cutting pocket text with tight corners

[banderson]

Easy one for you experts. Say I have a round piece of mdf and i want to cut some text out on it so the text is raised. What is the trick to getting into the tight corners of the text without using infinately small endmills? I asked this before awhile back but I still am not getting it:confused:

[adrianm]

You either have to use vcarve toolpath with a flat clearance rather than a pocket or specify a clearance tool when creating a pocket toolpath so you're not using the tiny tool to get in everywhere.

I make a lot of use of the solid checkbox (next to 2D previews) so I can see where the tools are cutting (or not). It often only requires a slight tweak to one or two vectors to enable you to use larger tools than you could by default.

If you haven't found them already have a look at the tutorial videos at http://support.vectric.com

[zeykr]

I'd use a vcarve toolpath, not a pocket toolpath.

Set a border larger than your circle of mdf, select it and your text, use a vcarve toolpath and set a flat depth and use a flat area clearance tool.


Aspire example file:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6Mww4cX6JvOZWxEUGM5eHlXVnc

[MogulTx]

I, too, use a larger tool for clearing the majority of the material, then use a small tool to run around my text.

I just did this for a sign for a friend of mine.

Looks GREAT when complete.

[steve_g]

...And then there's the pyramid option of V-carving. It allows you to have "raised" letters that are recessed into the substrate, you can also pocket around them down less than the total pyramid depth... this lets you use a larger bit and still have a raised letter look.

SG

[banderson]

watched the videos and they were good. what am I doing wrong when I choose the vcarve toolpath and the clearance tool option is grayed out? (I have selected the outer ring and the text).

[zeykr]

Did you set a flat depth?

[banderson]

Yep, that did it.

What if you have a larger sign and need the clearance tool to be a 1/4 endmill to get the detail you need around the lettering. How do you use a larger diameter endmill to clear out the major pocket material?

[adrianm]

On the pocket toolpath you have the option to specify a larger clearance tool in the same way as you do on the vcarve toolpath.

[khaos]

Check out this vid (http://joesboats.com/raisedletters/) I made. It showes a raised letter and pocket.

[phardy79]

What software did you use to creat the pyramid text?

[steve_g]

Paul...
V-carve pro… It works well for objects other than text too!

SG

[Bob Eustace]

Gosh that looks good Steve.