I don't know where to start...

[Fluxion]

I have a part I want to machine on my CNC router. I want machine this on my router even though I could mount it on the lathe and be done with it in a matter of minutes. I figure thats the only way I will learn to do anything worthwhile.

I want to machine a 1" wide dough nut shaped depression in a piece of wood. I want the inside radius to be 1" the outside radius 2" and the cross section of the depression would have a 0.625" radius. I know if I had a 1.25" diameter cutter I could just set the machine to cut an arc and be done with it but I want to cut it with a maximum of 0.5" diameter cutter. I have only been using the Mach 3 wizards so I am not all too familiar to G-code programming or using a CAM program but I am trying to learn my TurboCAD/CAM software but it is going slow for me. Is there a simple way to cut this?

[jhowelb]

Draw your project in a CAD program (I use DesignCad) and save it in a dxf file.
Then use a CAM program (I use Sheet Cam) to set depth and offset and then to generate the needed G-code.
At that point we really part ways cause I use Mach (this is, after all, a Mach forum) to run the code.
All the programs I mentioned are modestly priced and are very intuitive.

Good luck

[jhowelb]

I just went back to my copy of Mach 3 to look at the wizards.
The shapes wizard has a function that will guide you thru exactly what you describe.