Difficulty with very simple tool path, please assist?

[Anonymous]

Hello!

I have an 8" x 4" piece of 1/4" thick hardwood.

I want to do only one thing with this particular piece:

I want to cut the short edges (4") to 45-degrees (for mitre corner) using this:

https://www.amazon.com/FOOS-V-GROOVE-Solid-carbide-router/dp/B079MQ4B2F

What type of toolpath settings are best to do this?

Best,

Vic

[DarthBane55]

Use 2d contour with the chamfer option turned on.  2d contour is a bit more flexible than the 2d chamfer operation, it allows you to take more than 1 pass if you want to do that.  Just pick that edge and set the parameters, play with that, I think you'll see how it works fairly quickly.  Don't forget to enable the chamfer option under the "passes" tab.

[engineguy]

@Anonymous 

Several ways to do what you want, here is an example of what is probably the simplest way, 2D Contour 🙂

You will no doubt get several methods of how to do it, just choose the one that is best for you 🙂

FWIW  If I was doing that job I would just buy a 1/2in cutter with if needed a 1/4in shank, much easier 🙂

File attached

Stay Safe

Regards

Rob

[DanielMolloy]

Hi Vic,

It can be done using the contour operations (see attached) however I have had to produce three separate operations, by manipulating the stock to leave section to create a roughing pass and then two contour ops to finish the face, depending on your requirements the roughing op might not be needed. Would be interested if anyone can come up with a better way of doing this as I feel there must be a slicker method (probably one button click away!)

[Anonymous]

Hi Daniel thanks!  I worked out how to literally just draw lines exactly where I want the tip of the bit to run, using 2D Trace feature.  I knew it was going to take multiple passes due to the small 90-degree bit I want to use, so I went back into design and just drew horizontal lines along the 45-degree edge, exactly where I want the tip of the bit to run (with the lines of course being no further apart than the length of the 45-degree part of the cutting edge of the bit).

Then I went back into CAM/Manufacture, and selected 2D Trace, and selected the horizontal lines in order from the top down, then in passes I choose "Preserve Order" to make sure it cuts the material away from the top down so it never has to ram through a bunch of hardwood all at once.

I like doing it this way because I don't want to take off the full edge at once anyway, I prefer to take multiple passes cutting a little at a time to minimize wear and tear on the machine and bits and also to make a lot less noise is my preference. 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply Darth!  

I ended up working out how to literally just draw lines exactly where I want the tip of the bit to run, using 2D Trace feature.  I knew it was going to take multiple passes due to the small 90-degree bit I want to use, so I went back into design and just drew horizontal lines along the 45-degree edge, exactly where I want the tip of the bit to run (with the lines of course being no further apart than the length of the 45-degree part of the cutting edge of the bit).  Then went back to CAM/Manufacture and chose Trace and selected the lines from the top down and it passes clicked "preserve order"

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply!  

I ended up working out how to literally just draw lines exactly where I want the tip of the bit to run, using 2D Trace feature.  I knew it was going to take multiple passes due to the small 90-degree bit I want to use, so I went back into design and just drew horizontal lines along the 45-degree edge, exactly where I want the tip of the bit to run (with the lines of course being no further apart than the length of the 45-degree part of the cutting edge of the bit).  Then went back to CAM/Manufacture and chose Trace and selected the lines from the top down and it passes clicked "preserve order"

[DarthBane55]

Glad it worked for you... but the SmartCam days are over!  You should try the 2d contour when you have some free time, it will save you a lot of hassle.  Nothing to draw and you can take any number of passes that you want to.  It would save you some time and aggravation...  but hey, you do as you want of course!