Which toolpath to make a chamfer over complete height of head side 18mm MDF with a smaller chamfer bit

[sibejanSJ]

Okay, that was quite a covering title, but just for testing CNC capabilities, I designed half a cube, made form 18mm MDF, with complete (as highlighted with red, see image) chamfered edges, which I'd like to route with a 16mm chamfer bit. I expect I can have F360 make a toolpath, existing out of 2 or 3 stepover paths, to have this routed (eventually roughing first with a regular upcut ø8mm). I can't find out how to.

[engineguy · Accepted solution]

@sibejanSJ 

One way it could be done for the large Chamfers is to use Duplicate Chamfers of the Contour Chamfer and then use the Heights to move the Tool over and down at the same time, this works fine along with the Ramping so you would be moving down at the angle to the correct depth on each operation.

It is just one way and is easy to do, see if the attached file is of any use to you, might help with ideas.

For the small Chamfers you can set a "Tip Offset" that is the difference between the actual Chamfer (6.7mm) and the Radius of the tool (8.1mm) which comes out to 1.4mm, that would put the tip of the tool 1.4mm into your "Spoil Board" or fresh air if you have the stock raised off the Spoil. It would also have the shank of the tool rubbing along the vertical faces so that would be up to you to move it a fraction more if that would be a problem for you.

Well, it is what it is, if it is of any use then good luck 🙂 🙂

I have no doubt that hopefully you will get several other methods, this is just one 🙂 🙂 🙂

[sibejanSJ]

Tried it today with your suggestion, and it worked fine. Thanks, @engineguy !!
I just don't get it, why it is doing the job right by changing the bottom height, I would suspect the tool to only do the routing higher, not perfectly towards the chamfer.
Besides, I got a warning saying: "Open passes are linked with both ways zig-zag ramp.” But apparently it was not important.

Another thing I thought of, wouldn't it have been good to use 'rest machining' with the chamfer?

(and regarding the test: I learned that chamferring this way with the CNC is possible, but doing it with my saw table is a lot quicker 😉