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woodturner
08-25-2010, 10:04 PM
Hello All,

I would appreciate some suggestions for creating one piece cabinet doors. I looked at the "Free Doors" program and it looks great (thanks and kudos to the guys that shared it) but I am looking for a different style RP door. I am not sure I can make it work.

I need to have a very efficient way of creating the tool paths or it's cheaper to buy the darn things. I am working with an alpha with two spindles. The door needs three or four bits. Can anyone suggest a starting point for something that would let me input the width and height and it calculate all the offsets and help me turn that into code without drawing it out. In other words, I can see using excel to do some repeatable math but where can I take it from there?

By the time I draw it in Acad, import it to Insignia and make, and save the paths, I could have bought the doors from someone that knows what they're doing. And by the way, does anybody know how the big guys in the door biz do what they do, and so quickly? Is custom software their success driving 5 axis routers (toolchangers are a given)? I cannot figure out some (most) of the square or near square corner profiles they routinely deliver.

In the case of a shopbot approach, I'll need to go from machining along a vector (three times)at two different Z heights and two different bits, to a small area clear (clean up four corners) with a third bit at yet another Z, to a profile cut to out the parts at another Z.

Thanks in advance for any reasonably priced suggestions.

gene
08-25-2010, 10:56 PM
Can you post a drawing of what you are trying to make?

kevin
08-26-2010, 06:16 AM
You don't need to use all the bits to save time and have a simpler door
Its a good program I.ve made over 300 doors on it
It take time to get use to it
Also at least not a big investment

woodturner
08-27-2010, 09:01 AM
Gene, I hope the attached dwg clears up what I had in mind. The larger corner radius reflects the pass with the round over and the small dia. reflects a clean up pass to make the corner look smaller (with a straight bit).

Kevin, are you referring to "Free Doors" or another program?

Thanks again!

kevin
08-27-2010, 10:52 AM
Yes free doors

richards
08-27-2010, 03:16 PM
Ed,

All of the source code for extracting spreadsheet data and converting that data is included with the FreeDoors program. I wrote the part that generates the Shopbot files. (Bruce Clark did all the hard part.) If you're comfortable programming in C++, just browse the source code.

Send me an email with any questions and I'll see if I can help.

-Mike

kevin
08-27-2010, 07:36 PM
Mike thanks for the program

woodturner
08-27-2010, 08:23 PM
I'm still working on this issue. I sent Mike an e-mail with a few specific questions like can different bits be used to modify the RP profile? If tweaking the program is required, I'm out as I know nothing about programming C++.

Gene, any thoughts on the drawing I posted?

If "none of the above" becomes the answer, does anyone have any other software suggestions?

Thanks in advance.