Need help with programming a hole

[Hack]

I am routing some holes into 3/4" White Melamine. Hole diameter ranges from 5/16" diameter to 1 1/8" diameter. Using 1/4" 2 flute carbide straight Bit with .11" depth of cut .77" total depth (completely bore through the material)

I am using TurboCad 8.0 Standard and ACE and TurboCnc.

Currently the router is routing a circle at .11" depth then plunging down .11" more routing, plunging, routing, etc.

What I want to be able to do is to make the machine spiral into the cut not plunge. Kind of gradualy increase depth. How do I do this? My guess is that I probably need to upgrade cam software? Suggestions?

Actually, come to think of it, this would be nice for straight cuts to.

Thanks

Hack

[ger21]

You just need to remove the G1 line doing the plunge, and Add the Z depth to the G2 or G3 line. Here's the code for 2 1" holes:

The first hole is something like you're doing now.
G0 Z0.1250
G0 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z0.1250
G1 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.1100 F50
G2 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.1100 I0.0000 J-0.3750 F100
G1 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.2200 F50
G2 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.2200 I0.0000 J-0.3750 F100
G1 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.3300 F50
G2 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.3300 I0.0000 J-0.3750 F100
G1 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.4400 F50
G2 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.4400 I0.0000 J-0.3750 F100
G1 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.5500 F50
G2 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.5500 I0.0000 J-0.3750 F100
G1 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.6600 F50
G2 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.6600 I0.0000 J-0.3750 F100
G1 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.7700 F50
G2 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.7700 I0.0000 J-0.3750 F100
G0 X2.0000 Y2.3750 Z0.1250

The second one is cutting with a helical motion.

G0 X4.0000 Y2.3750 Z0.1250
G1 X4.0000 Y2.3750 Z0.0000 F50
G2 X4.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.1100 I0.0000 J-0.3750 F100
G2 X4.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.2200 I0.0000 J-0.3750
G2 X4.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.3300 I0.0000 J-0.3750
G2 X4.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.4400 I0.0000 J-0.3750
G2 X4.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.5500 I0.0000 J-0.3750
G2 X4.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.6600 I0.0000 J-0.3750
G2 X4.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.7700 I0.0000 J-0.3750
G2 X4.0000 Y2.3750 Z-0.7700 I0.0000 J-0.3750
G0 X4.0000 Y2.3750 Z0.1250

Here's a pic of the two circles in Mach3

[ger21]

You can't do this with ACE. You might want to look into SheetCAM.

[timlkallam]

Here is a circle program from kentechnici ts free
http://www.kentechinc.com/tip7.html