Before allowing an endmill to touch wood, we will run a test on rigid foam board for any new design. Why? For a number of reasons:
To make sure our depth’s of cut and positioning of cavities are accurate.
To ensure alignment of through holes when we flip and cut/rout the workpiece.
To see if any precision adjustments are needed prior to moving to the wood workpiece.
To ensure what we envisioned as a design matches not only the 3D simulation, but also matches our expectations in the real world.
The nice thing about rigid foam board is that it is inexpensive (a standard 4’ x 8’ sheet will give you multiple test blanks), and is easy on the cutting tool. And this can save both time and money.
Cheers!
Nigel \m/