Can somebody help me with the attached program? I’m trying to do a violin carve on a guitar body.
Carbide Create Pro without a depth map is only capable of two-dimensional cuts. Right? You can see that I have made several tool paths incrementally cutting deeper as it goes. However, when the program I have built is done there are still many ridges that have to be sanded down. Which only takes 20-30 minutes… but, I have a CNC machine that I know is capable of more. I am just not able to figure it out… yet…
Keep in mind that the program shows a #202 but I am using a 1/2” ball mill and not the ¼” #202 that’s built into Carbide Create. So, the ridges are not as bad as you see in the simulation.
Can somebody better than me teach me? Or offer some suggestions? Other than adding more and more tool paths between the lines that I already have?
I have a Shapoko 4 pro xxl
w/ a Carbide VFD Spindle.
I’ve definitely done this as well. so basically you need to look at smoothness off the machine as a function of stepover. You’re rough average it looks like you’re effectively doing a 1/4" stepover with a 1/2" bit.
This is a 50% stepover, for a smooth finish you want to be below 10%, ideally closer to 5 if you can afford the time.
If you are able to sand it out in 20min it might be hard to compete with that timing however you should end up with a more consistent product. I’m not exactly sure how you determined your current “layers” but you may be able to up your resolution and cut the model perimeters into thinner layers. without using proper 3D toolpaths or even a depth map I think this is how you will need to proceed.
I added a few extra but the bulk of them are from the drawing and represent a 1mm drop in height. Its essentially a topographical map that I have slightly manipulated and created tool paths for. I suppose I can just add 2 more lines in between what I have now to improve my stepover.
