Edge profiling

Moderators: Jason Susnjara, Larry Epplin, Clint Buechlein, Scott G Vaal

Post Reply
Dave Allan
New Member
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu, May 21 2015, 5:37AM
Company Name: Crane Woodworking
Country: UNITED STATES

Edge profiling

Post by Dave Allan »

Anyone have any experience with profiling edges with custom profile created in shape manager? I have successfully applied a profile to a door but when machined it doesn't produce a finished quality cut. It only made one pass with a straight cutter in several steps. How do I get control nesting to use other tools to finish the profile. Help is appreciated!
Thanks
Scott Marshburn
Guru Member
Posts: 837
Joined: Sat, Mar 05 2011, 7:29AM
Company Name: Heritage WoodWorks
Country: UNITED STATES
Location: Jacksonville Nc
Contact:

Re: Edge profiling

Post by Scott Marshburn »

Hi Dave, can you post the door?
Mark McCallum
Guru Member
Posts: 507
Joined: Thu, Jun 16 2005, 7:53PM
Location: Sydney Aust

Re: Edge profiling

Post by Mark McCallum »

Hi Dave

I profile doors using this system. I really don't fully understand how it works. (I was waiting or hoping someone else with more in depth knowledge would step in so I could learn as well) But this is they way I understand it.
And anything I say that works on my machine obviously might not work on yours because they are all different, have different configurations and have different settings for groups and tooling et cetera, so just be very cautious.
I might not even describe my method properly so that can give you grief, (caveat, Don't blame me if it don't work)
:D

The way I interpret the way it works, is
In eCabs you create the tool (.tol) and apply it to a path or edge on any part or door.
When you send the file to the machine it has the regular programing that does squares and dados, all the flat stuff.
Where custom tools are applied, for 3d molded edges, (The .tol's ) it splits that part of the job and sends it to the profile modeller to deal with.
The profile modeler is a separate beast to control nesting and has separate settings.
So your regular tool group settings don't apply
The profile modeler has its own set of tool group rules on how to use the tools, depending on how it they are set in each tool group, The tools you use can both be in regular tool groups and in profile modeler tool groups.
The thing I try to remember when setting up my tools is the hierarchy of how the machine finds the tool to use.
Here is a link to Clints description that I found very handy

Code: Select all

https://www.thermwood.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16707&p=80194&hilit=tooling+setup#p80309
Clint Buechlein wrote: Control Nesting does not look for the "best" tool to do the job. Pocketing tools are sorted from largest to smallest and applied from largest to smallest. Everything else is by operation number. If Operation 1 is capable of doing the job, Control Nesting will not look any further to find a "better" tool to do the job. With the exception of Pocketing tools.
-Clint-
Here is another old but useful link

Code: Select all

https://www.thermwood.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=12331&hilit=mdf+door+tool+options#p65581
and while I haven't as yet got around to be able to assign a specific cutter to a path yet, I got some useful information out of it.
So having said that see the attached for how I set my tooling in the profile modeler up.
Its been a while since I set it up so I have forgotten some of the reasoning.
But I think it picks up the 6mm cutter first for roughing, ( So there must be some code to ask it to bulk remove material first) the ball nose second for trimming up after the 6mm roughing,(about a 5 to 15% step-over depending on time and finish considerations) (tools 2 and 3 can run quite fast because they are not removing much material) and the third pickup, 3.2mm for sharp base corners after the ball nose profiling,
profile-modeler.jpg
So in the regular tooling setup, Where all the tools are listed, I named those tools. tool 1, 2, and 3. I keep them in tool holder positions 1, 2, and 3,
So now if any of our parts have a profile applied they just get profiled as part of the job.
I don't know how to set different tool groups to be used in the profile modeler but these 3 tools seem to handle everything I need.
So while I don't understand all the background stuff this works for us.
Again be careful !

Hope this helps.

Also If Clints boss could give him some overtime and pizza to make some videos about control nesting and the profile modeler and put on the eCabs learning site that would really be appreciated. :joker:
It seems to be a complicated area that is repeatedly questioned about that's hard to work out from the manuals. (I'm more a touchy feely cabinetmaker and not very engineeringly minded and manuals just do my head in ) :joker:
Dave Allan
New Member
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu, May 21 2015, 5:37AM
Company Name: Crane Woodworking
Country: UNITED STATES

Re: Edge profiling

Post by Dave Allan »

Hi Marc
Thanks for all the info. Quite honestly, this seems way too complicated. I will continue to use Mastercam for my profile edges
Post Reply