Flexible setup?

[chaz.clover]

I have wood stock in various thicknesses, around 3/4–7/8 inch (4/4 S2S).

Is it possible to config a facing process that will mill the stock down to 18 mm in .5 mm passes regardless of stock thickness without having to change the setup?

So it goes in .75, or .85, or something, but still comes out 18 mm

I've been working with this, but the only way I can get it to work is to change the stock thickness for each new piece.

[laughingcreek]

are you referencing zero at the top of stock, or bottom of stock?  if you reference off the bottom, the stock thickness won't have any bearing on final part thickness. 

[jhackney1972]

You can do this easily if you do not mind cutting "air" on those pieces that are thinner, to start with, than .875" thick.  Simply model you finished part to 18mm and then create your setup with a material thickness of .875".  If you throw up a piece of wood that is .875" inches thick, it starts facing it off from the start.  If your stock is thinner you will just have a couple of facing passes where you are cutting air.

[chaz.clover]

I'm referencing stock top

[chaz.clover]

I've a solution modeled up based on a stock-bottom zero, but can't try it right now - Ian is bearing down on us and the shop is across the yard, but I think the base zero is what I need.

Thanx

[etfrench]

Zero based will cause the first cut to be full depth to the model top.  Setting stock top to thickest stock will allow multiple passes to remove the excess, but will be cutting air on the thinner stock.  It's your choice on which will work better for you.