Chamfer Cutting

[J Paul M]

Got to gadget installed and working, however ...... what is truly going to be the best choice in bits for me to use? Seems like the end-mill and ball nose will take a lot of time. Is there a chamfer bit that will handle the cut in a couple two or three passes?

[adze_cnc]

Note that as of v10.5 of the software there is a built-in chamfer toolpath so the gadget is not needed for most applications.

Unless you have a v-bit that matches the angle of the chamfer you want you’re pretty much stuck with round and square end cutters.

[martin54]

As adze_cnc has said from 10.5 there is a chamfer toolpath so there may be no need to use the gadget at all, difficult to know what bit/bits might be best because that will depend on what you are doing, if you have a bit that matches the angle of the chamfer then that is probably the best bit to use, if you haven't then you have to try & use what you have or buy a more suitable bit if you can
Pictures or screenshots always help I use mainly V bits for chamfering, the bits I have seen advertised & sold as chamfer bits have a bearing for use with a handheld router or router table & are not suitable for CNC work.
I don't have a lot of experience with the chamfer gadget, by the time I started to do chamfers the chamfer toolpath within the software was available & I have used that for the type of work I generally do

[adze_cnc]

martin: it looks like the gadget only allows square and round tools and has limited functionality compared to the built-in toolpath.

I wonder if Vectric should “retire" the gadget from the current version (or even 10.5 version) gadget page. Especially as people seem to find it and install it more easily than they do finding the built-in toolpath.

Steven

[martin54]

martin: it looks like the gadget only allows square and round tools and has limited functionality compared to the built-in toolpath.

I wonder if Vectric should “retire" the gadget from the current version (or even 10.5 version) gadget page. Especially as people seem to find it and install it more easily than they do finding the built-in toolpath.

Steven

That is a good point, like I said I rarely used the gadget when it did exist & switched to using the chamfer toolpath as soon as it was available, that has done everything I needed it to & I don't think I bothered to install the gadget on the latest version at all
I don't know if the gadget is still available because there are things it can do that the chamfer toolpath can not. That is the only reason I can see for keeping it available to versions after 10.5

[rink]

Good evening.
A profile toolpath with a V bit works well for me.

Tip: sometimes the point of the V bit rides a hair inside the edge of the material, leaving a small ridge. So design your profile toolpath to be a few thousandths outside the material edge, toward the waste area.

I usually use a 90 degree V bit, to get a 46 degree chamfer. I’ve don’t this quite a bit on picture frames. Both the outer edge, and inside around the picture opening.

Thx, rink.