UGM 2023 tapered inlay video cutting on a tray bottom tip for 2D only projects

[adze_cnc]

Todd Bailey's tapered inlay video for the UGM 2023 had an interesting section on cutting an inlay at the bottom of tray, dish, etc.

In the video he used the "Project to 3D" option to start the cut at the bottom of the tray. The is much easier than fiddling around with starting depths or reseting the z-zero point to the tray pocket depth.

This is great if you have a 3D model of the tray for the toolpath to be projected to. But, if you are creating the tray's interior using 2D toolpaths, such as combination of profile, moulding, and pocket toolpaths, there is no "3D" model to project to.

A great way to get around that is using a zero-plane to simulate the bottom of the tray's interior.

That attached files are a demonstration of that technique.

Some notes on the files:

• I have VCarve v9.519 which doesn't support multiple thicknesses for sheets so the inlay socket and inlay plug are in their own separate files.
• The toolpaths are uncalculated to save file space (close to a megabyte) for posting here. All toolpaths need to be recalculated.
• The plug toolpaths:
  • Are in the order for v-bit cutting 1st and flat bit cutting second. Someone mentioned that was a good order to run them in when use non-endgrain material.
  • Were created using my Tapered Inlay Roughing gadget. The roughing ones bring the material down to the inlay plug's (the finish path's) starting depth. This is a good way to allow machines that have trouble starting at the sometimes deep start depth.
  • Roughing toolpaths could have been created manually using this process

Steven

[adze_cnc]

Could you please refresh my memory of the Project to 3D option. I was looking for it the other day and could not find it.

Look at the help files for the Profile Toolpath, the V-Carve/Engraving Toolpath and perhaps other toolpaths. Such as here. Scroll down to "Project toolpath onto 3D Model".

[larrybadgett]

Thanks! Somehow I got my mind twisted around and was trying to project a roughing and finish toolpath. NOT!!!!!

[Mark Jones]

While making twelve rounds out of 3/4" by 5.5" by 5.5" oak. I have a question. After making a pocket and then vbit carving some text on top of that pocket and adjusting my start depth in toolpath setting the vcarve takes 55 minutes to carve. If I remove this depth setting and just z zero off the top of the new pocket depth the vcarve is done in 18 minutes.

When I watch the video
at 28 minutes in and 36.22 minutes in you will see the difference in the up and down of the vbit difference.

If you look at the projected toolpath in the crv file it shows the up and down and rapid move actions.

My pocket is 2d.
I tried to change the material thickness on the toolpath side for this one toolpath and only recalculate that one toolpath but that didn't' work and it would change back when I recalculated all toolpaths when I changed it back to the real material thickness.

I have Aspire you mentioned zero plane. I have not explored that yet.

Any suggestions on this carve? For now I am just zeroing off the top of the pocket but when my bit moves from the first to the second and then to the third on this jig of 3 it only raises up to the safe z height of .2 I guess I could adjust the safe z height to 3/4" but that may increase the over all time across the tool paths.

Thanks for any help or ideas here.

[sharkcutup]

Hello Mark,

That is the nature of the Pocket Toolpath! It is a Standard makeup of the code to raise bit for clearance before moving to next position. The machine has know way of knowing whether or not the area is cleared for the next item to be carved.

To shorten carving time sometimes you have to use workarounds. Your workaround to zeroing off of the pocket surface for carving text is okay but you may want to pay attention to the Z Gap above material upon the completion of that particular toolpath. So that you don't ram the bit into anything on its return trip to the Home/Start Position or even to the next part for carving (this may be where you will have to edit the g-code Z height) for the bit to raise above material before it moves to the next part. This may also be a time to consider a Special Post Processor to be written for that Toolpath.

Sharkcutup

[Mark Jones]

Thanks for the verification. I may need to put that down as a feature request for a Vcarve toolpath check box next to the Start depth button to use this depth while vcarving.this toolpath. A warning of check your tool path to be sure it doesn't crash into thick material or hold down hardware. This way I could still use the surface of material as my z and get it all done in a 3rd of the time.

When vcarving the pocket ,the area is too small for the z block to fit in there. So I just look at it and set the z... I may need to use the paper method to refine my look at it method...

I used the updated 1.5 version of the box maker gadget 2 days ago. It was perfect. It remembers all the settings I had before and didn't add the tabs or ramps to the box joints. Thanks for fixing that for us.

[grantw]

@adze_cnc Steven: This question will, no doubt, demonstrate my ignorance of how a zero plane works, but I'll live with embarrassment.

I do not have Aspire. I have carved bowls using VCarvePro and using the moulding toolpath to create the interior. I understand that I cannot do a vcarve into that interior using Todd's method, as I don't have a 3D model to project onto.

Where I am now confused is with your work around to create a zero plane so that I then have a 3D model. However, does the zero plane follow the contour of the inside of the bowl? I thought it was just a flat surface. I am assuming that I am wrong, though, since if it does not follow the contour of the bowl bottom, projecting the Vcarve toolpath onto it would not achieve the desired results.

Can you please explain where I am wrong here?

Thank you

[adze_cnc]

Grant: this thread and its suggestions are specific to the UGM 2023 video on "VCarve Inlays" and to a technique used in that video of putting a tapered inlay at the flat bottom of a tray when you don't have an underlying 3D model. The suggestion was using the zero plane in lieu of a model.

It was not about moulding toolpaths. If the are in the moulding where you want to add a "V-Carve / Engaving" toolpath to is flat (either parallel to the CNC bed or tilted then yes a zero plane could be used to fake an underlying 3D model.

Mark: shsarkcutup's response might be a bit confusing. He should have referred to a pocket in the material that you are adding a "V-Carve / Engraving Toolpath" to rather than the Pocket Toolpath.

You seem to have found a solution to shorten the running time and a recognition that slamming through the waste material is a consequence of that.

For those time when you can't do that: if your machine has a maximum z speed that is higher than your bit's plunge speed you could make use of the Z1 and Z2 heights in the Material Setup on the toolpath tab speed things up. I often have Z1 set to 0.125" and Z2 set to 0.020". The machine will move quickly between Z1 and Z2 and then at the bit's plunge rate into the material. Most of the time these are one and the same speed.

Steven

[sharkcutup]

Yup! Not the Pocket Toolpath --- Sorry! Thank You Steven!

Just a Friendly Word of Caution Using Rapid Z Gaps ----

Remember that the Z1 and Z2 applies to all Toolpaths. They are not Individual Toolpath Specific.

Sharkcutup

[grantw]

Grant: this thread and its suggestions are specific to the UGM 2023 video on "VCarve Inlays" and to a technique used in that video of putting a tapered inlay at the flat bottom of a tray when you don't have an underlying 3D model. The suggestion was using the zero plane in lieu of a model.
Steven

Thanks much, Steven.

[Mark Jones]

Thanks Vcarve Pro's! Anyone have a good video on the zero plane. I have only had Aspire for a year and have not grounded myself on that ....I still look at it like a cow looking at a new fence post.

I really enjoy vectric software. These folk make great logical software.

[Rcnewcomb]

Anyone have a good video on the zero plane.