Vector Cross Hatch Pattern

[Call-Tech]

I understand vcarve pro has a way to add a cross hatch pattern to design. Does anyone know of a way to do this in Flexisign or Artcam?

I am trying to do some glass etching with Spring Loaded Engraving Tool and need someway to fill some areas and make them appear solid fill.

-Fred

[steve4460]

Check out this post

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/312/38047.html?1232473169

Stephan www.windwardsigns.com (http://www.windwardsigns.com)

[Call-Tech]

Stephan,

I read the other post and it did help me with the vector dr in Artcam, but not in filling a vector area with a crosshatch patter. I know of lots of ways to fill a vector with certain color, gradient tint, even bmp pattern. but I do not know of anyway to fill a vector with a vector cross hatch pattern. I could make rows of vector lines crossing each other and grouping them together, but they would not fill into shape of existing vector boundary. I know of ways to mask bmps with vectors, but I do not know of a way to mask or cut a bunch of vector lines to a shape or fill. That is what I am trying to figure out. I'm sure there is a way and I am just missing it.

Thanks for your help, I did have the check box checked in vector doctor to keep original.

-Fred

Here is a photo by Steven Knight of what I am trying to do. He uses Vcarve Pro and as I understand it, it has an auto engraving crosshatch fill. I am using Flexisign & Artcam Pro and looking for a way to duplicate this fill in letter engraving feature. All my letters outline like his Knight logo, I can not fill my letters like his "Dupont" and "your logo and art" I figure I have to put a vector pattern inside the letters somehow in order for Artcam to engrave inside them.


6094

[steve4460]

Try the "trim vectore to intersection" tool or the "vectore clipping" tool.See if that works . If not then maybe you can send me the file , and maybe I can draw these patterns . I have VC Pro then I can make an eps or dxf that you can take in to artcam to toolpath it .
bot on .

[zeykr]

Will the engraving toolpath type in artcam work?
Might have to run it twice at opposite angles to get a true cross hatch pattern.

[Call-Tech]

Well I think I found a solution... Maybe, if I can get the diamond bits to not break.

If the font vectors are closed, I can use the area clear in Artcam and fudge the numbers on the tool size to make it do a fill at whatever raster angle I prefer. It looked great, increased machine time 4 fold and broke my diamond bit yet again when half done.

These diamond drag bits are not holding up well, I have broke 4 of them just testing. $100 worth of bits so far and no completed work for pay!

Has anyone seen a source for 3/16" diamond tip bits? other than 2L @ $25 each

-Fred

[steve4460]

what material are you carving in to ?. whts your speeds , stepdown etc.?.

[Call-Tech]

Glass & mirror. Speeds between .5"/sec to 2"/sec. spring loaded tool has .400" of travel. Medium spring. Zero to top of material. to fudge software toolpath, I usually tell it to start at -.030 and cut to -.040 and step down is .100 so it is single cut on vector line.

[steve4460]

Are you using cooling and what RPM ?. Check out the dremel tool cutters . I got some toolshop diamond cutters the other day that I tryed this with , at the lowest RPM with coolant .

[Call-Tech]

No I am not using any coolant. How do you use coolant with a wood spoil board? The 2L tool is designed to be dragged or it can be spun at 3000 rpms, but I can not slow my PC router to 3000 rpms so I am just dragging.

[steve4460]

It is messy . When I cut aluminum I put on a pice of scrap wood to fasten the aluminum to and then I use a WD40 spray can . I haven't use one of those drags yet . Did you surface your table befor your runniing this ?. I would guess that if there is any changes in hight over the pice that that will put more force on the cutter and that's why you keep breaking them off.

[Call-Tech]

The Spring Loaded Engraving Tool has .400 of an inch of travel. The spring is very light force and does not really change any between 0 and .250". I'm only putting about .030-.040 of an inch down pressure on it. So I don't think that is the problem.

[steve4460]

Could you post a picture of that tool , or a video of it in action?.

[Call-Tech]

Here are links to other posts on this product.

The first one here has links to Video of larger version. Its the closest video I have come across.
http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/315/37979.html?1232635041

Here is a link to another post with photos of work.
http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/312/30430.html

Here is a link to the tool itself.
http://www.2linc.com/engraving_mini.htm