Answered
How can I machine a curved recess?
I want to machine a curved recess in material, - think of half a football machined into a block, or half a wine bottle laid on it's side.
I cannot find how to do this anywhere - can anyone help?
We have the full version of Carveco (Version 1.5) but I cannot find any way of achieving this.
Sample photo of what I want to do below (hand cut on bandsaw).
Comments
Hi Mark Harley,
You might want to try creating a relief using the Shape Editor or one of the other Relief Creation tools included in your Carveco software (for example, Extrude or Two Rail Sweep) and then inverting the relief.
Please watch the following demonstration videos available from our Carveco Training portal:
Thanks for your time and consideration.
Thanks for the quick reply - I've watched the videos and had a quick play but it's not quite what I'm trying to achieve.
We import CAD files with all of the layers (vectors) pre drawn, and we normally just use 2D machining (select the vector & tell it how deep it has to be cut) so ideally I want to select the relevant vector and then tell it to cut a half circle relief in the material.
The shape editor sort of does this, but it creates a fully sculpted recess whereas we want to create a half tube shape (think of half a plate recessed into the material) with flat faces on 2 sides and a curved recess between the flat faces.
Ideally we also want to tell the machine to start the recess at one depth and finish the recess at another (as per area clearance toolpaths) Is this possible?
Sample photo of a lens pocket in foam with a hand cut curved base (added afterwards in the bottom of an area clearance pocket) - we want to be able to machine the curved base instead.
What's the height of said curve? Whats the length? in carveco set the height then use the 2 rail sweep in the subtract.
Mike
Hi Mark,
You will need to create an Extrude.
Design the profile shape / cross section to include to curve and edges for depth (create a 3 sided vector of the side view), then a center line vector for direction, and use the Extrude tool to generate the relief.
For machining, use the Machine Relief with Roughing. This will allow it to rough out quickly with a endmill similar to an area clear, then it will machine the final contour with a ball nose.
Have a great day!
Jen
Jennifer Dunn, Artistic CAD
If you would like to learn more of the advanced uses in Carveco, you can email me at artistic.cad@gmail.com
Hi Mike,
the 2 rail appears to do what I want (I think) but Im struggling with it.
It all works as I want using the drive rails and the cross section (see screenshot below)
But when I hit apply it stretches it ??? and I can't see why :(
Jennifer,
I've also had a play in Extrude, which may be better - but again, the same problem when I hit Apply it stretches the relief approx. twice as deep - what am I missing???
Jennifer,
I think I've sussed the depth issue - using the merge low button seems to have fixed it?..........BUT....
I cant find the machine relief with roughing button?
**EDIT** found it now.
Hi Mike,
Be careful with Merge Low, it has a very specific use and worked because you are in the negative. The stretched relief was just in the steps, once you click Apply, it will double in height/depth when using Add or Subtract as it temporarily adds a second layer. At this point if you close the tool, the extra temp height goes away, it only stays if you click Apply again as it was a preview the next add.
If you are getting into more 3D and would like an Overview or some basic training to help you along the way, let me know.
Glad you found the Machine Relief with Roughing, this should be your main 3D machining tool.
Thanks, Jen
Ooh, thanks Jennifer - what does Merge Low do then?
I do seem to have worked out what to do now - not sure if I'm doing it in the most productive way though!
I would appreciate some help/training in the best way for programming please - should I send you an overview of what I wish to achieve by direct email, or leave it on here?
Hi Mark,
Merge Low is similar to an Intersection Boolean tool, keeping the areas that overlap with other areas, so in your case, it kept your shape where it intersected with material below 0.
Send me a direct email with the details.
Thanks, Jen
wow, I did an answer to you for the 2 rail sweep, maybe I didn't submit, well any way I got a quick job today for a friend he's shipping some old stuff, it fit in well with what I said here's a photo
Mark,
OK, the 2 rail sweep tool can be used for precise, or sloppy it all depends on what you want. With depth sometimes you can hit the apply too may times by accident then you can get to say some words. In Carveco like Artcam there are bunch of ways to do things, it all depends on what you are comfortable doing, in the photo on what I did I use 2 rail sweep, shape editor, angled plane tool, multiple layers with merge high and add. If I can help let me know I know Jennifer is doing a great job of helping so I'll back off.
