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How To Build Shelves With Laguna Tools SmartShop II

By Laguna Tools on April, 30 2020
SmartShop II

If you’re in the mood to create a few shelving units for your home, office, or workspace, our experts here at Laguna Tools can help.

While you can carve a shelf by hand, this can be tedious and time consuming labor. It can also limit the styles and designs that you can create.

However, with the help of the SmartShop II CNC Router, you can make multiple shelving units exactly the way you want with very little effort on your part.

Before we launch into woodworking, when operating woodworking tools, it's important to be aware of safety tips.

Even if you are familiar with the rules, refresh your memory by reviewing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines on the Machine Shop Safety website which outlines a list of do’s and don’ts to keep you safe.

 

The Smartshop II CNC Router

As a budget-friendly vacuum table machine, the Smartshop II CNC Router is a very affordable option for woodworkers.

The gantry is made of heavy-duty welded steel for improved rigidity. This design also improves accuracy, reduces vibrations, and increases the overall lifespan.

It has an array of accessories that can take your customized project to the next level. With three table sizes to choose from and custom sizes available, you can make sure that the machine you get fits perfectly into your workshop.

You can create just about anything from cabinets to shelving units.

 

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Creating a Modern Shelving Unit

Before you can get started cutting your wood, first decide on the style and design of your shelving unit.

You can come up with a design on your own, or you can use images for inspiration. We have chosen an image of a modern shelving unit that has some very interesting design elements.

First, the image needs to be imported into your software program. You can use it as a guide to trace your own version of the design. To trace a design with curves such as this one, you will use the Draw Curve tool.

Using a series of points that automatically connect together, you can begin to trace the desired design.

Next, you need to figure out how you’re going to layout each piece on the machine for cutting. This step depends on how large your table is.

Bigger tabletops can cut out more pieces from a single piece of wood. You need to find

Now it’s time to create your tool paths. Once you input all of your relevant data, you can run a simulation to see if everything is correct. If everything is to your satisfaction, it’s then time to output code to the SmartShop II machine.

 

Machining a Modern Shelving Unit

With your design, tool paths, and code completed, you can transfer the information to your SmartShop machine by copying the files onto a USB drive and plugging it into the machine.

Since this machine uses a vacuum table, it will clean up the mess as it goes along. The spindle is housed inside the dust collector housing unit. It moves up and down on a precision ground ball screw for enhanced accuracy.

Using the machine’s hand-held controller, you can load the program you want to run. Start with “Setup” to figure out where to lay your blanks. 

Next, you can run the programs to cut out the supports, brackets, and shelves. Remember to change the spindle tool to a V-bit before carving out the shelves.

Finally, after everything is cut out, you can assemble the modern shelving unit.

 

SmartShop Machines

 

 

Laguna Tools offers a wide range of woodworking machines for shops of all sizes. In our SmartShop series, we have eight different machines.

These are SmartShop M2, SmartShop II, SmartShop Auto Loader, SmartShop II SUV, SmartShop II Extended Gantry, SmartShop III, SmartShop II +2 Axis, and SmartShop LD4.

Ranging from $35,000 to $129,745, you can find the perfect machine to suit your woodworking shop budget.

Every machine in our lineup is designed to make woodworking much easier. From setup to programming and layouts to carving, you can complete whatever projects you want in a short amount of time.

These machines can run your desired programs while you do something else. Featuring one-piece steel frames, they are more reliable than any other machine on the market.

Effortless programming, instant cleanups, and the best precision all equate to time saved on your part.

 

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Video Tutorials 

Our experts love to share their knowledge with other passionate woodworkers. Whether you are a hobbyist or a professional, we’ve got a vast video library full of useful clips that you can take advantage of.

Our video series features short videos about setting up your Laguna Tools machine, maintaining it, and even how to create certain projects with it.

If you have one of our SmartShop machines, you can take a peek at our SmartShop video library here.

 

Products For Every Woodworking Space

Offering nothing but the best, Laguna Tools machines are great for every woodworking space. We’ve got classic, industrial, and automated machinery that can turn any seemingly different project into a breeze.

If you would like to learn more about our products, you can visit our blog for some great reads or contact our experts. We are more than happy to answer any questions you might have about Laguna Tools machines or your next upcoming project.

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