cutting arcs

[Claude Boudreau]

I sometimes cut arcs in hardwood to make cabinets valence, I usually use the profile with multiple passes.

Is there a way to make your tool cut constantly back and forth ,without having to do a rapid back at the start on every pass?

P.S. this is not a close loop, as I receive the board cut to size and just cut the bottom part .

[The Engine Guy]

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If you have HSP it can often be better to use that than a profile cut.

Without seeing a shape difficult to say really.

Regards
Rob

[Claude Boudreau]

can you cut a straight line in multiple pass back and forth without a rapid plane back at the beginning. I dont have HSP.

[moldmker]

can you cut a straight line in multiple pass back and forth ...

No.

But you can make 2 contours, one in the forward direction and one in the reverse direction.

Then have a Profile feature for each pass, selecting the appropriate contour.
Lot's of extra programming...but time saved at the machine.

[The Engine Guy]

can you cut a straight line in multiple pass back and forth without a rapid plane back at the beginning. I dont have HSP.

Claude

If it`s just a straight line then have a look at the attached file, I just use the "Face" Feature, seems to work OK, backplotted fine anyway

You`ll need to play with the numbers to suit your tooling etc but it might just do what you need.



Regards
Rob

[ind_dsnr]

One technique that I use for cutting off the edge of the board is to draw a closed shape that extends beyond the boundaries of the piece being cut. Then I use a profile cut. It's 6 in one hand, 1/2 dozen in the other because you're essentially doubling the length of the cut as it follows the profile over the area not being cut. My 2 cents.

[Claude Boudreau]

Claude

If it`s just a straight line then have a look at the attached file, I just use the "Face" Feature, seems to work OK, backplotted fine anyway

You`ll need to play with the numbers to suit your tooling etc but it might just do what you need.



Regards
Rob

Sorry Rob , the XY coordinate need to be the same on every pass

[Claude Boudreau]

One technique that I use for cutting off the edge of the board is to draw a closed shape that extends beyond the boundaries of the piece being cut. Then I use a profile cut. It's 6 in one hand, 1/2 dozen in the other because you're essentially doubling the length of the cut as it follows the profile over the area not being cut. My 2 cents.

sorry ind_dsnr, nothing gain there , as I am trying to eliminate the non cutting time spend on the rapid move...
P.S. I am cutting at full speed so I would then cut my milling time by half...

[Claude Boudreau]

No.

But you can make 2 contours, one in the forward direction and one in the reverse direction.

Then have a Profile feature for each pass, selecting the appropriate contour.
Lot's of extra programming...but time saved at the machine.

Yes this might work, but you would need a profile feature for each contour and for each Z level .Your tool cant be home between features obviously. thanks , was hoping I miss something simpler.

[The Engine Guy]

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Hi Claude

You could set the profile with no offset and then set it to do the total depth using multiple steps and then just edit out the rapid returns at each end from the code, the tool would then plunge to the first depth and run to the end of the cut where it would plunge again and return to the beginning again and so on for each depth.

Not ideal but until BobCAD include the option of "bi-direction" cutting then I`m afraid it`s going to be one or other of the "workarounds" already mentioned (Or any new ones that appear !!!)

Regards
Rob

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[moldmker]

Could also do it this way

Need to draw the whole path with Z connectors and pre-compensate for tool dia.

[Claude Boudreau]

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Hi Claude

You could set the profile with no offset and then set it to do the total depth using multiple steps and then just edit out the rapid returns at each end from the code, the tool would then plunge to the first depth and run to the end of the cut where it would plunge again and return to the beginning again and so on for each depth.

Not ideal but until BobCAD include the option of "bi-direction" cutting then I`m afraid it`s going to be one or other of the "workarounds" already mentioned (Or any new ones that appear !!!)

Regards
Rob

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Hi Rob,
This is the best solution yet, thanks , easier that than what I was pondering, to do a parallel line .001 away or the smallest movement allowed by my tolerance, then joining them and using profile as usual on that closed loop. The rotation could be change to make the last cut at the right line...