Bent Cane Help

Topics related to wrapped rotary machining in Aspire or VCarve Pro
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mfirlott
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Bent Cane Help

Post by mfirlott »

Hi everyone!!!

I recently did some canes and walking sticks and recently I did a snake wrapped around the walking stick. I was very happy with the output. Now I'd like to try something different and am having trouble using Aspire to make it happen.

I was wondering how to model, for example, instead of wrapping a snake around a straight cane of say 1inch diameter, I'd like to make the snake itself the cane. So in essence, the cane/walking stick would be bent and twisted like the snake. I could then model the snake head at 90 degrees and attach with dowels as the handle. So basically...not a snake wrapped around a straight stick but rather the snake itself is the cane.

Another idea along the same lines I'd like to try is to model a cane that looks like a bent/twisted branch. Same idea as the snake concept above.

I tried regular wrapped and revolutions but what I get in preview seems really weird and not what I was expecting. I was hoping to see something like in the image below I got off Google images.
Attachments
Google example
Google example
3D model imported and unwrapped
3D model imported and unwrapped
Rotary Preview
Rotary Preview
3D model being imported
3D model being imported
(Mitch)
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IslaWW
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Re: Bent Cane Help

Post by IslaWW »

Mitch...
I know little about this, but the one thing that I do know is that your spiral shows an open area in what would be the axial center. That will not work. You must have data at "material bottom" or axial center. Steve Godding has done some magic in this area and maybe he will chime in. Have you tried to model it with .030 "toothpick" down the center?

From a math standpoint your profile can be cut on a rotary, but it will be geometric and symmetrical, not organic like your pics. Good luck!
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mfirlott
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Re: Bent Cane Help

Post by mfirlott »

Thanks Gary. I will try a toothpick centre tonight and see what that looks like. I may just have to fall back to hand carving for something twisted like this :cry:
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garylmast
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Re: Bent Cane Help

Post by garylmast »

I had a similar situation on a convertible model car I was cutting using the rotary, where the seat area beveled to the center. I rotated the section I wanted to cutout perpendicular to the top and created a pocket toolpath. With the snake, you’ll probably still have some hand work, but that idea might save some work.

I modeled a snake with a .030” axis down the center and got the same results as doing it without. I'm curious is someone can come up with different idea.

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mfirlott
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Re: Bent Cane Help

Post by mfirlott »

Thanks Gary. I wasn't near the Stinger last night so thanks for trying out the toothpick. I'm going to continue to tinker around with the model to see if 4-sided machining may be the way to go. Only draw back to this bent cane idea I thought of last night is that it'll be a waste of really good wood as instead of a 1.5inch blank, I'll need 3inches or more to manage the protruding shapes. And if I use some really good mahogany or ash, it'll get expensive to waste all that nice material.

Back to the drawing board...
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TReischl
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Re: Bent Cane Help

Post by TReischl »

One thing I would add is that a cane like the twisted snake would not be very strong. Too much cross grain.

Certainly would not want someone who really needs a cane to lean into it.

Here is an ideal for you:

Create a mold/mandrel shaped like a cone on your rotary. Then cut thin strips, soak them so they are pliable and then wrap/glue them around the cone mandrel. You would get the basic shape you want, it would be quite strong, maybe a little springy cause it is shaped like a spring? Then the carving would be fairly easy.
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mfirlott
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Re: Bent Cane Help

Post by mfirlott »

Thanks for the idea. Was more for show than strength but in the end...I may have to pass on this whole idea. It seems like it's more by hand than by machine.
(Mitch)
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