Fluted Post

[cbradshaw]

I am intersted in making fluted door casings and I know how to do the flutes but I do not know how to make them pull up or taper at the ends. Can someone tell me how to do this?

Thanks,

Carroll

[andre]

the forney fluter tool in the control software I believe

[myxpykalix]

It's actually even simpler than that. Using 1/2, 3/4, or bigger round nose bit if you just cut along the vector to the length of the flute you want the round edge of the bit creates the tapered edge, so no need to try to figure out a complicated pull up toolpath. I sent you mail.

[bill.young]

John,

Just stopping a cut with a round-nosed bit gives you a rounded end on your flute, but not really a tapered one. The bit needs to make a 3d move at the start and the end of the flute to give the taper that I think he's looking for.

Bill

[myxpykalix]

maybe i misunderstood, but it seems to me that in pulling up the rounded tool simultaneously moving in the X and Z while moving would make the end a smaller radius than the center. That would look funny to me, if i'm understanding correctly? Is this the way the toolpath would go? How could you toolpath that?

8525

[ryan_slaback]

M3 12,3,0
M3 16,3,-.125
M2 48,3
M3 52,3,0

I would think that would give you a taper for 4 inches on either side of the flute.

A curved toolpath could be done too it would just take more M3 commands. similar to when you code a circle, just instead of x and y coordinates, you would have x and z coordinates

[bleeth]

Although Carroll hasn't chimed back in, if someone asked me how to make the flute taper up at the ends I would assume they are planning on using a v-bit.

[bill.young]

Here's an old discussion of various types of tapered flutes from the forum

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/29/8874.html?1123592450

[cbradshaw]

All,
Sorry for the slow response, A picture is worth a thousand words.

This is what I would like to do.

Thanks,

Carroll
flutes

8526 (49.3 k)

[cbradshaw]

All,
Sorry for the slow response, A picture is worth a thousand words.

This is what I would like to do.

Thanks,

Carroll

[cbradshaw]

How do I make the picture bigger yet stay within the 25k limits

[myxpykalix]

go to www.xat.com (http://www.xat.com) and download jpeg optimizer. Take your picture into your paint program and resize to 640x480. Then open up jpeg optimizer and it has a slider bar for percentage of shrinkage. It will reduce the kilobyte size to under 50k but the resolution does suffer.

[cbradshaw]

Jack,

Thanks for the tip. Hopefully you can make this out.
8527

[cbradshaw]

closeup view
8528

[bleeth]

Carroll: These old eyes are having a bit of trouble telling whether it's a round bottom or a v-groove, but either way the Forney Fluter tool in SB3 will handle that quite nicely. Look under tools in the drop down menu and follow the instructions. On the last tab in the menu, after you set the size of the piece and the number of flutes, etc. it looks like your lead in/out is around 1 inch max.

[cbradshaw]

Dave,

It is cut with a ball nose. I will try the " Forney Fluter" Until this post I did not know that was there. Thanks to everyone that responded.

[jhicks]

I'm not sure this would work but for what its worth.
couldn't one simply design the outline of the flute with the extended/ reduced tapered ends, then cut in V carve style in 2D art. The ball nose would then necessairly lift up as it cuts the narrower ends thereby reducing its width and depth.

tapered flute

8529 (4.3 k)

[cwshop]

I wrote a file several years ago that might help. The taper is like an arch from the start in point to the depth of cut. Just set your over all flute length, arch taper length and total depth of flute. It cuts one flute and starts at x=0,y=0,and z=0 to top of working surface. You can alter file to suit your needs. Look at file carefully and try at your own risk. It works great for me! I will try to e-mail it to you.

[cbradshaw]

All,

I will try these suggestions this weekend and let you know how it comes out.

Thanks,

Carroll

[dray]

Just curious.. Why are you doing it that way?

To match existing or?

[waynelocke]

I have done these by simply adding code at the beginning and end to make the fingernails. If the flute is .25" deep and starts at 0,0 with zzero at the top of the material you can add "M3,0.5,,-0.25" and it will make a fingernail 1/2" long at the beginning. You can do the same at the end and on the other flutes.

I'm not sure that you can discern much difference between an arc and a straight line at the ends.

Danny, I think that fingernails are more elegant. Since, without cnc or an elaborate jig, they require handwork, I would use that as a selling point to differentiate my work from the guy with a router and a fence.

Wayne

[cbradshaw]

Danny,
A friend of mine has this style woodwork in his house and I think it looks better than just a blunt end. I thought I would try to duplicate it in my home.

Carroll

p.s. I agree with wayne also, anybody can do it the other way.