MDF Doors

[2006prt]

Just an FYI the link will cut out MDF slab doors but does not have the capability to do any of the modeling required to create any profiles created in ecabs.

I noticed they have carving and molding libraries available for down load specific to the link. Has anyone tried these? If so how do we tell the tool database the geometry of the bit like a simple ball nose.

Thanks
Todd

[erniek]

I've run into the same limitation with the MDF doors. I've done shaker doors just by using the endmill bit that I use for outline cutting. Takes a while but then hey, it gives me time to clean up the shop.

On the last project I made the standard raised panel doors with a combination of ecabinets for cutting out the slabs of MDF. Then
using excel to program the toolpaths, cutting one door profile pass at a time. I set up two areas one at 0,0 and the other at 50,0 and had the machine alternated between the two locations. That way I could be loading one door while another was being machined. I used a whiteside WS5710 to cut the cove out, then used a whiteside WS1570 to cut the beads on the outside of the cove and to square out the corners. Then I used a 1/8" endmill to further square out the corners and flatten the bit between the bead cut and the cove cut.

Using the spread sheet worked very well. After one door was programmed
I just did a copy and paste for all the different door sizes. I used a lookup command to get the various sizes from a list to keep things organized.

After that I just had to copy and paste the sections into the shopbot editor and save it as a cutting file.

Since I didn't have a tool changer, I did the doors once pass at a time.
On the PRT Standard, it took about 90 minutes per pass on 111 doors.

For me it was a big money saver over purchasing the doors.