I have done some simple test cuts, all is seemingly perfect. I am ready to start making “complicated” test cuts, so I can then understand what’s what and go from there.
All I want to test right now is a sample idea I have for a box top “lid”, it’s 400x200mm.
I have an advanced vcarve path set up to cut out a pocket (300x150) and it slopes up and out. Looks how I want it to look, that’s done. Next is text on the top of the new pocket, easy enough, looks great. Next path is the contour of the outside (with tabs to hold it in) I could stop right there and have a nice lid, but I want chamfered outside edges on this lid.
The chamfered edges is giving me fits.
I have tried everything, using the same inner path, moving slightly outward, deeper depth, shallower, everything I can think of and the preview comes out either without the chamfered edges or with straight cut edges, no matter what I do. I have tried a VCarve (obvious fail) and a contour with a VBit set.
It seems to me that if I run it, I might well get the results I am looking for but want to be sure I am not missing something obvious and maybe it’s just the limitations of the software not recognizing the Vbit in use on the inside contour path?
carbide create will not simulate a V bit as a V bit when doing a contour unfortunately.
One suggestion: The program “Camotics” (open source, so free) will simulate any gcode and… is a good tool to have in your digital toolbox (right next to “ncviewer”)
The path I needed cut for the end resulting chamfer was 400x200. A standard Vcarve path results in a narrow center that flies out to the edges. It does not follow the outside, center or inside path of the rectangle itself and there is no option to do so, it carves the whole rectangle as if it were a letter, I understand why it does this now but that was the problem and that was the first thing I tried when I didn’t understand.
Fenrus’s suggestion works because I can see the actual result of just using a Vbit on a contour path. I’ll probably have to get some different software to do the things I want to do with the shapeoko, down the road, I’m gonna get fancy!
A Vibit contour path addition to carbide create would be nice, as would be a custom tool library that took into account router type bit options.
