I don’t seem to be able to independently set control Depth of Cut vs Depth per Pass while using an Engraving toolpath (if you change one CC automatically changes the other to match). What am I doing wrong?
I need the Depth of Cut to be 0.6" and the Depth per Pass to be 0.125" (and I would like to Cut Both ways).
My CNC engraving has all been with a drag bit so I may not be the definitive source here. But for drag engraving, and I suspect for engraving in general, it is a one pass operation.
What are you trying to do that you consider engraving at a depth over a half inch? It seems you should rather be using a contour cut.
The engraving toolpath is intended for just that, engraving, it is not envisioned for removing thicknesses of material — for that consider a pocket or a Facing operation:
added in v8:
Hi Will, Oh I forgot to mention that the vector that I’m trying to cut is an “open” Vector … so I don’t think either pocket or facing will work. The root of my problem is I have some long curved slots that I would like to cut Depth of Cut = 0.6 and Depth per Pass = 0.125. I was using a Contour (but it will only cut one way) … and I’m looking for a way to eliminate all the air time.
Duplicate the geometry with reversed begin/end and assign alternating toolpaths?
Really, cutting a slot that deep is a bad idea from a tooling engagement idea — re-work the geometry so that it describes the region which you wish to cut and cut that as a pocket using a suitable tool?
If you follow Will’s advice, good as usual, and cut a pocket with a bit of less width than the slot but more than half width, the operation will go both ways.
Hi Will, duplicating geometry and alternating toolpaths would work, but certainly not ideal (or easy). And I believe it would pause at each end, and maybe pop up and down (not sure).
I wish we had a toolpath that allowed for continuous cutting Both Ways to take advantage of the tool that I’m using … If the Contour toolpath allowed cutting Both Ways that would make this super easy.
As far as the deep slot issue goes … here are my thoughts:
I don’t believe there is any difference between cutting deep slots (open vectors) and cutting deep contour cutouts (closed contours), to me these are the same tooling engagement. So why not allow slots (open vectors) to be cut Both Ways?
And Yes, you need a great tool … So, I’m using the IDC woodcraft BADGER roughing end mill that has NO problems removing the material with a Depth per Pass = 0.125 (no rubbing, no screeching, producing great chips).
I’m really glad I noticed this, locking Depth per Pass == Cut Depth is dangerous. I would have broken my bit for sure if I tried to run this toolpath.
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