Is this doable with a Vcarve?

[Gasawdust]

Or do I need Aspire? Trying to think of a way to design and cut tapered octaganol stool legs. Somewhat new to Vcarve and have scoured all the forum archives but come up empty. Any help appreciated. Do not have a 4th axis.
Tom Armstrong

[Leo]

Sounds like a flat straight cut. Nothing more than a pocket to make a face cut. Could add some fancy details in there.

BUT

The material will be fixtured on a tapered angle to match the desired taper. Also you would turn the material 8 times for each side

[mezalick]

Sounds like a table saw could also work for this...

Michael

[IslaWW]

You don't need... and maybe don't even want, Aspire for this project.

Cut 2 Octagons with the flat to flat difference that matches your taper. Mark a center hole to aid in positioning the blank
With the blank between the two octagons, clamp to table and index for consistent location.

Run a simple pocket on each of the 8 sides

[4DThinker]

It is easy to cut a sloping surface using either the fluting tool path or the moulding tool path in VCarve. The easiest way then to cut a tapering octagonal leg would be with an indexing jig you could make pretty easily to mount on the bed of your CNC. For that matter if you had an indexing jig then you could also use a profile pass to cut the two sides of your tapering leg then rotate 45 degrees to cut it again, then again, then again.

[Gasawdust]

Thanks guys, I'd thought of most of your suggested scenarios but was hoping for a more elegant and easier solution than making an indexing fixture. I have used the tablesaw for these in the past coupled with hand planing and the results were ok. Just hoping..........
Tom

[IslaWW]

If you want easy....
Chuck it up in a rotary axis with a large diameter bit. It takes 3 lines of code. 1 to plunge, 2nd to cut down the length and taper, 3rd to retract.

[Leo]

Sometimes there are better ways to do a job than with a CNC machine.

I think the CNC offers up some nice opportunity to cut some "elegant" design into the leg that would give the distinction of something more, than just flat tapered multi-sided leg.

[ger21]

A jig on a Table Saw is the best way. With a good table saw, and a sharp blade, you should be able to fly through these.