Milling Dollhouse Cladboard

[SpookyDad]

I have been asked by my wife to produce some wall material for her dollhouse. It is going to be made from 3/8 MDF with horizontal milled grooves to look like wood siding. The question is do I make multiple passes with a small cutter OR adjust the angle of the router in the gantry? A 5 or 10 degree tilt will allow each "board" to be milled in one pass with a larger bit.

I am new to this. My table is ready to go but I am waiting on the controller and stepper motors from CNCResource.

SpookyDad

[2muchstuff]

If you are going to make one entire wall of siding vs. one board at a time, I would tilt the router. If the cut is too much for your router to handle with a larger cutter in one pass, make multiple passes bringing the router down a little more each time.

[HayTay]

SpookyDad,

It is going to be made from 3/8 MDF

What source are you using for the 3/8" MDF? Lowe's only seems to carry 3/4". Home Depot has 3/4" & 1/2" for sure. I think HD also carries 1/4" in the smaller 2' x 4' panels. I don't remember seeing any 3/8" MDF, though.

Any pics of your wife's dollhouse(s)?

HayTay

[SpookyDad]

You are not going to find 3/8" MDF at your traditional retail outlets. I found a wholesaler, Dixie Plywood, here in Houston that carries it. You are going to have to find a cabinetmaker's supply outlet. It is available, you just have to look a little harder.

[SpookyDad]

I am making full walls, not individual planks. Since it is 1/12 scale, the amount of material removed for each "plank" is fairly small. So a single pass should suffice. I am using a Porter Cable 1.5 HP router.

[CNC Pro]

I recall seeing router bits designed just for the project you have in mind. There are several companies that offer router bits for Dollhouse components, the correct profile bit would eliminate the “tilting” of the router. Check the web, I'm sure you could find some.

[NIL8r]

SpookyDad,

I don't see any way that a special cutter could work. I make PCD cutting tools for the metal working industry and looked at this option (see below).

IMO, You have a few options.

1) Tilt the router.
2) Tilt the material being machined (adjusting depth of cut for each "step over" would be needed).
3) If you use a standard router table (non-cnc) with cut side of material down you can make a aux. table at a slight angle and use a dado cutting bit.
4) Setup a dado blade in a table saw (or radial arm saw) and tip the dado blade at an angle. (This is the option that I used for making house siding on a model railroad project in 1:24 scale). You can even make a jig (as I did) to simplify the "step over" for each simulated board.

Hope this helps.

[2muchstuff]

You could have a custom planer blade made with the profile and run the wood thru the planer.

Just another excuse to by another tool.

[HayTay]

Spooky -
Source for 3/8" MDF
You are going to have to find a cabinetmaker's supply outlet.

Thanks for the sourcing info. Now I know to look elsewhere locally.

HayTay

[CNC Pro]

My mistake, I recall seeing router bits designed for this project. They were for use in a table-mounted router, or shaper. Anyway, they are available.

[darde]

You could make it like a cove siding. cut a straight line evenly spaced 1/8" deep x 1/4" wide, and then use a small cove cutter (1/4") run down the edge of the cut already made to form the slope and leave the face flat .

[NIL8r]

I thought of one additional option. You can also make an aux. base for your router and use a dado bit and edge guide attachment.