here is the latest project

[khaos]

As hobbyists we get the benefit of taking as long as we like. In a production environment that would be a $2-3000.00 plaque. I think results are what matter. And it looks damn good.

[cowboy1296]

i can understand the difference between my garage and a full service shop. I just wanted some input on if i were doing something wrong. There is always room for improvement.

[bleeth]

The last large 3-d I did is around 24 x 36. I roughed it with a 3/8 end mill and finished with a 1/8" BN at 8%. Final took 22 hours and the result needed much sanding.
So I would say your time was par for your strategy. Pics don't always tell the story. The fine detail can't be had with a bigger faster bit. If you wanted it more "rustic" you could have used a larger bit and knocked a lot of time off but the fineness of your detail just takes time. No way, for example, to have the tree look that good with larger bit.
Great job.

[srwtlc]

Scott aka srwtlc, a couple of people on the vectric site dont like the fact that cutting this 20 inch plaque took close to 25 hours. about 4 were the roughing and the other 21 was finishing with a 1/16 inch ball nose. I am using the 3d ramping values, but there is so much z action is what makes me think that the cutting took so long. Feed rates and plunge rates are close with about 2.6 inch per second for each. I am thinking that i am very close to what is correct. What do you think?

Rick,

It might be a bit long for the size, but you have to take into account that it's a 1/16" bit with a small stepover. I don't remember if yours is a Standard or Alpha, but I'll generally run (depending on detail) around 4/3, 4/4, 5/4, or 5/5 and I'll even bump up the ramp for XY and Z if detail permits, because you seldom get up to full speed so a little more ramp speed can help. It takes a bit of testing to find what works best. If you have a Standard, you may not be able to attain those speeds without loosing steps, particularly on the Z.

There's really no area in your layout that you'll get up to speed for very long before it has to slow down again. Each direction has just as much detail so no matter what you choose for toolpath direction, it would take about the same time. One thing you could do, if you didn't, is to add a draft to any of the parts that have a straight wall (the letters and rings). A 10% draft will allow the toolpath to do a shallow rise/fall on each side instead of an abrupt stop/up down/go, keeping the tool in more constant motion. There's a lot of up/down time for just the rim!

A lot of the users on the Vectric forum are running Mach3/4 and although it's been a long time since I ran it and didn't really get to do much if any 3D with it, I think it handles keeping each axis in motion and up to speed best it can a bit better/smoother (constant velocity), but may/can sacrifice a bit of detail due to corner rounding depending on the CV settings.

[cowboy1296]

thanks for the encouragement Bleeth, from you that means a lot. For a moment i thought that i doing something wrong. Recently i did a rustic lantern for a furniture maker. Although it was rustic enough for me he used a chisel and added to it. the client luved it.

back to the barrel. it was cut from a block of wood that was 1.7 inches thick. the shape height of the barrel was 1.13. I used a beckwidth 1/16 inch bit with a 7% step over with feed rate and plunge set at 2.6 per minute. Yes i did use the 3-d ramp values. with all of the components on top of it, it meant for a lot of z travel. I did preview it using a 1/8 inch bit and based on that i went with the 1/16. i have changed bits midstream on a 3-d cutting before and did not care for the result. so generally i stick with the same bit for the whole project.

Anyhow i am always learning so the input is always appreciated.

[cowboy1296]

i am just a poor boy working out of the corner of his garage and wait on the monthly government check. In other words i have a standard.

see what i mean by always learning. i am not sure what this means: A 10% draft will allow the toolpath to do a shallow rise/fall on each side instead of an abrupt stop/up down/go. But i will research it to see how it works.

[srwtlc]

Draft button.



Took me a bit to find it, but its on page 207 of the reference manual in your user data folder.

In your case, you would use it on only the text and rings by turning off the other components.

[cowboy1296]

thanks for doing my work for me. i have seen this as somewhat of an issue on other carvings but i did not know that there was a way to fix it.

Along with your explanation that was easy to figure out. Thanks again and i can assure you that i will be using that tool a lot in the future.

[dmidkiff]

That is awesome Rick. The detail that you achieved just takes time. The artist work gives the project an extra kick. Wish I could finish like that.

[cowboy1296]

me too, mine always looks like brown on brown.