I’m used to making 1 at a time but I want to make a few little parts on the nomad at once and can’t wrap my head around the best way to do it… 6x6 piece of wood that is 1/2". Most of the parts are .300 thick. Would you face .200 ish off the top and just hand sand the onion skin or leave .200 on the bottom of the part. Thinking this way but then I’d have to cut them on the bandsaw and make a jig to do op2.
Edit: Also got some round 3/4" or 1" parts that I’ll likely cut out of a rod. Whats the best way to set the wcs at dead center? I tried doing a manual touch off on x,y but it wasn’t right. What I did was put a piece of scrap wood make a 3/4" hole and press it into place then run the op2, but I’m sure there is a better way.
If I had to use a lot of rod stock, I’d make a fixture to hold it vertically at the front of the machine, make an insert which would allow probing to the center of the fixture, clamp it there, then cut, then use a second fixture to secure the rod and cut the part free.
If you want to make multiple items that are identical then draw up the first one and make your tool paths. Then just select all or group and copy and paste. When there are existing toolpaths and you copy then the tool path is duplicated.
If there are multiple tools then draw up the object and make no tool path. Then copy and paste the objects and arrange them. Then select all the parts that have the same tool with selection and hold down shift to select the additional objects. Then make a tool path. Then repeat for the rest of the tool paths.
If you make a single object with multiple tools and then copy them then each part will machine one tool path and ask for a tool change. Then it moves to the second object and does the same thing over and over making for a lot of tool changes. If the objects use only one tool then the copy and paste with tool paths made are the way to go.
Edit: I saw an question from @robgrz about making a new feature for single tool jobs that you can check a box to skip all the tool measurements.
If there is no op 2 on the bottom side of the stock I guess step one (If I had to make many) I would take would be to see if I could remove the 0.2” (or not quite 0.2”) off the top faster by using a planer or similar as facing would take some time given Nomad and depending on wood type.
If you need to do op2 on the bottom side I would would leave the 0.2” on the bottom side and make the op2 toolpath contour out the part(s), leaving some tabs to keep the part in place.
Re: Rod stock
I have had some success on accurately finding the centre of round parts by using an edge finder (again a Nomad only option) by finding edges on either side of the round and then dividing in half. Do for X and Y axis.