Looking for a tool for mitering

[DanEpps]

Is this what you mean by "upside down?"

curved crown 1.jpg (42.6 KiB) Viewed 100200 times

[Gary Puckett]

Yes I would like the beads on the bottom. If you make a cube 12" long 3' wide 3" deep and run as partial running on the bottom and up one end itputs the profile on correct

Gary

[DanEpps]

Okay, think about it for a minute...on the straight piece you run the profile from the top (or "correct") edge and on the curved piece you run it from the bottom edge--correct?

That means the tool is effectively turned upside-down for the curved operation so you need to take the .x_t file and rotate the geometry. You may also have to turn it "inside-out" in order to get the correct shape.

Experiment and lets see what you come up with.

[Damon Nabors]

Damon Is this better?

Gary

my wife tells me greenish/yellow is in.

[Gary Puckett]

Okay, think about it for a minute...on the straight piece you run the profile from the top (or "correct") edge and on the curved piece you run it from the bottom edge--correct?

That means the tool is effectively turned upside-down for the curved operation so you need to take the .x_t file and rotate the geometry. You may also have to turn it "inside-out" in order to get the correct shape.

Experiment and lets see what you come up with.

OK I just got back from the job.No I ran them both on the bottom side on the straight and on the arch. Last night I took an arched part and had it upside down and tried it with no luck. I then took the cutter and mirrored it and tried it with no luck. I then tried to make a new cutter and the system would not let me save it, it let me do everything to make me think it was going to be saved, but it would not let me save it .

Were you able to get it to cut right ?

Gary

[DanEpps]

...Were you able to get it to cut right ...

I haven't tried. When you said it wouldn't save the file, do you mean the .x_t or the .tol? I have had problems saving a .x_t file and have to exit the Shape Manager. After trying again with a different name it would save.

[Gary Puckett]

...Were you able to get it to cut right ...

I haven't tried. When you said it wouldn't save the file, do you mean the .x_t or the .tol? I have had problems saving a .x_t file and have to exit the Shape Manager. After trying again with a different name it would save.

What ever file that is saved when you create a tool sometimes it would act like it saved the tool and when I went to use it, it wasn't there and then other times it won't even let me save it. I will try again so I can tell you what it says.

[DanEpps]

Here is a little writeup that may help you to understand how placement of the tool path affects the results of the profile. For this demo I made up a tool that has a shape that makes it easy to see the orientation and movement.

Until you get used to it, the Profile Editor and Shape Manager can seem to act without any rhyme or reason. Even after you get used to them, it still seems to act without rhyme or reason.

Let me know if this helps.

Edge Profiling Info.pdf

(59.9 KiB) Downloaded 2420 times

[Gary Puckett]

The problem I am having is knowing what represents the part the yellow area or the blue area and when you off set see the off set before you cut in other words is the cutter .500 into the part or does it miss the part altogether.

For some one who knows what they are doing they can probaly see that but I can't I think sometimes I got it and then BAM!!! it throws me a curve.

Gary

[DanEpps]

That's what the pairs of images are for--to show how tool path starting point affects the location of the tool. Starting the tool path at the bottom right, the blue area is material and yellow is "air." Starting the path on the bottom left, however, moves the material to the yellow side.

I'll attach the tool I used for the demo and you can experiment with it to see how different tool paths, plunges and offsets react. Experimenting is the only way to grab hold of this unless you break down and attend the five day class at Thermwood.

...I think sometimes I got it and then BAM!!! it throws me a curve...

It does that to EVERYBODY. You are only dealing with the front face of the part right now. Just wait until you flip it and work from the back side.

[DanEpps]

Here are a couple more images to show what you need to do.

I started with a display cube, 96W 22L 3D and placed two circles on it in Contour Mode. One circle has a radius of 72.25" and the other was 69.25" so the part would be 3" high. You have to use two circles instead of copying a three-point arc to preserve a consistant part height.

The part was flipped (C-Back View) in the Part Editor and the tool path was started at the bottom left. Then I used the tool in the first image, set the plunge to -.5" (negative 1/2") and left offset at 0".

I could have made the tool so that it did not require any plunge setting but I was just experimenting (see, I do that too ).

Here is a better description of tool paths, plunges and offsets:

The image in the tool placement dialog is an end view of the part from the tool path starting location. If tool path starts on the left, you are looking at the left end of the part. If tool path starts on the right, you are looking at the right end of the part.


Tool path bottom left

Part is blue

Plunge moves away from face
Left offset moves toward top


Tool path bottom right

Part is yellow

Plunge moves away from face
Right offset moves toward top


Tool path top left

Part is yellow

Plunge moves away from face
Right offset moves toward bottom


Tool path top right

Part is blue

Plunge moves away from face
Left offset moves toward bottom

Hope this helps.

Garys Crown Tool Selection.jpg (93 KiB) Viewed 100104 times

Garys Crown.jpg (25.38 KiB) Viewed 100103 times

[Gary Puckett]

Dan,

I just want to thank you for all your help, for you to take the time to not only just reply to the thread, but to go that extra mile to show the steps on how to solve the problem.
Don't get me wrong I still am having problems but with practice it should get better.

Thank you again

Gary

[DanEpps]

No problem Gary.

I could easily post the part and tool that I used to make it but you would be in the same spot next time. You know, give a man fish...

[Rick Palechuk]

I'll get the smoker ready Dan.

[DanEpps]

Have you made any progress with the curved crown molding yet?