT -5
Soon as I unboxed both pieces I slapped them on to a 1600 on top of some not so smooth stock. The red rubber grip cord had a good 3/16" gap on one side of the f-afo to rail grip cord and I placed the slide plate towards the end of the rail and plugged the other end of the f-afo.
Yeah, very impressed with grip. Good purchase.
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Post by toomanytoys on May 6, 2017 7:23:11 GMT -5
I get an opportunity to show this to my wife to show I can be right!
Thanks kraftt, but you really didn't have to do that. Glad this worked and I didn't realize you didn't have to get the entire kit.
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Post by kraftt on May 6, 2017 9:43:08 GMT -5
( ohhh…. that sounds like trap. proceed cautiously. ) ———————————— Well in a sense I don’t think they ‘offer’ the parts separately but they do sell some replacement parts. The f-afu is adhered to the aero rail and that pairing is not sold separately, nor as a replacement parts, but the other items are. Once upon a time I’m told the f-afu, less rail, was sold individually but they shut that down probably because of too many people cherry picking what they wanted. This is a small ghost town here but even so I would suggest to those thinking of ordering these parts to spread them out & use different less obvious vendors so as to not muddy the waters. Personally I enjoy tinkering & seeing what mods or improvements I can make, but for those that want an aero I think they are better off buying the whole kit and being done with it. Even if they only need it one time, for a vertical surface or floor, it’s paid for itself. On the f-afo the brass really galls into the rail 60º groove. Photo below is me only fully locking it twice. You definitely don’t want any hose drag to pull this thing off in the middle of a vertical cut but the rest of the time I think snug gets it done until it wears a bit from use.
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Post by kraftt on May 6, 2017 11:54:00 GMT -5
btw - does anyone know why mafell doesn't want you going beyond 45º ? (sticker in photo) Are they speaking in general as when using the F-AFU to not lose suction beyond the Y cut in the steel plate or specifically about the F-AFO on vertical ? Seems that if it holds suction it shouldn't matter for the F-AFO. Perhaps a dedicated suction & vac line overcomes their concerns ?
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Post by kraftt on May 30, 2017 18:32:01 GMT -5
Can anyone tell me if they notice a difference in gripping power between their F-AFU (bottom hose mounted) and when they use the F-AFO (top hose mounted) ? I only have the F-AFO and the grip is very strong. I messed around this morning and made a sudo-F-AFU out of some shim stock etc. There are no air leaks yet the grip is about half that of the top mount F-AFO (?)Instead of the dimples i just stacked up three layers of double sided golf grip tape underneath leaving the release film on so it wouldn't stick (and would be level with other extrusion levels). Then only on the two edges against the red grip bead did I use a single layer of double sided to seal. (photo isn't quite right as I pulled some sections off and added more in the middle to mimic dimple standoffs).
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Post by kraftt on May 31, 2017 21:37:17 GMT -5
well I read a post here about how smooth/polished the F-AFU is inside so upon examining the inside of my vac attachment I could see some sharp burrs from the molding process, almost 2.5mm high, around where the hose attach meets the rectangular funnel. I smoothed those down and surprisingly grip was a bit better. I might cut some arcs over the deeper channels in the shim stock to see if that helps too. Right now the funnel is just adhered on for testing, later two tiny brackets will be bolted to the sides of the funnel so I can use some Kreg t-bolts to attach or remove from the 160 as needed. The shim stock will stay stuck on and is slightly below the red grip beads so it doesn't interfere with rail grip when not using clamps or suction. With the sudo-F-AFU shim stock left in place, funnel removed, I can still use the F-AFO attachment and suction/grip is great with my sudo plate left in between the slide plate and F-AFO. The shim stock is far enough from the end so as not to interfere with using clamps if I want also. So I'll prob make some more of these shim stock plates and stick them onto all tracks as I collect them & or cut them to length. I really don't need the sudo-F-AFU 'funnel', as I already had/made a rectangular piece of 3mm thick masonite 36cm long with a 20mm wide x 6mm thick neoprene self adhesive foam frame that just acted like an extension of the cutting surface under the rail, for table cutting, to seal F-AFO / rail until it could reach shim stock plate overhang. While it works just fine it's a little bit of a hassle to set up.
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Post by kraftt on Jun 1, 2017 15:18:35 GMT -5
I also see that you don’t have to necessarily plunge when cutting on the ground with the F-AFO (top hose) connector. I didn’t want to set up a table for a quick job today so I brought along a foam sheet to lay down. I had thought that the F-AFO restricted you to plunging in order to start cut and, additionally, that you had to start cut way in from the material edge since F-AFO adapter doesn’t overhang. But I just used a scrap piece of similar thickness ply (discovered it doesn’t have to be that close either) and butted it up against edge of material to be cut (something about 36cm min. long should do). Slapped F-AFO on a 160 and let it rest/start near the edge on the scrap piece. Plunged into the scrap to start and continued into work material. The two pieces of ply butted against each other didn’t affect suction at all. Rail held both together like glue, but you might want to be careful about where & how you apply weight/pressure if you ever try this scenario. I used rigid foam and was carful not to put any pressure on the scrap piece. fwiw, the scrap piece i used was slightly thinner and even had a slightly rounded/beveled edge where to two ply's met and no suction issues. Later I realized that my home made sudo shim stock plate, still stuck to bottom of rail, was bridging where the scrap and material met. Experimented with moving the rail so shim stock didn't bridge the two pieces and grip suction on the material side wasn't as good.
I also forgot to bring an adapter for my 1-½” vac hose to fit the tiny F-AFO port and since I was cutting outside and didn’t need to connect to the saw I just plugged up the through-port on the F-AFO and before I got up to grab some tape I thought I would try leaving the huge 1-½” over the little F-AFO port kicked at an angle. Suction was great, and with the vac turned on hose held itself in place.
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