Help with milling path

[triallyr]

Hi all,

FYI, its been a while since I used my software and my V25 is awaiting transfer to another computer so I'm limited to my V23 (not that it would matter because I'm out of practice). I am trying to draw what looks like a candy cane in order for me to slot this path. Originally, I only needed a line drawing as I was slotting full width (.108") at a depth of .55". As the slot was not clean enough doing it in one pass, I'm now going to run a .100" em and climb mill the entire slot.
My question is, how do I widen my line to create a slot I can then climb mill around or is there some kind of offset that will allow me to run on one side of the line and then back on the other to get my width while climb cutting?

Any help is much appreciated!

Steven

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[The Engine Guy]

Steven

You can use the "Offset" function under the "Other" tab, I don`t know what size you want but attached here is a .DXF file for you as an example.

Follow the steps in the images below, may help you to get it done.

First move your single line drawing up by 0.054 as image below

Next use the "Offset" facility to make a copy of your shape using the "Left side of chain" option as images below, hold the "Shift" key down and left click on the Left end of the line and set your offset to your 0.1080 to get that width of slot.

When you have the offset line you can round off the ends using the "Arcs > Fillet" option to put an arc at each end of radius 0.054" and then all you need to do is use a "Profile" cut to make your slot with your 0.1" cutter so it runs all the way round

Toolpath image


Hope that is of some small assistance for you

Regards
Rob

[triallyr]

Thank you so much for taking the time, you made my day!!! That helped a bunch and now I have 42 candy canes drawn out on 8"x10" stock If you don't mind helping me a bit further, I can't seem to get the CAM to change the start point. The program wants to start the first candy cane at the long end of it and then it starts the next one in the middle where it leaves a witness mark on the side of the slot. I need the machine to start each candy cane at the tail end if possible (I tried to attach a pic but it won't let me).

Thank you again for helping me!

Steven

[triallyr]

Pic

[The Engine Guy]

Hi steven

OK, hope this helps a little for you, seems to work OK here for me and here is what I have done. I made some copies of my Candy Cane for a simple test.

See the images below, all I have done is go to the "Machine Sequence" tab and set the "Start Point" at the top left, (you can choose where you want to start for your job, this worked for me) then I set it to "Closest" and then set the direction to "Zig Zag", next I clicked "OK".

Next I went to "Geometry" right clicked, selected "Re/Select", then I just "Block Selected" (Left click and dragged a box around all the Canes) all the geometry so they all highlighted and did a right click and selected "OK".
Then back to the "Profile" right click and select "Compute Toolpath" and that was it done. (Don`t think I missed any steps out)

Give it a try and see how you go

Regards
Rob

[triallyr]

This is what happened


Maybe it has something to do with the way I created the candy canes? It took me a while to flip them around and such so maybe the program sees them differently?

[triallyr]

Yep, it was the way I drew them in bits and pieces. When I started with the single candy cane and did a clean translation it followed the pattern you show.
Thanks again for all of your help!

Steven

[The Engine Guy]

Can you upload your BobCAD program and if I can open it I will have a look at your settings, locate the file on your hard drive right click on it and select "Send to > select > Compressed (Zipped) Folder" and then attach it to your reply, you have to be in "Advanced" posting mode. Can you also do a .dxf file and upload that as well using a Zip file again.

I have tried various different setups under the "Machine Sequence" tab but I am not able to replicate your issue.

As for creating the Candy Canes I just create a single cane, then use the translate tool to make a copy and move it to the position required. After that is is a matter of selecting both canes and making copies using translate to create the number of copies required in the X and Y directions.

Regards
Rob

[The Engine Guy]

OK, glad to hear you are sorted

Regards
Rob

[triallyr]

I guess I spoke too soon I think the attachment is the file, hoping you can help.

[The Engine Guy]

Hmmm, I wasn`t able to open your file, it is done in a later version of V23, however I was able to extract your geometry using V28 and paste it into a new V23 file and I got the same results as you, didn`t work correctly in any configuration I tried so it must be something to do with the way you created your original geometry as I noticed that you didn`t draw the original 3 canes in the X/Y plane and then had to move/rotate them into position, whether that is the issue I honestly don`t know

I do have a solution but it isn`t an easy one, what I ended up doing was when selecting your geometry I had to hold down the "Shift" key and then manually click the outside line of each individual cane near the tail end and then used the "X-Ordinate" option and it then generated the correct toolpath, bit of a pain but it does work OK

See images below, sorry but that`s all I have for now
Regards
Rob

[jrmach]

at least with V28 I can select a start point for each individual cane.Actually,only need to do every other one as every other one is good,,,,,but that is not either here nor there

[The Engine Guy]

at least with V28 I can select a start point for each individual cane.Actually,only need to do every other one as every other one is good,,,,,but that is not either here nor there

C`mon James, get that V23 Dongle dusted off and get cracking, I know you have one

Regards
Rob