Setting up a file for a branding iron

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

As requested on support…

If one purchases a rectangular branding iron from:

Branding Iron Kit

we have a video on this sort of thing courtesy @wmoy at:

Machining a Brass Branding Iron on a Shapeoko

and also see the relevant Material Monday videos for more on feeds and speeds:

#MaterialMonday on YouTube

@wmoy has begin a series of YouTube videos on #MaterialMonday. For the full list: https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/materialmonday A central tenet of this series is an acknowledgement that the hobby CNC routers need different numbers for different sorts of paths. Thus far he has done: Aluminum: Shapeoko 3: [Aluminum Feeds and Speeds for the Shapeoko - #MaterialMonday] [Machining Aluminum with the 278-Z on the Shapeoko - #MaterialMonday] Nomad 883 Pro: [Sing…

Then one would set it up as:

and set up the design:

and then, if one wants the type raised, draw in a rectangle to remove the background:

and add dog bones at the corners:

Since this is a brand, don’t forget to mirror the text:

Then select the background and the design elements which one wants to be raised:

and assign a suitable toolpath, perhaps something along the lines of:

which previews as:

Check feeds and speeds, do test cuts, &c.

[Zman (MICHAEL ZEMANEK)]

Ok, I will ask. Why the dogbones?

[mhotchin (Michael Hotchin)]

Without, the round endmill won’t reach all the way into the corners. You’d be left with raised material.

You could also make the outer rectangle a bit bigger - 1/2 the width of the bit on each side would do it - actually I think the overlap needed is a lot less than 1/2 the width, I don’t want to do the math though.

[Zman (MICHAEL ZEMANEK)]

Duh, Pull your head out of your arm pit Zman.
I was visualizing a pocket overlapping the part. Time once again to turn on the brain.

Thanks