Need Help!- To 4 Axis engrave on round items?

[Mickydk]

I totally beginner.
I started with and build a 4 axis cnc machine.

And would like to engrave on round items, vases, bowls and write the name of a pen, like this one.

What software can I use it? VCarvePro, Enorute, AtrCam or SolidWorks
And what do you do when the topic is oval? So several different targets.

I'll just say that I'm doing pen, bowls and vases on my wood lathe.

[awerby]

It's a mid-priced program that can do 4th axis engraving like that (if you get the optional 4th-axis module). Of course, it can do a lot of other things as well. Odd-shaped stock isn't a problem; it can project the engraving data to any shape the tool can reach. If you need a CAD program as well, it comes as a plug-in to Rhinoceros (RhinoCAM), which is a very popular NURBS (spline) based 3d modeling program.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

[dertsap]

http://www.cncwrapper.com/

this will take straight gcode programs and wrap it around a round object

[Mickydk]

I will try to look at the programs in talking about. But I can not quite understand how I transferred the dimensions of a candlestick which I turned on my lathe to the programs. so the machine knows where it will engrave.

[dertsap]

you won't be able to transfer code from cnc wrapper to something as complicated , your pretty much looking at expensive 4 axis software , or you can do it with http://www.cnc-toolkit.com/ , its free but has a tough learning curve , you'll have to to draw out your part , draw out your engraving then post code

[CNCRim]

Mickydk,

Your part is complicate, you need good CAD/CAM.

[HuFlungDung]

Check this software:

http://www.hugequestions.com/MillWrite/M1.htm

It can do automatic wrapping and projection of text to some common shapes (but with obvious limitations). I don't know what the current price is, it wasn't bad when I used a prior version some 15 years ago

The nice thing about its wizards are that you can do a lot of things to reshape the text to fit a given area without the headache of remodeling a 3d model. In most instances that I've run into, actual modeled fonts are useless when cut into a 3d CAD model because the modeller doesn't put all the fillets and stuff in the letters, so what gets cut often bears little resemblance to what it looked like on the screen.

[Mickydk]

Originally Posted by CNCRim Mickydk, Your part is complicate, you need good CAD/CAM.

Okay. What if it is a completely circular topic like this?

What software will you think I can use?


HuFlungDung. I look at MillWrite and see if this is something

It is something here I want to do, But just in wood

YouTube- CNC 4th Axis Engraving

YouTube- CNC 4th Axis Engraving

[Pandinus]

For a cylinder like that you can simply set up your rotational units for linear equivalent... circumference = PI x Diameter and substitute X (or Y) with A in the g code (or substitute the ports and pins - or use the X (or Y) driver for your A motor...

For example if your on a 1 inch cylinder and your A motor is 200 steps per rev. 10 x microstepping and 10 x gear reduction.

(200 steps x 10 x 10) / (1 inch x 3.14159) = 6366.19772 steps per inch on the surface

a half inch cylinder would then be 12732.3954474 steps per inch...

Mount and cut your cylinder to size then Zero out on the surface (assuming the G-Code was generated to cut with the surface of your material at Zero)... and just treat it as a flat surface "wrapped around your axis"

[Pandinus]

Additional note... Mach3 has, in General config, options to treat the A B & C axis as linear...

AXIS IS ROTATIONAL .. (unchecked for linear)
I think they are checked by default...

What this does is if you are doing a cut with rotational commands in Degrees say, and your machine is set up in inches, but the GCode was generated in MM (G21) then it does NOT convert for example

G1 X1 A360 (rotate A 360 degrees) ....... to ... G1 X25.4 A9144 ... But to... G1 X25.4 A360

but if Unchecked (for linear) it DOES convert the metric values...

[Mickydk]

Originally Posted by Pandinus Additional note... Mach3 has, in General config, options to treat the A B & C axis as linear... AXIS IS ROTATIONAL .. (unchecked for linear) I think they are checked by default... What this does is if you are doing a cut with rotational commands in Degrees say, and your machine is set up in inches, but the GCode was generated in MM (G21) then it does NOT convert for example G1 X1 A360 (rotate A 360 degrees) ....... to ... G1 X25.4 A9144 ... But to... G1 X25.4 A360 but if Unchecked (for linear) it DOES convert the metric values...

Thanks for the good explanation.
But what software will be good to use if I must now make a logo on a circular cylinder? VCarvePro, Enorute, AtrCam or SolidWorks
It must surely be a program where I can put an A axis, and so on somehow tell that it is only logo to be milled

[skippy]

What Dertsap, HuFlungDung and Pandinus are saying is that first you would generate your text and toolpaths in the program of your choice (VCarvePro, Enroute, ArtCam, etc.) (VCarvePro is perfect for this and very economical) and then you can (A) put it through one of the programs mentioned above to wrap the text around the cylinder or (B) as Pandinus says, if you are using Mach3 you can get it to turn your rotary axis instead of moving one of the linear axes. (I must admit I had to look up the plural of axis in Wiki)