So I’m cutting out some text on some pine. I can use an 1/8 end mill and it pockets out about %80 of the text, but some portions of the text require a smaller end mill. I have a 1/16 ball end mill, but then the job completion time goes from 20 mins to 2 hrs 30 mins.
Is there a way to start with the 1/8 mill and have it pocket the areas where it can fit, and then go to a new tool path with the 1/16 that only goes to the areas where the 1/8 could not fit?
if you have “exactly half size endmill” like you have, you can do the pocket with the 1/8th… and then do an “inside contour” with the 1/16th… instead of doing a full fill
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Hi Vince, have you tried doing an Inside/left cut with the smaller mill? I had this issue with a project the other day. First was a pocket with a .25 mill then .125 inside cut, then a .63 inside as well. Not sure if there’s an easier way, but that’s how I do it until I learn more. =)
Thanks guys, I hadn’t thought about that approach. It will work, but it would be awesome if carbide create would be able to to create a new toolpath with a smaller end mill for the remaining material.
This is called “rest” machining, and at this time Carbide Create doesn’t support it.
Doing the inner perimeter only works for the case of a rounded path with no sharp internal areas where a thickness of material greater than the diameter of the endmill is left.
that should be the case if your finer endmill is half or more of the previous size…
if you go smaller than half you run the risk of leaving ridges behind
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