Toolpaths and Machining: Drilling

Carveco Tutorial: Drilling Toolpath

The Drilling Toolpath is designed for creating clean and precise holes based on circular vectors. This toolpath is ideal for alignment holes, fixtures, or any part requiring vertical drilling operations.

🔹 Creating a Drilling Toolpath

1. Draw or import circular vectors for your holes.
2. Go to Toolpaths > Create Drilling Toolpath.
3. Select your vectors (or use vector layers to select multiple at once).
4. Enter your desired Finish Depth (e.g., 0.25").
5. Select your cutting tool (e.g., 1/8" end mill or drill bit).
6. Click Calculate to generate your toolpath.

🔹 Important Notes

• The hole size is defined by the tool diameter, not the vector size.
• Only perfect circles are auto-recognized. For other shapes, enable All Selected Nodes.
• Use Peck Drilling for deeper holes to reduce tool wear and improve chip evacuation.

🔹 Larger Hole Solutions

If the hole is larger than your drill bit:

• Use a Profile Toolpath set to "Inside" the vector to cut the shape.
• Use Area Clearance for large diameter recesses.

🔹 Drilling by Vector Layer

1. Assign different hole sizes or types to separate vector layers.
2. In the Drilling Toolpath, use Layer Selection instead of manual selection.
3. Ensures consistent grouping and toolpath creation for large designs.

💡 Tip

Vector layers make it faster to manage multiple hole groups — especially helpful for fixtures or jigs with repeated patterns.

🔹 Simulation and Visualization

• Use 3D View and Simulate Toolpaths to verify hole positions and depth.
• Remember: the tool size determines the visible hole, not the vector size.

The Drilling Toolpath is a simple yet powerful feature to accurately place holes in your project. Ideal for both decorative and functional purposes.