Need help on Tabbing

[waltie]

I want to put tabs on 3/4 birch plywood. I would like the tabs to be 1/4 thich, 3/4 long and about every 36". How do you code this ?

Thanks for you help

[Brady Watson]

Ray,
There is always more that one way to skin a cat...I'm sure that many others will write in and tell you their way, but this is how I do it in PW (workins in v1 and v2):

Take your object that you want to machine and copy it. Save the file as File1. If you are using 3/4" material, you either want to cut it in 2 or 3 passes (you will need multiple passes for this technique ~ at least 2) Toolpath the profile of the object in File1 to a depth of .5". Save the file and create a new file.

Paste in the profile that you copied. You should not have moved it in orientation from the 1st one. Now, offset the copied part 1/2 of your tool diameter...for 1/4" tool use .125 etc. Now that you have it offset, do the folowing:

Setup guidlines that are spaced 3/4" apart where you want your tabs to be. Where the guidelines interstect your part, hover your mouse over the vector and press the 'C' key. Do this at all of the intersections. Then, select the parts that you cut (your tabs) and delete them.

Select all of the vectors and use a machine along vector strategy (this is why we offset the part) Tell it to go full depth (.75"). Make sure that all of the vector lines are going in the same direction in relation to each one's start point (green). Also take note if you want it to climb or conventional.

I have used this method time and time again and it works very well for me. Again, others will have a different approach.

HTH,
-Brady

[waltie]

Brady,

Thanks for the info (which I have printed for futher reference). The problem is all the coding has been done and the parts are to be cut tomorrow. The customer dicided today, that he wanted the parts to stay in the sheet, for easy storing. Not being up on Part Wizard that much, I decided that I could do this in the control software on the fillin sheet. Mainley I don't know what "lead-in" means on the fill-in sheet.

Ray

[Brady Watson]

Ray,
I'm not sure how your parts are shaped, but the SB tabbing command may not be the best thing depending on your part's shape. I have found that it puts the tab wherever it wants...and that can be an inside or outside corner where you don't want one.

Using the method above, you know exactly where they are.

-Brady

[richards]

Brady,

You've solved a problem that I've had since I bought the Alpha. Until now, I've only tried to place tabs on straight-line segments - which works great IF the part has straight-line segments. For those parts that don't have straight-line segments, at least straight-line segments where I needed them for tabbing, I've resorted to leaving a ~0.030 'skin' that would be routed away later with a laminate trimmer. It worked, but wasn't very elegant.

Using your method, I've been able to nest parts for maximum product yeild AND still use tabs to hold everything together. It takes a few minutes, but it works.

-Mike

[Brady Watson]

Glad it helped.

Instead of guidelines in PW2 you can make a rectangle as high as your tab and long enough to span several of your parts (in a row)...then just use the scissors to cut out the spots where the tabs will be.


-Brady

[paco]

Brady,
THIS is a VERY good hint for PW user. You must be making some very happy by sharing this...