RhinoCAM Cutting Curved Fret Slots Help

[Cartierusm]

The title is pretty self explanatory I need help on cutting fret slots in RhinoCAM the slots need to be curved to follow the radius of the fingerboard. If anyone wants to know how to do this in MadCAM I can show them how, I learned from Turmite and Joakim the programmer of MadCAM, but I never did purchase it and I went back to RhinoCAM. Anyway, I'm sure it's a simple thing and I though someone here could direct me how to do this. Thanks.

[xlr8tr@mac.c]

It's a long time since I used RhinoCam but don't you use machine along a curve. i.e project the fet slots to the fretboard surface and then machine along each curve to the depth of the slot?

[Cartierusm]

I believe that's what you do in MadCam. In rhino there's curve machinging and machine between 2 curves but I can't get that to work.

[mc-motorsports]

Did you draw the frets with a radius? If so just use the engraving opp, or draw the profile of the slot and "sweep 1 curve".... But you'll probably just find it's easier to program using the engraving opps.

[Cartierusm]

Ok, so that kind of worked. Now 2 questions, how do I get it to plunge into the material instead of approaching. I don't want it to come in from the side, I'm cutting with binding in place. Next question how do you slow down the animation when doing a simulation, it goes too fast for me to see what it's doing? Thanks, at least I'm on track.

[mc-motorsports]

On the Entry/Exit tab of the engraving opps,
Set the "approach motion" "vertical distance" to something like .250"

Under Engage Motion set "length" to 0 and "angle" to 0

This will set the tool to come in .250" above your starting point and plunge straight down, so where ever your curve starts, the tool plunges straight down and retracts straight up where it ends.

As far as simulation, I don't think there is much you can do. But goto the "stock" tab on the CAM window and click the little endmill and piece of paper all the way at the top right. Then you will see "set simulation preferences". Set the speed to minimum and the accuracy to fine.

The other thing is make sure you are displaying the tool paths, so when you click on one of your opps, it show red line, blue lines, ect. The red lines are rapids, the blue lines are feeds.

Let me know if that helps,
MC

[Cartierusm]

mc, thanks for the help, that worked. I appreciate it. I don't understand why the tool is going to different frets instead of in order. When I look at the curves under geomerty on the setup tab of rhino I can see they are not in order but I can't drag them around to change it? any suggestions?

[mc-motorsports]

I know exactly what your talking about. I've done very complicated engraving opps and selected the regions in the order that I wanted them engraved, but the tool jumps back and forth, which wastes time.
NORMALLY, the program will generate a tool path based on the order you selected the curves. BUT, on engraving opps, it's just kinda random and I haven't found an easy fix for it. The one thing you can do is select one curve for your "region", set the engraving opp, then select the next curve you want to cut, then give it it's own opp. Hope I didn't confuse you, and yea, your going to end up with 12 opps, or how ever many frets are on a guitar.
Let me know if I confused you, good luck!
MC

[Cartierusm]

No, I totally understand, it looks as though it goes by the order of the curves in the list in the RhinoCAM window under Setup. It lets you click on it and type a new name for each curve but when you click away or hit enter it changes back to the original name. Oh well. I thought the same thing you did and do each fret in turn a huge PITA but I'll see how it goes. I'm going to do a test cut today and write back.

[mc-motorsports]

Sounds good, let us know how it goes.

What version of Rhino are you using? And have you checked thier website for updates? That helps sometimes.

MC

[Cartierusm]

That seems to have worked, thanks. It's cutting right now and it's going good.