Clean up pass

[tayler_mann]

Hello all,

I am new to Vcarve Pro and not completely sure how to do something. The company I started working for has Vcarve Pro Version 5 and I am cutting out a lot of profiles. I so far like the simplicity and easy use of Vcarve, however, something I am having troubles doing is setting up a clean up pass for my last plunge and cut of a profile. I have used the Allowance offset and saved 2 different tool paths but sometimes what happens is it does the first tool path that I have set to cut almost all the way through. Than after it has completed that it comes and does the clean up pass on the tool path I have the Allowance offset on. So basically I am wasting time with the machine having to go back to the same area it cut plunge and finish up cutting all the way through and doing the clean up. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate that.

If this is hard to read and confusing I apologize I only had about 2 minutes to type this out before a meeting.

Thank You

[Adrian]

With VCarve 5 there's not a lot you can do about that issue, thats the way all versions worked up until 7.5.

With version 8 there are two ways around it. The profile toolpath now has a clean up pass option built into it and there is a new feature called Merge Toolpaths that will merge two or more toolpaths together so that all the operations on one part complete (if you set it that way) before it moves onto the next.

So basically the answer is to get the company to pay for VCarve 8 and they will soon recoup the money with those features and all the others that have been added since v5.

[backyard_cnc]

create 2 toolpaths from the same vector, the first leaves an allowance as desired and also doesn't quite cut all the way thru in how ever many passes you require to suit the tool, material and ur machine. then create a second toolpath with no offset allowance and cutting full depth in a single pass. The combination of 2 separate toolpaths should give you want you need.

gerald

[Adrian]

Problem is though on versions earlier than 8 that will result in one toolpath being run on all parts and then the other toolpath being run on all parts. That's not what the OP wants from how I understood the question. He wants one part finished before moving onto the next.

[backyard_cnc]

I guess I didn't interpret the question the same as you Adrian. But certainly easy enough to manually edit 2 posted toolpaths together in notepad afterwards if it is a toolpath that will be run on an ongoing basis and the toolpath time savings is worth the effort. If running one off parts I don't think it is really an issue worth fretting as long as the end result is usable parts. If production time is of utmost importance than a software upgrade is definitely in order. I upgraded to Aspire 8 when it was released and I must say that the quality of cut finish I now get on my Shopbot is the best its ever been so was definitely worth the investment.

Gerald