Help pocketing around fonts

[Ken Stuempge]

Hello

I am trying to create a "raised font" by pocketing around the letters, using BCad V 17. What is giving me trouble is making the letters fit in the space allotted, and still clear out the insides of the letters. I want to create the following raised font:

Red Wing Motor Co

The raised letters must fit in a 0.375 wide by 3.5 long area. When I create the font, and auto pocket it, it does not seem to both fit in the space allowed, as well as clean out well. I tried using letter heights of 0.275 to 0.300, with different font types, but it just does not seem to fit. Actually, I have not actually cut anything yet, just looking at the results and dimensions on the screen.

When I write it out with a felt tip pen, there seems to be plenty of room, so I do not see why I can't get it right. I have a 0.032 cutter programmed, smash text accuracy of 0.001, stock distance 0, and step of 0.001. Line width is 0. The step distance should probably be changed, I'm trying everything. The depth of cut will probably be only .020 or .030 or so.
Any suggestions for a nubie?

Ken

I also posted this on the BobCad users group . . .

[Jim Estes]

Are you saying that you can't get the letters to fit in the space or you can't get the toolpath the create in the space? You say you have not cut anything, but you have drawn it out with a felt tip pen? Were you using your machine with the pen in place of the cutter?

Jim

[Jim Estes]

One technique I have used in the past to get toolpaths to work around font, is to create bold font, then program the cutter size smaller than it actually is. (0.020" instead of 0.032") This will help your toolpaths get into the tight corners better, and you font comes out 0.006"/side skinnier, which is usually fine when you used bold font anyway.

Most of the font that I have programmed around were for engraving in injection molds, (raised letters) and it was ok if the font had tapered sides for draft purposes. So i could actually use a tapered cutter that had a 0.010" tip and tapered 15 degrees. This allowed me to program with 0.010" cutter, but actually the font was cut larger, but when the part was molded, only the bottom of the cut (top of the font) was important.

Jim

[Ken Stuempge]

I have eventually succeeded in creating the correct tool paths, etc (so it appears on the BobCad screen). I practice cut everything on a piece of pink construction foam, to check for tool crashes, etc. The result I have looked great. When I cut it however, BC not only pockets around the font, but then goes on to cut the raised font with the "double line" characteristic to True Type fonts. Makes you dizzy looking at it, and basically mills away the character.

I think it's time to move on

Ken

[Jim Estes]

this is the results you will get if you use the Cut All feature, is that what you are using? If so then you will need to only have the toolpath visible when doing the Cutall.

After you create the toolpath, highlight it and then change the attributes, specifically the layer. Then blank the toolpath. Next, do a "Select all" and then blank everything that is left. Now unblank the toolpath and then create the program. This should prevent the program from including the font.

[Ken Stuempge]

Thanks Jim

I do not want to admit how long I have been trying to do this. I followed your suggestion about hiding the toolpath, and the end result is just what I have been trying to do.

Thanks again

Ken

[Jim Estes]

You are very welcome. My first experience with Bobcad was V17.0. With that version the documentation was basically just an overview. The book that came with V20.0 is much better, however some of the very basic things are not explained in detail. With V17 I could do skin surfaces, but the documentation didn't go into enough detail so that I could do it easily. With V20 a lot more of the rules of the road are explained.

I find that the most often reason for errors in my work is not having things seperated into different layers. I have to really work at keeping things seperated and blanked off the screen, otherwise it is nearly impossible for me to get anything right. Another thing that this is good for is when you have a lot of surfaces and line geometry on the screen (and I mean a whole lot) it takes much longer to redraw, and you start to notice that the automatic backup is taking much longer, it actually became a problem with my latest job. I was constantly having to wait for the automatic backup to finish before proceeding with my work. I had to seperate parts of the job to other drawings so that it wasn't so slow.

Jim