Question with toolpath in PW3D

[josh_bennett]

HI, I have been cutting out trapezoids in partworks 3d. I cut these out by using two 'wedge' shapes tapering in opposite directions. (ski cores) The cut file on the right wedge starts on the outside and mills the thin side first. This is good. when I mill the left wedge it starts at the high end of the wedge and mills down to the this edge. this is bad. I don't want to move the cores after I start cutting. How do I program it to start cutting on the thin side of both triangles. Does this make sense? Sorry it's hard to explain

[Brady Watson]

PW3D is a basic CAM program. If you want more control over 3D toolpaths and additional strategies, you'll have to move up to Aspire or ArtCAM.

The only other option that I could suggest would be to rotate your material & part 90 degrees and try milling it side to side. You should be doing a roughing pass to hog out the majority of the material before running a finishing pass with a ball.

The other option, if the parts are just regular old trapezoids, would be to cut them out using PW2D. Let's say these are regular trapezoids...You could offset the cross section of the part to the outside 1/2 the diameter of your bit. Then trim off the bottom leg (longest). Use the Profile toolpath strategy with Machine 'ON' vector option to run the cutter on the centerline of offset vector you made & cut it out that way. One good screw clamp should hold it down well enough for this job if you keep the stepdown small.

If using a 1/2" bit, you'll offset your original vector to the outside .25". Trim OFF the bottom edge so that your bit doesn't crash into the clamp, then create toolpath to machine ON that offset. I'd go .125 deep per pass.

-B