seems to me that all you need are Jigs jigs jigs, and failing that, you could set up a cnc router and programs programs programs.
With the jigs, I would go for an overhead router, you would get your repeatability, and all you would have to do is pop the cubes in and out of the jigs and run them through the overhead router (run them through is an oversimplication, but it isn't a difficult process, just follow the path of the jug with the pin on the table).
Now, If you were to go the cnc route, and your cubes were well milled square and true, could you not arrange them to it the size of the table (whatever table size you chose) let the program run, it could cut down, across... and since the pieces are butted up against each other when you run out of the block you don't risk chipping out (the fibers are supported by the block next to it).
I second the opinion about the speed as well, i know the metal lathe i have used didn't reach the rpm's required to give me a proper clean cut, but that may be just the machine i was using. If you went the CNC rout you could in theory fiddle with the speed until you got a perfect cut almost every time, and probably much faster than you would with the mill.
Finally, and I may be shot down on this (or my other points for that matter) I don't think that the aquracy that a Mill will be made to (which accounts for the price of it) and able to attain, is more than is required for wood working. This is a material that will expand and contract significantly, throwing most tolerances to somewhere in the 1/32" range (and that is pretty damn good in my opinion, i have worked in cabinet shops where they claimed their tolerance was 1/8"-1/4") So for that price you should be able to buy a decent Little CNC machine that doesn't need to be the most accurate thing on the planet, but will do the job.
I hope i didn't get this completely wrong, but it looks to me as if you are trying to produce these things, and if so, you would want a machine that can dot hem fast, or do many of them at the same time.
please correct me anywhere i am wrong, (and i know there will be many corrections)
rock
Mathew  |