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Thread: Tiling a project vs setting up on diagonal

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
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    16

    Default Tiling a project vs setting up on diagonal

    New shopbot desktop owner here, planning to upgrade to a max in the future but loving the desktop for now! I build guitars and have a question in regards to tiling a guitar neck vs doing the machining on a diagonal plane. Especially since the back of the neck will be a 3d carve I'm wondering if this will be too much strain on the machine rather than just using the x axis and doing the headstock first and then the rest of the neck after moving? For reference a neck is about 26" long, barely too long to fit on the machine bed but it can fit in between the rails in the X axis. I'm thinking that one of these options is better than using a pass through on the y since then I would have to stop the 3d operation somewhere in the middle of the neck carve. Let me know what you guys think, and as always thank you!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    iBILD Solutions - Southern NJ
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    7,986

    Default

    There is no problem machining the neck on an angle in order to fit it on the bed. Yes, you have all 3 axes moving at the same time, but as long as you don't hammer on it speed wise, it will be fine. Yes, rastering in only X or Y would be good in an ideal world, but I think you'd be hard pressed to see a huge disparity in quality from one rastered in the X or Y on a Maxx and one machined on an angle.

    If you have expensive stock, just make yourself a glueup out of MDF and give it a try. YOU are the one that ultimately has to be happy with the quality...but again - I think you'll be fine.

    -B
    High Definition 3D Laser Scanning Services - Advanced ShopBot CNC Training and Consultation - Vectric Custom Video Training IBILD.com

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    16

    Default

    Thanks Brady, I figured that going x or y would be ideal but also figured the bot was more than accurate and strong enough to take care of rastering diagonally. How would you propose I go about making sure that my VCarve program and material on the bot are both located correctly along that angle? I'm going to play with the software now, but I'm thinking clamp the stock along the zero x axis and drill my registration holes, then flip it to 45 degrees and have registration holes at those locations too then bolt it down, move my neck file to 45 degrees and cut away? My brain is still trying to understand all of this cool stuff

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    iBILD Solutions - Southern NJ
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    7,986

    Default

    What you see is what you get in the software...so draw a rectangle to represent the machine bed 24 x 18". Position the neck on that rectangle. It probably won't be exactly 45 degrees; probably closer to 35 degrees.

    With CNC there's always more than one way to hold things down. The easiest by far would be to first draw the outline of your material blank in CAD, rotate it into position and do an outside profile of it with a small bit (1/16 or 1/18" dia) only .015" deep directly onto the spoilboard. This will give you a visual outline where to place the blank. You can use carpet tape, which MUST have woven fiberglass in it (or you'll never get it off) to hold things down. Ace or Duck brands work well. Just align your pre-sized blank to the light score marks on the table & machine. It's gonna get 'spoiled' anyway...hence the name.

    Pay close attention to the toolpath preview, it's usually quite accurate - be SURE to do a 3D roughing toolpath and you may want to do the profile before the 3D finishing toolpath as well. Adjust your toolpath boundary vectors to make sure the tool is resolving the entire design; not too much not too little. You don't want 1/2 cusps left on the part at the end because the boundary vector should have been offset to the outside +1/2 the dia of the bit. (You also don't want to the tool machining air or the spoilboard surface unnecessarily) Hammer on that previewer and modify toolpaths in VCP/Aspire until it completely looks how you want it before you turn on the machine. Make sure your material dimensions match what you tell CAM they are supposed to be.

    You'll be alright...

    -B
    High Definition 3D Laser Scanning Services - Advanced ShopBot CNC Training and Consultation - Vectric Custom Video Training IBILD.com

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