Help needed with Carbide Create please

[pierre (Peter Hamilton Smith)]

I am making 42mm cubes. They are cut off 42mm stock and cut to 47mm length to allow for squaring of the ends.
The blocks are clamped together in 4’s against a right angled aluminium guide which is screwed to the spoil board. I measure the tallest block, deduct that from the required finished length and halve that number. Then I trim this off the top by manual jogging. (The ends end up square enough for my purpose)
After turning over I keep trimming until the finished length is reached.
Please tell me the correct way to set this up in CC so I dont have to fiddle with measurements so much.
Thank you in advance. Peter

[WillAdams (William Adams (Carbide 3D))]

This is a pretty standard flip-job — you don’t have to do the first measurement — just set the initial cut up for a bit more than the longest dimension you are likely to see (assuming you’re willing to trade some time potentially air cutting) — when you run it, the stock will be set to a known dimension and you can run the second file as expected.

[pierre (Peter Hamilton Smith)]

I dont know how to set this up in Carbide Create. Sorry but I am still a newby.

[WillAdams (William Adams (Carbide 3D))]

Set up two files which are the same XY dimensions — make one have the Z-axis set at the highest dimension, the other at the dialed in one.

[Tod1d (Tod (with 1 'd'))]

Here’s an example of one way to do it in CC

I started with a work area of 100 x 100. Thickness 47mm, Zero: bottom

Make a rectangle that is 90 x 90. your stock (84mm) + the diameter of your cutter (6.35mm). I rounded down to an even 90 so the tool overhangs the material.

Create a pocket toolpath with depths set to 0 & 3mm. I used the 1/4" tool

Create a 2nd pocket path with depths of 3mm & 5mm. Same tool.

Simulation shows 5 1mm deep passes

Save G-Code

Edit the G-Code file, and right above the comment (Pocket.Toolpath.2.-.Pocket), insert a line:
M01 (Flip Parts)

G0Z44.250
Z53.350
M01 (Flip Parts)
(Pocket.Toolpath.2.-.Pocket)
M03S18000
X44.174Y44.174

This will make 3 1mm deep passes, pause at the M01 & prompt you to flip the parts, then make 2 more 1mm passes to cut to the finished depth.

42mm_cube.c2d (8.1 KB)
47_mm_cube_1.nc (2.1 KB)

[pierre (Peter Hamilton Smith)]

Thanks Tod. I needed your input to understand the process. A picture is worth a thousand words. Is there a way to set this up where I input the required finished length and the machine cuts down to it? Peter

[mhotchin (Michael Hotchin)]

If you keep using these same pockets, the final depth will be 5 less than the starting stock thickness. So, you could just adjust the Stock Thickness to be (what you want +5), then resave the GCode.

You would still need to add the hand edits though. BRB, new feature request!

[mhotchin (Michael Hotchin)]

CC - Allow M0/M1 message "toolpaths"

I’d like the ability to create toolpaths that consist of M0 or M1 plus a message. So, no object needs be selected, but the M command would be written out to the Gcode based on the order of the toolpaths being written.

[neilferreri (Neil Ferreri Ω)]

@pierre

Is there a way to set this up where I input the required finished length and the machine cuts down to it?

Set your Z-zero reference at the wasteboard.