Make Electronics

What Next? 271

Experiment 32: A Little Robot Cart

Curving Cuts

Curving cuts involve relatively little danger, although eye protection and
gloves are still advisable. My preferred tools:

• Band saw with a 3/8- or 1/4-inch blade designed for thin wood or plywood.


• Jigsaw. I have a special liking for the DeWalt XRP using Bosch blades that
  are designed for hardwood or plastic. This will cut complex curves in ABS
  as easily as scissors cutting paper.

No matter what type of saw you use, you’ll have to clean ragged bits of plas-
tic off the cut afterward, and the absolutely necessary item for this purpose
is a deburring tool, available from http://www.mcmaster.com and most other
online hardware sources. A belt sander or disc sander is ideal for rounding
corners, and a metal file can be used to remove bumps from edges that are
supposed to be straight.

Figures 5-77 through 5-80 show various cutting tools. Figure 5-81 shows a de-
burring tool, and Figure 5-82 shows a disc sander.

Figure 5-77. A band saw is an ideal tool for
cutting complex shapes out of ABS plastic.
You can often find them secondhand for
under $200.

Figure 5-78. A handheld circular saw, run-

ning along a straight-edge, is much safer

than a table saw for cutting plastic, and

can produce comparable results.

Figure 5-79. This Japanese-style saw cuts

when you pull it, rather than when you

push it. After some practice, you can use

it to make very accurate cuts. Because

ABS is so soft, minimal muscle-power is

required.

Figure 5-80. This DeWalt jigsaw can run at
very slow speeds, enabling precise and
careful work with plastic.

Figure 5-81. A deburring tool will clean and

bevel the sawn edge of a piece of plastic in

just a couple of quick strokes.

Figure 5-82. A belt sander or disc sander

is the ideal tool for rounding corners when

working with ABS plastic.