ATTN: Robert Cheal...

[myxpykalix]

I saw you had posted a couple pixs in the test area:
http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/2641/18699.html?1172547698

And I was thinking about doing something similar to that and wondered if you could share some details about how you created that moulding?
thanks

[dray]

I am trying to same thing right now with a piece of casing =(

I cant figure it out unless he just created a 3d model and used a ball nose bit then sanded, or just made arc's and used different bits

[gpari]

You can do this with the shopbot labs extruder, among others. I've used it many times, wonderful little program.

A little creativity and thinking WAY outside the box and you can create some pretty cool things with it.

Gabe

[myxpykalix]

Those little addons probably work great if we had some TUTORIALS to figure them out....(hint, hint, nudge nudge..ted)

[robert_cheal]

Hi, Guys

I don't have Part Wizard so I can't use the Extruder program that works with it.
So I use ACAD and lay out the tool paths manually. The molding in the test area had about 5 different router bits involved.
I draw a block of the actual cutters with a 2" vertical stem and color code them, and copy then them at about .05" apart along the profile to be cut. (As Danny mentioned it does need a little sanding)

After I design all of the cuts I rotate the layout(stand it up )in 3D and then copy or mirror the layouts to the total diameter needed. And copy 2 point circles across from stem to stem. I set them to the final elevation (cut depth). I lttle tweeking and then I generate the final tool path in Vector.

Most of the time I do use dado cuts to rough things down and finish with a ball cutter.

It can be a little tedious but I am getting better at it. If any one wants to request it I could post a .DXF file tomorrow that might shed better light than this muddled attempt to expalin it.
Robert

[rick_woodward]

Hi Robert
I would be very interested , in further detail. Especially if you have figured out a way to make your bits follow your part instead of going back and forth across the part. It looks like your bit starts at the "bottom" of the part and just follows the path ? Looks real smooth.... What kinda time involved in making this and is it for a window or a frame for a painting? Thanks , rick

[bill.young]

John,

Have you looked at the instructions that come with the Extruder? It shows you how to create the profile toolpath in Part Wizard and gives examples of several types of paths for it to extrude along. There are also sample files for you to try out.

[robert_cheal]

I would like to use Bill's Extruder if I had the option I think it would be easier for alot of things.

Tonight I will post a drawing of a recent project 30" Diameter x 1.625" thick clock frame. When all the cut files had been created the part was on the cutting table for about 2 hours.

The pictures that started this post are from a custom profile elipse molding for 5' x 9' ceiling dome. It had a lot of cutting time with various roughing cuts, 3 cove cutters, a V- cut, and cuts to release the part.

I went through quite a process for that one I described it in some detail and posted more pictures and oddly enough I can't find the thread anymore. This was about 2 months ago.

I'll be back later,
Robert

[gpari]

I don't have Part Wizard either. You can still use extruder. I've also used Rhino and others, but for some projects the extruder is alot quicker.

Jack, if everything was easy, what would be the motivation


Gabe

[bill.young]

hey Robert,

It's been a long time since I worked with Vector so don't remember the specifics of it's output format, but it shouldn't be too hard to make the Extruder work with part files that Vector generates. Send me an email and I'll see what I can do.

Bill

[david_beede]

Bill,
I was playing with the Extruder recently to see about making radiused fingerboards and one of those big shallow sanding dishes for guitar making.
Since it uses an input of a .sbp part file, does it matter how you get the first profile? Meaning anyone who can generate a DXF of a profile can be turned into a .sbp file and then dropped in your extruder, eh?
Cool program...
David

[jay_p]

David,

If you would be interested in sharing your file for the radiused sanding dish, I would be interested. I promise not to go into competition with you. I think that I only have one guitar in me if that.

thanks

Jay

[bill.young]

Hey David,

Yep. You can use whatever program you're comfortable with to draw the profiles...I generally use an old version of TurboCAD for most of my CAD drawing. As long as your program can output files in a format that Part Wizard can read you'll be in business.

Bill

p.s. check out the pdf instruction file..there's an example of doing a dished shape toward the end.

[robert_cheal]

I posting a DXF file of a recent project that I recently completed using a manual method. Anyone that is curious can down load it and check it out. I had to cut 90 percent of it out to get it to post so if any wants a full 3-d file I can email it to them.
clock frame

7443 (42.6 k)

Bill,
I understand what you Extruder can do but I haven't looked at it closely because of what I understood to be the Part Wizard connection to it.
I create my final tool paths in Vector 9. What type of file or out put would I need to send you?
Thanks for you offer.

Thanks, Robert Cheal