Multiple Passes

[nat_wheatley]

I was toolpathing a file today: cut depth/6mm, pass depth/5mm. I expected the first pass to be 5mm, but instead it was 3mm. Is there a setting to change so that the actual pass depth matches the pass depth entered for the cutter?

Normally I'd create a profile for each cut, but I was using tabs, and wasn't entirely clear on how that would work.

[blackhawk]

Nat - I believe Partworks is the same a Vcarve Pro. Vcarve Pro does the exact same thing. The software uses your pass depth to determine how many passes that it takes for the actual cut. In your case, it takes 2 passes, so then it divides the total depth of 6mm by the number of passes (2). This is where the 3mm comes from. If your total depth was 12mm, you would have 3 passes and each successive pass would be 4mm. I don't know anyway to change this without creating separate sbp files for each pass. I assume the thinking is that you are taking two passes anyway, so why not just reduce the load for the first pass.

[mark_m]

Nat,
One method that you could use to do this.
Create a profile toolpath, cut depth 5mm, pass depth 5mm, add your tabs.
Copy the toolpath using the Copy toolpath icon.
Highlight the copied toolpath, click on the Edit
toolpath icon.
On the copied toolpath, change the "Start depth (D)" setting to be 5mm and the "Cut Depth (C)" setting to be 1mm.
Click calculate to update the toolpath with your changes.

I hope that this helps.

Cheers,

Mark.

[nat_wheatley]

Brad,

That's just what it's doing. I like to do the 'bulk' of the cut with the first pass, then do a final pass to remove the final skin on the bottom, and to trim any excess material on the sides left from deflection of the first cut. It would be nice if there were an option to do either equal passes, or to pick a set cut depth for each pass.

Mark,

Great work-around. I use the program fairly often and had never really paid any attention to either the 'Start Depth' or 'Copy' toolpath buttons. Always amazes me that those things can go unseen when I look at the screen almost everyday.

Thanks, guys, for posting.

Nat