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Using the F1 car wizard and CNC router bit length of cut

Posted: Thu 19 Jul , 2018 13:26 pm
by Ant
I upgraded the V5 Milling software and our QuickCam Pro this week with the aim of using the F1 car wizard.

I managed to load our STL file and the wizard mostly does the rest. The raster finishing machining plan all seemed fine. After a few issues with “G1 linear movement exceeds limits” (self-inflicted as I had not set the tool offset!) I managed a successful dry run (without material) to ensure everything was tickety-boo.
Using the above methodical (albeit time consuming) way of attacking the job I loaded up our first student F1 car design and test block and gingerly set the machine to run. It was all pretty uneventful and the cutting seemed to be going as planned. About halfway through the job, when the cutter starts to cut deeper into the car body as it tapers towards the front, I noticed that the flute length of my SGS cutter was too short and it was attempting to cut using the shank. I stopped the machine at that point and looked at the cutter in more detail. We have a ¼” ball-nose SGS four flute cutter and the cut length is approximately 1 + 1/8”. I would have thought that was plenty buy hey-ho I started looking online for another cutter with a longer overall cut length.

After, what seemed like a lifetime’ on the internet I cannot find a suitable ¼” ball-nose.
We have an old Denford with an old F1 jig that fits to the side rails since we don’t have the more modern T-slot bed. This is limiting the height we can play with so tools longer than 75mm (or 3”) are a non-starter.
Any advice would be helpful. I suppose I could look at editing or maybe adding a cutting plan before the Raster Finishing but is there an easier way to prevent the above situation from happening other than changing the tool for something, which as of yet I cannot find?

Sorry to ask such a novice question but I am lazy by nature and just want all the answers handed to me on a plate!

Regards,

Re: Using the F1 car wizard and CNC router bit length of cut

Posted: Thu 19 Jul , 2018 20:53 pm
by TDIPower
cant you set the flute and shank length in the cutter profile in VR5? this should be taken into account when it is working out tool paths. it will then only generate cutting passes upto the depth of the flutes but will cut deeper with the shank running on the pre cut material (im sure you can set the depth of cut per pass anyway). I have reground high quality drill bits for machining 'modeling foam' type material by grinding the tips to a ball nose profile. I have managed very good quality work with 50mm depth of cut passes, cuts the machining time down a lot too!

Pete

Re: Using the F1 car wizard and CNC router bit length of cut

Posted: Fri 20 Jul , 2018 11:39 am
by Ant
Thanks Pete.

That's great advice I will have a go.

The trouble with being a novice is there is much to learn but on the flip side it is great to be able to pick the brains of others that are far more experienced.

Once again thanks for the input.

Tony

Re: Using the F1 car wizard and CNC router bit length of cut

Posted: Fri 20 Jul , 2018 22:47 pm
by TDIPower
No worries, never used the F1 stuff but have used debtors kit for 16yrs or so