Adding 4 flats at 90 degrees after rotary machining

Topics related to wrapped rotary machining in Aspire or VCarve Pro
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Flap1
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Adding 4 flats at 90 degrees after rotary machining

Post by Flap1 »

Is there and way to add 4 flats at 90 degrees to each other in Vcarve, so as to make a two square shapes in a mostly round post? As a Newell post would be. Vcarve can be used to get all the round sections, but can it go back and mill those flats afterwards?
Remembering there is no unwrap or two rail sweep feature in Vcarve, and the raw stock is square and oversized from the finished product. Right now the stock is going to be ripped to size first (not optimal), the diagonal dimension used as the stock diameter in Vcarve, and the profile measured align the edge of the existing Newell post. Sounds like it will work, but the first workflow seems like it would be better if it can be done.

Thanks,
Dave

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IslaWW
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Re: Adding 4 flats at 90 degrees after rotary machining

Post by IslaWW »

Yes, but you would need 2 job setups. You used to be able to set it up as a single job, but in an effort to protect us from ourselves, we can no longer use both 3 axis and rotary postP's in the same file.
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Flap1
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Re: Adding 4 flats at 90 degrees after rotary machining

Post by Flap1 »

Thank you. That's what I kind of thought but was not sure. :(

gregk
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Re: Adding 4 flats at 90 degrees after rotary machining

Post by gregk »

Flap1 wrote:
Sat Jul 23, 2022 9:26 pm
Thank you. That's what I kind of thought but was not sure. :(
It should be possible to save toolpath using non-wrapping post-processor from the rotary job, so no need to for a second job.
The software will not rotate by 90° between cuts on its own, so you would have to do the rotations manually.
I hope it helps,

Greg K

4DThinker
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Re: Adding 4 flats at 90 degrees after rotary machining

Post by 4DThinker »

You should be able to make square sections if VCarve has the same feature as Aspire. Under Transform Objects do you have an icon for "unwraps selected object"? It will take a square outline of the square cross section and turn that into a vector you can use with the moulding toolpath to extrude down the length of the section you want square.
I don't have VCarve, but I do use that feature often to make rotary shapes such as a stretched hex handle for a hammer, oval extrusions, eggs shaped extrusions, etc..
Square end.jpg
square end example 4D.crv
(176 KiB) Downloaded 66 times
4D

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Re: Adding 4 flats at 90 degrees after rotary machining

Post by 4DThinker »

I downloaded the V-Carve Pro trial version and it appears that feature isn't in it. Even without it though you can duplicate what it does with some thoughtful drafting to arrive at the vector I posted above in the .CRV file. I can't export or save from the trial version but this is a screen capture.
VCP 11t.jpg
basically layout the square inside the cirlce diameter you start with. Then draw radial line equally spaced from the perimeter arc to the edge of the square. The add circles to represent the size of the ball end bit you'll be using and clip the radial lines to the small circle egdes. Then measure each line segent and draw vertical line that same length spaced across 1/4 width of the job layout. Connect the ends of the line with a smooth curve. Copy 3 times next to each other and join them all. Likely more obvious in the screen capture.
4D

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