Creating fillet around edge

[Anonymous]

Hi,

i am trying to create a board with a rounded fillet edge the whole way around. I am unsure if I have to do a 3d contour pass first then finish with a parallel pass or if I can do the whole job just with 1 toolpath. I tried to just use the parallel toolpath, however I can not get it to start at z face. It plunges to the bottom (18mm) and works it’s way up which will snap my bit.

It seems like a lot of machine time to have to do both to get a smooth finish. I will be using a 3mm ball nose.

i feel there must be an easier way and that I am complicating it for myself. 

[HughesTooling · Accepted solution]

You should get quite a good finish using 3d contour, make sure you enable machine shallow areas. If you need more help export the design as an f3d and attach.

Also please don't attach pictures. There's an option Photos on the editor toolbar to embed them, please use this option.

Mark

[Anonymous]

Thanks Mark,

So I shouldn’t have to use the parallel toolpath? I just could not get it to start at the top.

If the 3d contour should be smooth enough then I will give that a go. I have used a 1.5mm stepover for my 3mm bit. Should this be a small enough stepover?

What does the shallow areas option do? 

I have only only ever used the 2d area, so just trying to work out all of the 3d options and meanings.

sorry about the photos attached, I did this from my phone and just saw that I could add photos from my phone. (Also first time I have posted in the forum) Didn’t see a embed area. 

[HughesTooling]

Here's the help on 3d contour. For 3d contour the stepdown is the vertical step, you will need 0.5mm or less. As the stepdown is constant in shallow\near flat areas there's be a big step over, machine shallow areas allows you to set a max sepover in these areas.

Mark

[g-andresen]

Hi,

At this point I would like to say that it will not be possible to create an acceptable surface with this method.

For this machining, corresponding radius cutters are available at an acceptable price.
Machine time will be less than 30 s ( Profile length 2000mm; Radius R 8).

günther

[g-andresen]

sorry > misrouted