Design 1: Test Cut 1

Yesterday I cut each component of table design 1 in 1" polystyrene insulating foam on the CNC router. Since my material is extremely expensive I need to be sure everything comes together perfectly before I cut the final pieces. The final cuts also need to be extremely precise, lining up perfectly with the slab lumber. Given that the slab features only natural live edges and has no straight lines, there isn't a way to properly align the wood on the router bed. By cutting the test pieces out of the insulating foam, I will have not only a full-scale test model, but an alignment jig for the final pieces.





After everything had been cut, I used the table router to create the tongue and groove joints in the insulation foam, and assembled the table. Luckily I did so, because a few of the edges didn't align properly. Here is what happened: when a curved surface with a tongue must align with its mirrored grooved geometry, it must be offset to accommodate for the loss of material when the tongue is cut. I offset the material 1/4", but the only bearing for the bit close to 1/4" was 3/16", leaving on side of the material slightly too large. Luckily, this is cheap material and a quick fix.