Mark,
If you want I could get everything ready for you to do a 2 rail sweep, all I would nee would be the size of the foam the depth of the concave the x and y dimensions and if you would like the flats too.
Mike
Hi Mike/Jennifer,
We normally only route in 2D as we manufacture foam inserts for flight cases so 3D is not really required.
We inport 2D CAD drawings into Carveco with all of the layers pre drawn so we only need to select the layer & tell the software how deep to cut it (area clearance- multi tool).
Below is a simplistic drawing of what we normally use. The lower view is what we normally machine, but it would be good to machine the centre vector as a curve rather than a flat (as seen through 'A-A')
I hace programmed a curve & a bowl shape successfully & run them in foam, but for some reason it seems to run an extra surface border around the recesses which you can just see in the photo (end of pen shows the edge) which I don't want it to do.
Both the curved hole & the bowl hole were done with the extrude function.
Mark is this what you are after?
mike
Mark,
Forgot to add, the discoloration could be because the shank of your end mill is larger than the diameter of the flutes, you might want to ask your supplier, it just might be caused by the speed of the end mill cutting also, ask them what your feeds and speeds should be.
Mike
mark,
Here's a link for the vector files with definitions and instructions on vector layers, hope this helps.
https://we.tl/t-SNnMK2fmpd
Mark here's the full file not just the vectors.
mike
https://we.tl/t-pe7hCcEh0N
You have 7 days to get this.
Hi Mike,
sorry for late reply - been out of the office for a couple of days.
Thanks for the files - I'll look through them this afternoon.
Ref the 'border' on my reliefs so far - my tools are not stepped - the program actually runs a border around the top after it has finished cutting the recess - even though it does not show up on the simulation??
Hi Mike,
wow! not sure even how to understand your files! they are way more complicated than ours and the file size is huge?
Attached is a file showing how we normally would cut the lens hole with the std flat bottom - we just want to add a curve to the 92 layer.
https://we.tl/t-OihEJEwrOH
Hi Mike,
I'm almost there - I've found the issue with it doing the 'border' - it's programming the tool to run the centre of the tool to the edge of the vector rather than the edge of the tool. Annoyingly it seems a fixed issue - I cannot find an option for it to run inside??
I can cheat for lens cut outs by drawing the vector (in CAD) slightly smaller (half tool diameter) but that is not really an option for other pockets and it's not really correct.
This is my latest effort - 90% there.
https://we.tl/t-6zl6tLhZVV
I looked at the 265.0 and the 200 and thought metric (smiley face here) you can always import it and change the dimensions. If you would look at the process that I used you could see that it was rather simple, I, in the vector layers described what the processes were that I used, I tried to make it very simple (sometimes when I do that I might make it a little confusing, communication might not be my strong point sometimes). In the Relief layers I set the layers to the way I modeled it, layers have add, subtract and merge, or rather replace.
Since I used metric you can always change it back to standard, not to hard to do in Carveco.
Since I work by myself I can be a little whirly and unconventional but I do get the job done.
If I can be any more help, don't be afraid to ask.
Mike
Hi Mike,
Yes, all our drawings are metric ;)
I think the main difference is we use AutoCAD to do all of our drawings and just use Carveco to program the tooling - this is a very simple way of doing things. We don't use Carveco to do any drawings at all.
It is interesting to see how your file size is 99Mb whereas ours is 1Mb though. I'm still trying to fully understand the 2 rail concept - Carveco's video are very light on the concept - but heavy on the manipulation so not all that helpful.
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/artcam-forum/double-rail-sweep-problem-with-rectangles/td-p/7400769/page/2
Mark go to the link above read it then try out the tutorial in the last post.
I added this video (solution) and the last post I added a tutorial in an eps format o the 2 rail sweep. Check them out, rather sure that it would help with understanding the tool.
Oh and by the way the reason my file was so large was all the pixels that it has in it, it has the 3d elements to it so it is a lot larger, yours was just 2d so it will be a lot smaller. I did give you a 2d file it's about 1 meg too that is the difference. I never liked autocad, have loved artcam for many years (now carveco). Carveco has all the tools you will ever need (as far as I know, there are a few things I would like to have but I can do everything I need to do with it the way it is (basically) If I used autocad or something similar my head would explode, I would forget what to do with what tool it'd be a waste of money and time, oh and my brain would short out. I do use Rhino, and Modo but there are times I get a little squirrely
Mike
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