Arch top molding

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Nevin Anderson
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Arch top molding

Post by Nevin Anderson »

Paul,
I just found the your post of 12/26/06 regarding the cabinet with the arch top molding. This is exactly what I am trying to design for a wine rack cabinet (except mine will have a split pediment in the center). Could you or anyone else expand on how you designed this in e-cabinets software (or was it designed in CAD and brought in)? I have found a drawing tool for multicurved lines, but it is available only in the tool design section and not in the part editor or contour editor. I drew an S-curve using the 3-point arc tool multiple times, but can't get the curves smooth enough where the lines meet even using the trim tool.

Thanks for any help!
Nevin Anderson, MD
DanEpps
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Post by DanEpps »

Paul who? Which thread?

Can you post a reference to the thread Nevin? Just copy the URL from the browser address bar and paste it in the message.
Nevin Anderson
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Arch top molding

Post by Nevin Anderson »

Dan,
It was Paul Huff that posted the images. They are at http://www.thermwood.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4676

Nevin
DanEpps
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Post by DanEpps »

Paul Huff
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Post by Paul Huff »

These are the steps to make the arch crown. I used a display panel to make the blank. I just made a sheet stock the depth I wanted my crown to be. I took the piece to the part editor and loaded my dxf into the part editor. (You can draw this in eCabinets, without the extra cad program) I selected create part using a closed contour. Then I set a partial tool path on the bottom edge of the crown. And selected my profile tool and it was done. Sometimes I have trouble with some profiles and get the not possible error. That is why I make my profiles cut to the right and left. It lets me try from either end.
Attachments
finished part.jpg
finished part.jpg (106.04 KiB) Viewed 9638 times
Choose profile.jpg
Choose profile.jpg (74.61 KiB) Viewed 9637 times
Cut display panel.jpg
Cut display panel.jpg (85.68 KiB) Viewed 9637 times
Nevin Anderson
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Arch top molding

Post by Nevin Anderson »

Dan and Paul,
The problem I'm having is making a smooth S-shaped curve within e-cabinets. The only place a smoothed curve drawing tool is available in the software is in the shape manager. It's not available in part editor or contour manager. I can easily make an arch with the 3-point arch tool, but an S-shape requires stringing two or more arches together, and I haven't found a way to do this and produce a smooth flowing line. The result is OK for show and tell until I cut a profile into the molding. Then the software forces me to cut that profile in two separate steps because there are two separate arcs even though their ends meet, and the slight inaccuacy where the curves meet is amplified by the molding profile cuts and is very noticable. If I could figure out how to draw a smooth S-curve that could be profiled in one operation within e-cabinets, I wouldn't have to draw it in a CAD program and import it into part editor.

Thanks again,
Nevin
DanEpps
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Post by DanEpps »

Do you mean like the attached image?

For this I started with a 10x20 display panel. In contour mode of the part editor I placed two the-point arcs on the panel. The coordinates were 3,0;5,5;3,10 for the first one and 3,10;1,15;5,20 for the second one.

Then I selected \"Create Edges\" from the right-click menu. Next I extended the outer ends of each arc past the edge and trimmed them. Then I deleted the orphaned edge line and returned to the part editor where I used \"Create Part using Closed Contour\".

Just make sure you always enter the coordinates instead of trying to use the mouse to place your arcs (and other lines) in contour mode.
Attachments
S.jpg
S.jpg (18.76 KiB) Viewed 9594 times
Paul Huff
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Post by Paul Huff »

I just wanted to let everyone see that this is possible and promising. I can only imagine some of the cabinets and designs that will come from the new capabilities of eCabinets and a Thermwood CNC . We are very excited about the possibilities.
This was just a test piece, I did learn a bit by watching it cut. I am going to change the profile before we make the final part. It may be a while before we make that cabinet, so I will have time to experiment with some different ideals for it.
Attachments
Arch Shape.jpg
Arch Shape.jpg (39.74 KiB) Viewed 9568 times
Arch Profile.jpg
Arch Profile.jpg (38.93 KiB) Viewed 9568 times
Roger Erismann
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Post by Roger Erismann »

Very cool,

After tons of reading on the \"traditional\" way to make these and then reading some stuff on CNC production of molding I have a couple of questions:

How hard is it to hold the piece down on the CNC while cutting?
Is this a production possibility or is it a less expensive way to do one off molding runs?
Do you have any ideas on the production cost compared to purchasing from a third party?

I would like to incorporate more arch type moldings in my pieces, being able to design and push the code through production sharing would be great....

any thoughts...
Wood Butcher/Case Maker
Paul Huff
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Post by Paul Huff »

I used carpet tape to hold the piece down but as you can see it moved. This happened while I was outlining the part. It was my fault for just putting the tape on in a couple of long strips it moved while cutting the outline on the end (should have been taped vertical and horizontal, I think). Since it was a test I just taped it down again and finished cutting. The test was not to see if it would move but to cut and see what we would need to do if cutting lumber.
I know some other ways to hold the materials down but should probably be discussed in the Thermwood forum instead of this one.

I guess the thing to see here is that you really are modeling 3d parts with eCabinets and that a Thermwood CNC can really whip them into reality. I like the way that the programmers have chosen for 3d modeling. It is a concept that most wood workers can understand quickly. Take a bit and make a cut. Does that sound familiar to anyone?
I didn’t really time the cut that close. It was probably an hour or so. But I think an hour or more spent here could add a lot of value to a cabinet.
This piece or a cabinet with parts like these could be useful in the design sharing program. But my best hope is that all of you eCab users out there will start making some beautiful designs now that we can. All of the great pictures out there have always proved to be an inspiration to me. I just wanted everyone to know and see that we could do so much more now.
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