Gear Drive, Adjustable Height Tape Board For Shaper Origin

My design and build of a gear driven, adjustable height tape board for the Shaper Origin. The files for making this are freely available on Shaper Hub (link below). If you find this helpful, please let me know in the comments and give the video Like, Share and Subscribe for more! Thanks!
Links:
Gear design article, including Inkscape tutorial:
weblessons.org/docs/MakeYourO...
Free files and hardware list for this project (on Shaper Hub):
hub.shapertools.com/creators/...
Sienci Labs Longmill MKII CNC:
sienci.com/product/longmill-mk2/
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:59 How it works
01:22 Cutting out the parts
01:55 Gear design
04:48 Cheating with my Sienci Labs Longmill CNC (Sorry!)
06:43 Assembly
11:11 Thoughts on gear tolerances and backlash
11:40 Outro

[@user-fj9cp8cx6f]

Fantastic idea solving the height issue! I agree on the cost of the tape, and for me, it is the time involved with shimming the tape board or the work piece to be the same height, great solution for this!

[@FineLineJoinery]

Exactly!!! Thanks for watching!

[@iq0099]

CNC is the way... I used a transparent Drawer liner with shaper tape on it... I roll it on the board and re-use it over and over until the tape fails.. You can also use the Ikea FINFÖRDELA cutting boards. and they have other similar items that Shaper tape sticks to very well.

[@FineLineJoinery]

Great idea! Thanks!

[@RDAUGIRD]

Can you elaborate or even better, make a video of this?

[@du3lmaul3rs50]

YES!!! after years of trying to come up with a solution (and failing to actually complete a working design) this is perfect!

[@FineLineJoinery]

So glad to hear it! Thanks for the kind words and watching the video!

[@dennisbennett2545]

This is super awesome!!! I've been looking for an ingenious solution for a long time! Perfect!! Big compliment!!! Shaper Origin should add this to their range!!! Das ist mega genial!!! Ich suche schon lange nach einer genialen lösung! Perfekt!! Großes Kompliment!!! Das sollte Shaper Origin noch mit ins Sortiment aufnehmen!!!

[@FineLineJoinery]

Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed!

[@dennisbennett2545]

@@FineLineJoinery You can't imagine how long I've been looking for a solution! finally your solution! Thanks alot!!

[@FineLineJoinery]

@@dennisbennett2545 Wow, that really means a lot to hear! Come back and let me know how it turns out!

[@dennisbennett2545]

@@FineLineJoinery for sure

[@linsen8890]

This is a brilliant solution to a problem just about every Shaper Origin owner has. I've been thinking about how to make a height-adjustable tape board for some time, and I have some ideas that I think would work, but I really like your design. It looks like it would be super easy to use, versus my ideas that would require adjusting four "legs" to the correct height individually. Thanks for sharing your design - subscribed!

[@FineLineJoinery]

Yeah, that was my main goal, to raise and lower the board with a single adjuster. Glad you like it. Thanks for watching and your comments!

[@flamabl1]

I don't want to make one, I want to buy one. Great job!

[@FineLineJoinery]

Haha! Get out your Origin and start cutting!

[@stephenrecknagel1099]

This as AMAZING!! Thank you for sharing sir. This is arguably the best solution to this dilemma I've ever seen.

[@Davenamb]

What an ingenious idea and what a generous person to give your time and skill so freely!

[@FineLineJoinery]

Thank you for the kind words and thanks so much for watching!

[@comfortablynumb1934]

I wish someone would offer 3D modeled gears. I think this is a well-engineered project. Cutting and sanding this out with an SO is a real time commitment. A more durable material than wood, would be my preference. I think it would hold up better over time. Anyways great job.

[@FineLineJoinery]

A time commitment it is for sure. I've avoided trying out 3D printing because I can imagine the piles of plastic trash I would make. As far as durability, I don't think the actual wear on these wooden gears is anything to worry about. I know I'm no youngster, but I'm confident the gears will outlast me. They only experience a dozen or so low speed revolutions each time it's used. Thanks for watching and your comments!

[@holzapfela]

This looks incredible. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@FineLineJoinery]

My pleasure! Thank YOU for watching!

[@tinman7743]

Like what you have done here ! Nice video

[@Obtuse94]

This is epic! Such a great idea to save on some Shaper tape!

[@FineLineJoinery]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@johnfrazier9327]

Great build and video!

[@FineLineJoinery]

Really appreciate that! Thanks for watching!

[@jholmessiedle]

I love this!!

[@pctatc66]

This should really increase your subscriber count! Well done.. subbed and liked! look forward to more shaper content from you

[@FineLineJoinery]

Haha! Hope so! Thank you for your kind words and support!

[@OrigensShaper]

Brilliant! Nice work!

[@FineLineJoinery]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for watching and the kind words!

[@MRSALTYELBOWS]

Brilliant solution!

[@FineLineJoinery]

Thank you!

