Cool MDF Panels

[mhasting2004]

Just found this thread... geez the zone is great for inspiration! Better not let the better half see this!
Couple thoughts...

Why not just cut the panels out of foam and then Fiberglass and vacuum bag it?
Advantages over MDF as I see it:
Light
Faster cutting and no MDF dust... lots of static "snow" however
Stiff (because of pattern)
Easy to form foam around columns etc prior to glassing
Impervious to water

Or if you have deeper pockets get one of these:
Hard Coat Spray Equipment for Spray Coating Foam | FROGSkin

and plastic coat it.

Cheers

Mark

[EBC]

I've got tons of them. And everything has it's price.
Even then, if you got ArtCAM you should just do it.
There's no reason to think you can't. Not trying to
sound like an A-hole, and I'd sell you anything you
want, but whats the point of owning ArtCAM if
your not going to learn to use it?

agree...

[zool]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm1Dfbr4YgI&feature=channel"]YouTube - Breakfast Woodworks CNC machines Hauer Ceiling piece, quartered white oak.[/nomedia]

[EBC]

nice panel and machine!

[dovetailgroup]

We're doing a job at work that uses these MDF wall panels. Interlam - Sculpted Wall Panels

@ $10 Sq. Ft., I thought I'd see how tuff it would be to make them myself. Here's a small sample. G-code created with AutoCAD and the macro I wrote.

Hi Gerry-

I wonder if you would be interested in running one or two of those wave panels for me? I am located in West Chester PA...please email me at..

jscholl@dovetailgroupllc.com

Thanks,
Jon Scholl

[alanstclair]

I've got tons of them. And everything has it's price.
Even then, if you got ArtCAM you should just do it.
There's no reason to think you can't. Not trying to
sound like an A-hole, and I'd sell you anything you
want, but whats the point of owning ArtCAM if
your not going to learn to use it?

Wonderful stuff, Todd.
I understand the principle here:
draw a series of connecting elipses, trim them and group as vectors, then use a v groover tool path. The cutter sould go deeper as the vector gets wider?

Your images here (page two of the thread, the white 20' panels) look wonderfully uniform, as opposed to the more random 'sand dune' look..which cutter did you use for this pattern? bullnose or v groove?

Many thanks,

Alan

[todd71]

I used to use 1.0 ball mill and "3d toolpath" for that pattern. Since then, I've bought a used CNC tool grinder ANCA - Products, and a lot of support equipment, so I can manufacture my tooling in house. Could never find tooling wanted or needed to speed things up. Took 3.5hrs to cut with off the shelf tooling. Takes a little under 1.25hr with my tooling . Plus the hand finish is "considerably" less as well.
There's a million ways to do it. Which ones the fastest is going determine your profitability. And I'm in it to make money. So, why mess around trying make someone else's tools do what I want to do. Definitely had to step outside my "comfort zone" and invest a ton of money to accomplish everything I've done. But its all worked out alright, so far. Good luck.

[alanstclair]

I used to use 1.0 ball mill and "3d toolpath" for that pattern. Since then, I've bought a used CNC tool grinder ANCA - Products, and a lot of support equipment, so I can manufacture my tooling in house. Could never find tooling wanted or needed to speed things up. Took 3.5hrs to cut with off the shelf tooling. Takes a little under 1.25hr with my tooling . Plus the hand finish is "considerably" less as well.
There's a million ways to do it. Which ones the fastest is going determine your profitability. And I'm in it to make money. So, why mess around trying make someone else's tools do what I want to do. Definitely had to step outside my "comfort zone" and invest a ton of money to accomplish everything I've done. But its all worked out alright, so far. Good luck.

Thanks for the quick response, todd.

I will try your first method tomorrow with a ballnose to see if I am getting your kind of results.
A 3d toolpath may take a bit of explaining!
I assume that instead of a V groove path following width vectors in X and Y, a 3d path will also follow a vector in Z?

Any simple examples of the principles would be most welcome.
I am based in Southern Portugal and there is no one providing this service down here, so it would be good to be able to offer a cost effective alternative to Interlam etc.

I have a dozen or so designs,(drawn in Auto cad and imported into Art cam Pro 2008), but implementing them successfully is a new discipline to me, so these forums are a god send to avoid too much wasted workshop time. (Although it is great fun experimenting)


Cheers!

Alan

[jharvey407]

This is a great thread. An interior designer just approached me about creating these exact type of panels so I have been doing my research. It's nice to see others working on the same type of project.

[moris nazmy]

dear sirs
have a nice day
i want to buy G code for mdf panle
any one can help

[hansbob]

anybody has a wave panel dxf or dwg available to share?would highly apreciate

[jh2rc97]

http://paulrowntree.weebly.com/standingwave.html

[FiredUpSam]

Sorry for the 11 year thread revival!!

I'm new to CNC, done basic cut outs of shapes / bevels using Alphacam, but now deciding to do something more complex. I'd love to do some of the patterns on this thread using MDF, I have created a DXF in Illustrator, and opened it into Alphacam. My question is to get the smooth wave shape, is a variable Z axis used on the cut line? or is some sort of pocketing or polyline used?

Many thanks for any help

[ger21]

Read posts #11 and 13