Neat solution to a sticky problem!

[Lenp]

If you've been looking for a way to fasten a sheet of anything thin, like aluminum, pcb, plastic, wood, etc. to perform milling, engraving, routing, sanding, or whatever to its flat face. Here's the best idea I have ever tried and no, it's not my idea. It's been kicking around some CNC forums lately and it does work. It's so simple, trouble, clamp and hold down free, that you'll just have to try it for yourself.

So, let's say you want to sand or polish a piece of sheet aluminum, edge to edge , with a small power sander or buffer to improve its appearance.

Tricky huh?, Nope, just do this...

First clean the back side of the sheet of any oils or debris. Common alcolol seems to work ok here most of the time.
Apply wide 3M painters tape to the cleaned back side, and burnish it it well to eliminate any air pockets.
Clean a smooth surface to hold the workpiece and also apply the tape, burnishing well.
The tape must cover all of the mating surfaces but do not overlap the tape.

Now you have two non-adhesive sides of the painter's tape showing.
Use cyanocrylate adhesive (I use FastCap heavy gel from Amazon) and apply it to one side of the painter's tape, using something to spread it as evenly as possible.
Now spray an accelerator, again I use FastCap's, on the other tape side.
When ready press the two tapes together and hold or use weights for a minute or so.

The workpiece is now bonded to the tape; the work surface is bonded to the other tape; and the two tapes are bonded together with the adhesive. The workpiece will not move and you can do whatever is needed. When finished it will release easily from the tape once an edge is lifted.

I have sanded, and routed .032 aluminum with multiple profiles and it just holds on until I'm done.

Yes, FastCap may look a bit pricy, and maybe other tapes and adhesives would also work, but I'll 'stick' with this since the cost per piece is low and the results are great.

Try it, then post your success story!

[evahle]

Nice!