[@yairacherman]

Brilliant

[@victorrasilla]

Very good

[@danlazer8762]

Well done. I've been chewing on an idea similar to this for a few weeks now - just got the Origin last month. I also have a small CNC in the shop. I've built several CNCs over the years and while the SO is an awesome tool with loads of uses (primarily to me being able to cut large things), it's not always the best for repetitive things. I've cut a lot of gears for various things and for that the SO would be really tiring. Great idea and implementation.

[@FineLineJoinery]

Thanks! Yeah, I got my Origin several years ago and love it. Just got the little 30 x 30 Longmill CNC around the middle of last year and love it too. As similar as they are technologically, they are 2 different tools and they each excel at different kinds of tasks. Glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks for watching!

[@regismercier6645]

Très intéressant merci.

[@regismercier6645]

bonjour je suis entrain de commencer votre projet. Vous parlez de devoir retourner certaines pièces pour le fraisage. j'imagine que c'est à cause de la profondeur. Pouvez vous m'expliquer comment faire ou m'orienter vers une vidéo explicative? merci

[@ramaroodle]

Damn! I was all ears until he showed us the underside of that board! :-) OK. I'll watch.

[@FineLineJoinery]

Thanks for watching!

[@andreasmenz1748]

I honestly forgive for not using the origin for all the gears. I once shaped 3 gears for a double screw vise and decided it was the maximum for my patience to handle.

[@FineLineJoinery]

Ha! Yeah, I think patience is the key word there. There's nothing particularly difficult about cutting the gears, but it does require patience. The first one is fun, but the rest are work! Thanks for watching and especially for your understanding! Cheers!

[@orzellezro]

Genius.

[@FineLineJoinery]

Thanks!

[@karstenandersen142]

WOW i ben dremin om finden a solution om that problem WOW THANKS you are a legtent

[@FineLineJoinery]

Too kind! Thank you!

[@vulgarwoodworks]

Interesting project, and exceptionally designed. I would assume by lengthening the bolts in the "lifting" gears, and using a thicker board (say 1" or greater) you would increase the overall height of the panel to accommodate thicker stock? BTW you have become a great resource for the Shaper. Looking forward to more of your insight on the Shaper

[@FineLineJoinery]

That would definitely work. For me, I always have lots of scrap sheet stock of varying thicknesses laying around, so I can easily shim the stock or tape board to within a quarter or half inch of where I want it, then fine adjust with the gear drive. But yeah, this could easily be modified to suit the needs of a given situation. Really appreciate your input and kind words! Thanks so much for watching!

[@DavidGunter]

One more question, did you finish your final top with shallac or something similar to keep the tape from getting scuffed or lifting up? I was thinking a spray-on product.

[@FineLineJoinery]

No, never bothered worrying about that. Only the tape that's near the edge next to your workpiece ever gets wear from the Origin riding over it. When Origin tells me it's not reading 3 or 4 dominos, I cut out and replace that section and re-scan. Good luck!

[@johnterdik4707]

Great video!! I was in the process of creating a tape board when I found your video. I downloaded the files from the Shaper Hub (thanks!!). In the Instructions on the Shaper Hub you state "Updated: Just added an alternate file (alternate-nested gears(G2x1+G3x4).svg)". I don't see this file, have I overlooked something" How important is the height of the tape board in relationship to the tape board? I thought that the tape was just for reference and the height of the two (within reason) was not an issue.

[@FineLineJoinery]

On the "Files Included" list, did you click on "See More" underneath? The nested gears file should be at the bottom. Ideally, the tape board should be dead flush with your workpiece. Origin's camera is at an angle to the tape board and is calculating its position relative to the tape based on that assumption. At least that's my understanding... Thanks for watching the video and good luck with your tape board! Come back and let me know how it turns out.

[@DavidGunter]

It seems you still have to add tape to the parts you are cutting. Why is that?

[@FineLineJoinery]

Origins "eyes" (onboard camera) can only see about 10" or so (I think...) in front of it. When cutting larger parts that require moving it further from the tape board than that, you need to add more tape within Origin's vision range. I always move origin around the cutting area before actually starting to cut. There's an indicator on screen that lets you know whether there's enough tape for Origin to track properly. When there's not, I just add another strip and "add to scan". Thanks for watching the vid and your comment!

[@DavidGunter]

@@FineLineJoinery I assumed it was that. At least one uses less tape overall. I can't wait to get started on this one.

[@FineLineJoinery]

@@DavidGunter Come back and let me know how it turns out! Thanks again!

[@didierdevolder3136]

good video only we can't download the files.

[@FineLineJoinery]

Not sure what the issue might be with the ShaperHub download, I don't have any control over that. Have you tried to contact their support? I haven't heard of any issues.

[@Oregon4now]

Sacrilege! How dare you! Cutting with something other than the origin, are you not a purist? You need to repent… And ship me that CNC machine

[@FineLineJoinery]

Ha ha! You called it... not a purist! I'll have to give some thought before sending you my CNC... Be sure to keep checking your mail though 🤣🤣🤣. Thanks for watching the vid!