Raster 3D Strategy - Across wood grain, or not?

[gerald_martin]

Most of the 3d work I've done in the past has involved running one of the Onsrud 77-102 taperd ball nose cutters in-line with the wood grain.

However, the mantel shelf piece I need to cut (my first Aspire job) would be better suited, due to it's shape and my vacuum zone layout, to cutting across the grain of the wood.

Cut depth is about 5/8" max, material is cherry wood.

Will a raster across the grain, instead of inline with it, require more finish sanding?

Any suggestions for feed rates/spindle speed?

[ljdm]

It depends on your stepover. True, cutting inline with the grain can kind of hide some tooling marks, where across the grain they would be more visible. So, yes, if the stepover is too much, there will be more sanding. Don't remember the options in Aspire - can you change the angle of the raster cuts? If so, then change it to 90, then it should cut in the direction of the grain.

[mikeacg]

I do a number of signs in redwood and use the vbit to replicate a sandblasted look for the backgrounds. This is in Partworks not Aspire and is not 3d work so I apologize for straying from the original post. If I go across the grain I get a lot of tearout vs. going with the grain. The thing I found interesting is that I get increased speed (based on the readout the program provides for cutting time) going different directions - horizontal vs vertical. If the background texture is not an issue like when I am cutting something without a grain like foam, I generally pick the angle that gives me the fastest time.

Mike

[applik]

Gerald,
We prefer cutting with the grain with a tbn BUT any angle will work. There are times when for one reason or another you just can't cut with the grain, so go to it. It should turn out just fine.
later,
Shari