Vcarving issue with "use clearance tools"

[PDXMIKE]

Hi all,
NOOB here, just bought V-Carve Desktop. I found a you-tube video on vcarving inlays "Perfect Vcarve Inlays Everytime" by Howard Boehm.
I followed his suggestions and set things up in V-Carve. All went well until I got to cutting the male section. I'm running a SnapMaker A350, which is pretty small and underpowered compared to the machines I've seen in the videos. But Hey, I come from the "run what you brung" camp. Anyway, I loaded up a 1/4"FEM and started the clearing cut. The bit plunged down a good 7mm then tried to move. Well my machine just joes not have the power to make such a deep cut! I went back and looked at the tool settings, I had it set to a 1 mm pass depth, and a feed of 300mm/min which I have used with this bit in the past. I did a recall and tried again the same problem.
So in looking at the g-code it looks like the issue is that the settings he uses are setting the start depth and the flat depth, which is what I did. It looks like V-Carve is assuming that the clearing cut is starting at that depth, just plunges down to that depth then starting the clearing passes.
I can see where the v-bit needs to start at that depth, but why isn't the clearing tool starting at the top of the stock and stepping down? I finally added a clearing pass that started at the top of the stock, but that added an extra step to the process.

Mike

[Adrian]

It's because of the start depth. The v-inlay technique uses a start depth when there is still material that hasn't been cut. The v-carve software doesn't work like that. It assumes that if you're using a start depth then you're cutting at the bottom of a pocket that has already been cut.

You have to be careful running a clearance cut as clearing that area first and then using a v-bit tool will not give you the same result as cutting without it.

[rink]

You have to be careful running a clearance cut as clearing that area first and then using a v-bit tool will not give you the same result as cutting without it.

Adrian, good evening.
I don’t understand this comment. Does it matter which toolpath runs first, the vcarve path or the clearing path?

Thx, rink.

[adze_cnc]

I finally added a clearing pass that started at the top of the stock, but that added an extra step to the process.

I think Adrian was commenting about this pat thath you created. If you are not careful about what you are clearing away you might obliterate material that is needed to make the "plug" fit into the "socket".

Rather than creating a separate clearance pass you might look at the technique in the video linked in my post here: viewtopic.php?p=264755#p264755