drewish

CNC Work Holding   01 February 2026

My favorite method of work holding for the Shopbot is one of the simplest: make your own double sided tape using painter’s tape and super glue. I’ve used it successfully with wood and plastic.

  1. Clean off the spoil board and stock Clean off the spoil board and stock

  2. Apply the painters tape to the stock Apply the painters tape to the stock

  3. Apply the painter’s tape to the spoil board Apply the painter's tape to the spoil board

  4. Apply the glue liberally Apply the glue liberally

  5. Hold the taped surfaces together Hold the taped surfaces together

A few notes:

  • The stock needs to be flat. If it’s able to rock you won’t have a reliable connection. Figure out how to do a facing operation first.
  • Make sure you have enough surface area to hold your work. Most of the force should be lateral so try pushing the stock once the glue has set and make sure there’s no movement.
  • The glue sets up almost immediately. You won’t have much time to adjust the piece so make sure you check the alignment before you set the stock in place.
  • Removal can be tricky. If you’ve done a good job applying the tape and used lots of glue it can be hard to lift your part. A spatula or screw driver under the tape on the spoil board will usually do the trick.

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