I have not used either operation yet, I have done other operations, but the need has arisen to use either process. Which do you suggest and why? Which is a more robust way to hold the machined piece?
From contributor Dr
What material and what is the finished use?
What machine specs?
From contributor Bi
I would onion skin. It is no more work to trim the part out. We have a router on the end of the outfeed table. It is part of what is done between sheets.
From contributor Ia
The part being produced is a moulding for the radiused end of a starting step. There will be an outer roundover profiled edge, and a flush inner. I plan to plunge round the outer edge and use a 3/8 cutter to make the inner ,this is the edge that I will either tab or skin.
From contributor Dr
I think I'd onion skin it. Tabs actually take more time to cut.
From contributor De
In most programs you can set the thickness of the tab as well so if that's an option set the tab thickness to the same dimension as you would an onion skin and you will have less finish work to do.
It depends on what you are cutting but for a lot of things I use a raptor nailer to hold down small parts.
From contributor Ke
We have been onion skinning for some time and I am not sure what "tabbing" is. Mind you we will program certain parts (generally small parts) to get an onion skin route leaving 3/32" of material. This would be followed up with a finish route that would route all the way through all parts, those with onion cuts and those without. If tabbing is what it sounds like, it should be additional time spent separating parts.
From contributor La
We use onion skinning. Set your software so that parts of a chosen area are automatically onion skinned. A trim router finishes the job. Tabs take longer because the router has to decelerate and accelerate for each tab. Do some practice runs.
