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Introduction
Introduction
A gusset is a flat piece of material—usually made from aluminum, polycarbonate, or steel—used to reinforce and connect two or more structural members at an angle, most commonly in robot frames or mechanisms. In FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition), gussets are essential for building strong, rigid, and modular robot structures. Gussets are typically bolted or riveted to parts like aluminum box tubing, C-channel, or extrusion. Teams use them to join parts at common angles (like 90° or 45°) while maintaining alignment and strength.
In this activity you will use the Shope Sabre CNC router to cut 2 L Gussets.
The following tutorial assumes that you have already powered on the machine. If you have not done that, you can follow along with the startup tutorial found here:
Shop Sabre Operating Procedures
Once the Router is on work through the following steps to route 2 L shaped gussets.
Find a Piece of Scrap 0.090 thick Aluminum sheet
2. Verify the Thickness with a pair of Calipers. It should be 0.090"
3. Use the drill and wood screws to secure the stock to the sacrifice board.
4. Make sure to secure all 4 corners.
5. Ideally, make sure the area you will machine is in the lower left hand corner of the stock.
6. Open the ShopSabre Software
7. Release the E-Stop
8. Click the home button.
9. The machine will finish the homing operation at the near left side of the machine.
10. Check to see if the 5609a 1/8 in upcut bit is in the spindle. If it is not, instal the bit in the spindle.
11. remove the spindle nut and install the 5609a in the bit holder
12. Install the nut with the tool and make sure not to cross thread the spindle.
13. Click Tool HT (tool height) to set the offset for the tool. (For some reason you usually have to click it twice.
The video shows how the machine moves and sets the length of the tool.
VID20250715071651.mp4
14. Use the arrow keys and page up and down to move the spindle to the origin of the parts.
Set the Machine Speed to fast. Make sure the Z axis is well above the table. then move the spindle using the arrow keys to where you want to set the XY Origin.
15. The spindle should be a little above the part
Then drive the spindle to the origin of the part you want to cut. This is usually located to the right (+X) and back (+Y) front the corner or a screw hold down point.
Now click XY Zero to set the XY of the G54 Workpiece origin.
Set the speed to slow when lowering the spindle.
15. The spindle should be a little above the part. (NOT ABOVE THE SCREW.)
Tap Page Down until the bit just pinches the paper against the aluminum.
Now Click Z Zero
Now use Page Up to lift up the z axis
Raise it up until it is well clear of the stock.
Verify the Spindle Drive is set to 1600. It it is not, use the dial to change the number and then press SET.
Select Open in the toolbar of the shopsabre software
On the Desktop, Find the Master Grid Files folder
Open the Folder "L Gusset Qty 2 Master Grid Files
Check The Contour
Check The Contour
This video shows how to drive the spindle around the contour to make sure that the path will not hit any screws and will stay on the stock the whole time.
This is very important to check to ensure that you do not crash the machine.
Check Contour.mp4Select Open in the toolbar of the shopsabre software
Select the file "1 5609 L Gusset Qty 2 Master Grid Drill and Bore"
The path should look like this.
Click the Green Run Button. Watch the spindle with your hand ready on the E-Stop. Hit the E-Stop if something goes wrong.
Program: 1 5609 L Gusset Qty 2 Master Grid Bore
Program: 1 5609 L Gusset Qty 2 Master Grid Bore
1 5609 L Gusset Qty 2 Master Grid Bore.mp4
When the program finishes Drive the gantry to the back of the machine +Y.
Drill 3 screws into the "L" for each gusset and 2 screws in the middle.
Screw in the 8 screws.
Verify they are all as flat as possible.
Select Open in the toolbar of the shopsabre software
Select the second program "2 5609 L Gusset Qty 2 Master Grid Contour"
The path should look like this.
Click the Green Run Button. Watch the spindle with your hand ready on the E-Stop. Hit the E-Stop if something goes wrong.
Program: 2 5609 L Gusset Qty 2 Master Grid Contour
Program: 2 5609 L Gusset Qty 2 Master Grid Contour
2 5609 L Gusset Qty 2 Master Grid Contour.mp4
Once the program finishes Drive the Y Axis backwards
Vacuum the table.
Use the drill to remove the screws. Make sure you don't strip the screws.
Once all 8 screws have been removed, the two gussets should look like this.
Remove the gussets from the table leaving just the stock.
Remove the stock by unscrewing the screws that were holding the piece of metal to the sacrifice board.
Remove the stock.
Vacuum one last time.
Gussets Complete
Gussets Complete
Take these gussets and place them in the gusset bin.
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