Machsupport Forum
G-Code, CAD, and CAM => LazyCam (Beta) => Topic started by: ecnerwal on October 27, 2007, 02:19:21 AM
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Hi , i am new to lazycam and i am feeling my way.I hope someone can help me. I am a guitar maker and I have been trying to cut inlay pockets for pearl letters. I am using the text option in LC 2.56 to produce the letters, LKS, my logo, using brush script font ,border size is 1.5"* 0.5" so they are small. When I pocket the letters and export to mach3 I get zero arcs which I have to remove using notepad as well as larger circles which take the cutter out of the pocketing path. I am using 0.03' dia cutters. I have attached an example of the problem file
Thanks
Lawrence
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Hi, Lawrence
Post your lset file.
Hears one I made not proper font or size though, Using ver. 2.56.
I'll do a smaller one and try to find the other font time permitting.
Thanks, Chip
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Hi, Lawrence
Hears one I made not proper font, Proper size though, Using ver. 2.56, Didn't pocket properly.
Can you use offsetting.
Thanks, Chip
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Hi Chip, thanks for your efforts. When you say lset do you mean my font file ? I have attached the ttf that I use.
I can offset with no problems. I have also created the logo using a 15" by 5" block size and then reducing it to 1.5 by .5, but when I do the circles appear.... they may still be there in the larger version but are not a problem....that is they are within the toolpath but when I reduce the size they extend outside the tool path.
Lawrence
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Hi, Lawrence
Hears one, proper font, proper size, made with BobCad 2007.
Feed speed's set at F1, it has 2 tool changes and spindle speed of S2000, Mach should ignore them if you have it turned off
Do a air cut, from Z0 it will cut .050 deep and rapid at .1 above Z0.
With feed override you can increase to 3 in a min or edit them.
Hope it Helps, Chip
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Hi Chip,
What I am trying to pocket is the inside of the letters not around them. I have tried other fonts with LC and get the same result.
Lawrence
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Hi, Lawrence
LazyCam has some issues with arc's, Art has it on his list to look at.
I guess I got confused on the 1.5 X.5 dim..
Hears one in engrave mode, Pocketing misses part of the K.
Just Another, Chip
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Thanks for your help chip.... I guess I wait for the update in LC
lawrence
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Hi, Lawrence
Think I have the Posting problem resolved for BobCad.
Take a look at this font "GUNGUSH", or pick one.
Give me the tool dir., dept of cut and I'll Generate the G-code for it.
Thanks, Chip
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Greetings,
A possible work-around that I've used before with success is to offset inside, then offset the offset inside, and again... until the pocket is made.
Another possible work around is to take burden off LazyCAM and just draw the tool path (i.e. draw the tool path in the CAD program). Sometimes, I'll just let the cutter follow the lines and see if I get something I like - center of the cutter follows the line. If that isn't good, you must make cutter diameter compensation built in for this way to work... but you are probably limited to very small diameter cutters for this design anyway. In AutoCAD for example, I'd just do parallel offsets across the letters, then use the letters to trim the lines.
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Lawrence, the circles almost sound like leadins that mach uses for the tool comp. Try turning the leadins off or reducing them in size or making them straight. In some examples if the bit is larger than the space to pocket then Lcam will not pocket that area.
Enlarging the file then reducing it rarely fools MACH when it comes time to cut it still has to abide by the diminsions verses tool diam.
Do you have a dxf file of the letters you want pocketed I would like to give it a whirl in Lcam.
(;-) TP
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G'day All,
I think I may have confused the problem here. I don't have a problem cutting pockets ,it is that when i do I end up with a whole lot of little circles that I have to remove by editing the G-code manually, i.e with notepad.( see below)
That'swould not be a problem if I only had one inlay ,I just edit it and use the file every time I want to cut it. The problem is that I want to do a lot of different inlays and I don't want to have to edit every one.
With the last update of LC2.58 the zero radius arcs have gone but these little circles are still there.
I've tried differnt fonts files, creating letter files in various cad programs etc, but when I post the files at the size I need (1.5"w * 0.5"h) I get the same result. I've even tried creating a file that is 10 times the required size, no circles until I scale it down in mach and they appear again.
I do think it is a problem with LC .
I do appreciate the help I have recieved, .... it's just a little frustrating... i don't want to go back to cutting the inlays by hand again I'm getting to old for that .
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Hi Lawrence, I just tried the same type of setup and did not see any circles it cut just fine.
Can you describe HOW you are making the cutfile, are you using LCAM, what version??? or a different CAM package.
It it part of a DXF file that you are adding text to, or a separate drawing created in LCAM???
If Lcam can you post the Lcam project file??
(;-) TP
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Hi, Lawrence
Those look like circle lead- ins to me.
You can turn the lead-ins off in the Lead-in Window, click on a circle/leadin, then double click, The window will open up, Un-Check the Leadin ON Box, Then OK.
Hope this Helps, Chip