production methods for routing items from sheet (repeat batches)

[Boyan Silyavski]

How to hold the pieces down? double sided sticky tape?

Once you recessed the surface of the jig so the actual work sheet lays there with almost tight fit/ tight fit at least 2 perpendicular sides, you can use hot glue gun. thats what i use mostly. Its cheap and easy fix. very fast also. You can use screws with washers also. If the sheet is bigger than say 100x100mm, very thin double sided stick tape at the middle also. If the machine passes pass through the tape, the last mm should be done very slowly or you will brake bits in the goo. Alcohol drops later on the hot glue plastic make removing very easy.Double stick tape is removed only with acetone.

It will be expensive to mill a new 'jig' each time out of plastic. I wonder if MDF or chipboard will work.

Probably no more than one time. Use hard plastic or aluminum when you know what you are doing.

or I could try to re-use the same jig again, I would need to get it very square on the table. I could drill and tap 4 holes in the table bed to mount the jig in the same place ?

yes the same jig, but if you mean accuracy, pins will not be enough. you should learn to align material and zero properly.

Mach3 2010 Screenset is my recommendation here.Very capable and handy. Probably you can program your own buttons but will waste a lot of time figuring how all is done.

Now using the before mentioned screenset+ fixed plate and ring cut from tube, that all permanently fixed on the jig, there will be no problem aligning again and again.

PS. The guy at the nearest scrap yard or eco center, i dont know how is called where you live must be your new best friend. A lot of expensive materials for free. I am using 8 old McDonalds plastic doors the last 2 years, which i obtained for free there.