A Little Math help with Asymmetric Tools

[Bill OConnell]

I just started working with solid MDF doors and I am trying to mimic a stile and rail door we recently made. To make this door we need to create an asymmetrical tool, which seemed to work fine. The door has 1.75\" stiles and rails. It is square on the outside of the stiles and rails but has a quarter round profile on the inner edge (more or less). On the panel it is angled up away from the stile and then goes up 1/8\". Here is the tricky part, the panel is recessed 1/8\" below the surface of the stiles and rails. The tool I created has the stile/rail profile on one side and the panel profile on the other. I made the tool wide enough to cover half the width of the short dimension of the panel so that is could recess the panel the 1/8\". Overall here are the dimensions: Door 12.8125\"w x 21.75\"H. Stiles and rails 1.75\". In designing the tool, the stile/rail profile is 1/2\" to the left of the origin and the panel profile is 4.2\" to the right of the origin. According to my calculations: 12.8125\" door width - (2*1.75 stiles) - (2*.5\" stile profile) = 8.3125\" divide that by 2 = 4.156\", which I rounded to 4.2\" so that I would overlap slightly in the middle of the panel.

In creating the tool, it asks for a tool diameter which I gave as 4.7\" (4.2\" to the right of the origin, plus .5\" to the left). In profiling the door I gave the stile and rail widths for the tool path as 4.1\" (2.35\" + 1.75\"), which is half the the tool diameter plus the actual stile width. I got an error which said \"Please reduce the size of the stiles and rails because they are touching,\" or words to that effect. I backed down on the stile and rails settings which worked at 4\", but in looking at the full screen view, there was still some material that hadn't been trimmed on the panel and the stiles and rails looked too narrow.

I am including the tool file, the door as an assembly and the jpg of the door. Your guidance would be much appreciated, particularly regarding what should be the diameter of an asymmetrical tool and what should be the stile and rail dimensions to get the cut where you want it. Also any thought on the \"stiles touching\" problem. Thanks.

[Joe Soto]

Bill, I see what you are trying to do but the only way I can figure is to use the part editor. Remake your tool without the long leg and cut a pocket 1/8 deep for the face of the panel. I would create the tool to the right of the center line and plunged to the depth I needed. This will save you from having to enter this info for each door you cut. Take your display board to the part editor cut the pocket then enter contour area, right click then create edges then offset/move them in 1.75 for the rail size, trim,exit countour area then profile. This should do what you need and cut a lot faster than modeling the face of the panel. Let me know how it goes.
Joe