Solid Model Both Sides

[KWiK]

I have been working on doing things like spoons and bowls in Vcarve. When I bring in a model and generate both sides, I have noticed there is usually a discrepancy of thickness between the two halves. I have been turning off the bottom half, setting the model to the middle of the material, generating the toolpaths on it, then turn the top half off, and the bottom half on, again setting the model to the middle of the material and generating toolpaths.

I got to wondering though, if that is correct. The stuff I have made is kind of hard to get a good measurement on both the model and the finished part to check it. So I am wondering if anyone knows. Should the models be set to the middle or more one direction than the other, or is there a way to figure out where they should be set so I don't thin out the bottom of the spoon bowl to much?

[martin54]

Have you watched the tutorials on importing 3d components & 2 sided machining? Lots of very good info in them which should help. I don't know how relevant this tutorial is.

http://support.vectric.com/tutorials/V8 ... ude_2.html

There is a lot to do with actually creating the dish which obviously can't be done in vcarve but latter on in the video it is toolpathed for 2 sided machining so that might be of some use, sure Chris talks about working out the actual finished thickness of the part but not watched it for a while now

[JamesB]

The Cloth Dish video - linked to above is probably going to be confusing for someone using VCarve as its really an Aspire modeling example.

This videos is probably the most useful to understand importing 3D models and setting them up for 2-sided machining - http://support.vectric.com/tutorials/V8 ... _3DAS.html

There is also a complimentary video that shows the actual process of cutting it too - http://support.vectric.com/tutorials/V8 ... _PRAC.html

Thanks
James

PS - Martin - not sure who "Chris" is but if that refers to the person running through the Cloth Dish example - that's me

[martin54]

Yes I know it was you who did the cloth dish video James, I haven't got a clue who "Chris" is either

[KWiK]

Thanks to both of you. I tried to watch the cloth dish video yesterday but I couldn't follow it to well with the CNC running

I have watched the leaf videos a while back, but I will go ahead and watch them again, to see if I can learn any more from them.

I do things a little different than the video but I suppose it shouldn't matter. I have a pattern of dowel holes cut into my spoil board, and I have their locations saved in wincnc. So I cut the dowel holes first, then remount the wood onto one of the sets of dowel holes. I also keep both halves in one file. There is to often I want to make a change in the size of wood or the location or qty of 3d tabs or some other thing after I have started making toolpaths. I just have to remember to turn on and off the right planes, model, and tabs when I regenerate a toolpath. That would be a wish of mine, that Vcarve kept track of the model visibilty in the toolpath settings or even if I could just have the visibilty set as a group, ie top and bottom that could be switched with one click.

I guess all my rambling has nothing to do with my original question of where in the wood to set the models when the heights are different between the top and the bottom.