@EvanDay - Nope, my values will not allow room for a saw blade to pass between, but you don’t have to split them, you can always just saw through the inlay backer material. Adjusting the inlay’s Flat Depth will give you the gap you’re looking for to pass the blade. Glad you got your coasters squared!
I use VCarve and love it. For this type of inlay I also discovered the F-Engrave. See it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ty7ITWadv8
VCarve will handle it too but no experience as yet.
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Considering the price (free), F-Engrave is really great. I worked with it a bit and got decent results, again, knowing the price. That being said, I wish I’d bought vCarve out of the gate, such a great application (especially for vCarve’d inlays)
Long follow up since I can’t edit the OP:
The values above work best with a 60 degree vBit that’s got AT LEAST 3/8" cutting surface. The Whiteside 1550 is what I used in my testing.
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Do you still recommend this post processor or is there a newer version?
The non-carbidemotion one should still be fine (I used it yesterday), if you need to send with carbide motion I updated that one recently here:
https://community.carbide3d.com/t/vcarve-updated-post-processor
Thanks for the response, I only got started with my Shapeoko and CNC in general about a month ago. I’ve cut a few things but just invested in Vectric carve desktop and was surprised, or at least dismayed, that there was no tool change prompts for my bitrunner. That’s why I asked if this was the newest version of your modified post processor since I apparently revived a 4 year old post. Any suggestions are welcome!
So is Carbide motion good for Vcarve desktop? I’ve been debating purchasing it since the start/flat depths make so much more sense for inlays compared to carbide create.
This video is great at explaining how to correct the bit from plummeting the entire start depth for your plug. It pretty much tells you to break it down into multiple jobs to avoid going so deep in one shot.
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Design wise, it’s amazing. I exported my G code and ran the job for each tool independently, I was just disappointed by the fact that it doesn’t support tool changes natively. I’ll have to rewatch that video though because I am having an issue with the depth of my V bits. My test inlays so far have these ugly gouges in them.
For tool changes, if I understand correctly, you simply need to choose a post processor which supports/enables them. See:
It’s almost the exact same thing.
Create uses total depth from Z0.
V-Carve uses Flat depth measured from start depth.
Just measuring from a different reference.
So then why is it whenever my start depth is larger than my max depth for Create, it shows that nothing is being cut in my simulation? Where as in Vcarve the start depth needs to be larger.
You can’t start below the maximum depth you want to cut.
Larger than what?
For example, previously I’ve tried using a .18 start depth and .02 max depth in Create, to match my .20 pocket. I was originally under the impression that .18 of the plug will fit inside the pocket. This formula works in Vcarve, but not Create.
So what I struggle to understand is, in Create, how can it not cut .02 after it cuts .18 for the start. This is why start depths don’t make sense to me.
You’re already 0.16" past your max depth.
If you want to cut down to a total depth of 0.2" ib Create, set your MAX depth to 0.2"
If you want to cut to a MAX depth of 0.2" in V-carve, your start depth added to your “Flat” depth must equal 0.2"
As Will says, VCarve supports multiple tools just fine if you have a BitSetter and select the right post-processor.
Let us know if you have any trouble getting it to work.
I get that, but I cant just set a max depth of .2 for my plug since it won’t fit… Like why wouldn’t it cut anything with a start of .18? Isn’t the router going .18 deep to start off? I don’t understand what I’m missing haha
Please post a file and a description of your difficulty and we’ll do our best to assist.