My Lessons Thus Far
I have managed to cut a few projects now and it is pretty cool. I find that I Would have to classify many of my cuts as failures; but learning failures at least.
1. When doing the 3D cutting, and at least while making two passes ( I have not tried to with a single pass) the clearance for the tapered part of the ballnose bit is not accounted for in the software. I had cut down with a 1/4 inch endmill, then was using the 1/16 ballnose. The ballnose bit's shank was hitting the material causing the stepper to skip on the X & Y axis. This in turn caused the program to rip through the almost finished pattern -- destroying it. The bit is fine. lol I will have to manually make a larger box and use the rough pass with that larger box and the finish with the smaller box.
2. Using a pinch means to hold the material -- you have to pinch on the X axis as well as the Y axis. I bolted a board across the front and back and then used a set of shims to pinch the material between them. It was my first time cutting "hardwood" (Poplar). It grabbed the material and slid it to the right, and cut through the pattern when it started cutting back to the left.
3. When using a large area clearing tool, it cuts right up to the line which prevents the finish bit from being able to clean up any rip-out. I suspect that I could use the finish cut first and eliminate all rip-out.
4. When using an upcut bit, you must pin the material down. I tried to use one when I was just pinching the material (X and Y) and it lifted the material.
4a. When the material breaks loose -- DO NOT try to grab it!!! I had someone helping me, they were closest to the machine when the material lifted and started to spin -- they started towards it as if to grab it. I shouted, they stopped.
I am sure there will be more lessons.....
Chazz
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