I want to make an American flag and rather than cut the stars with a V bit I’d like to use an end mill. However, I’d like the points of the stars to be nice and crisp. My thoughts are to make an initial inside left cut using a 1/16 end mill and finishing what remains inside with a 1/4 end mill. However, when I run a simulation there are some small pieces that don’t get cut out that should be. That means making a third run at it to eliminate them. Considering there are 52 stars I am beginning to wonder if I am better of cut cutting all the stars with just the 1/16 bit. I have attached a file of just one star in the event someone want to play with it. Does anyone have a suggestion that would save time?
What you describe is similar to “rest machining” where successive toolpaths using different tool diameters are used. It’s typically done the other way around though: first a roughing toolpath with a large (e.g. 1/4") tool, and then a follow-up toolpath with a smaller (e.g. 1/8" tool), and possibly a third one (e.g. 1/16" tool) if it comes to that. Unfortunately, CC does not support rest machining at this time, so the next best thing is to manually create multiple toolpath that “overlap” each other, but it is hard indeed to make sure no material is left in between the cuts.
If you really, really want to do it the way you describe, you could:
create an inside 1/8" offset, and do a pocket toolpath with the 1/16" endmill in between the original star and the inner offset shape, like so:
in carbide create you can sort of emulate rest machining.
as long as each next bit is at least half the diameter of the previous, all you do is an inside contour and it’ll all work out
Thanks for your input. I have made many flags using a V cut bit. I just want to try another way of making the stars. Comparatively speaking the 1/16 bit gives the sharpest point out of all the other options when you exclude the V bit.
