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Author Topic: Programing coutertop drainboard  (Read 5790 times)

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Programing coutertop drainboard
« on: June 12, 2007, 03:23:36 PM »
Hello Group,
I dont know if you have seen the routed drainboards that Solid surface (Corian) countertops can have. They are a simple routed design right next to the Kitchen sink, and it is sloped, it starts shallow on the far side of the sink, and it starts getting deeper as it gets closer to the sink. They are mostly done manually with a template a router, and they set the template on a base that is sloped.
How would you go about designing (CAD, CAM) this kind of cut using a flat endmill?

Heres a site that sells the template system
http://www.ampsedge.com/products/dr_board/dr_board_body_scroll.htm
Regards
Fernando
Re: Programing coutertop drainboard
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2007, 09:25:15 PM »
Like this, or more intricate?
« Last Edit: June 17, 2007, 09:27:50 PM by paul_smith632 »
Re: Programing coutertop drainboard
« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2007, 12:23:35 AM »
Hey Paul,
Thanks for your reply, well its something like that.

What I was looking for is how to program that in a cam program, I guess the design you drew wouldnt be so much trouble to program since you could draw that design as some lines that start joined at the shallow end, and begin separating as it gets deeper, and then you couuld program it by making a v-grove pattern, select a vgrove bit in the software and actually use a flat end mill on the job to get same width with a variation in depth.

But how could that be done if you would have a design like the one you drew, but with arcs joining the first and last grove, then another arc joining the second and second to last grove and so on, like a rainbow?
No problem drawing it, but the problem is when getting the code to machine that with a CAM package like Artcam.
Regards
Fernando
Re: Programing coutertop drainboard
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2007, 12:36:58 PM »
To cut out a design like this I would not use a cam machining method, ie.. horizontal or parrellel, but rather would transform the lines directly into toolpath.  Then use any shape bit to get different results.  The best program I've found so far to turn lines/arcs into toolpath is Gcode2000.  It mantains the 3d slope to the lines, whereas lazy cam flattens all to same level.  Only even with gcode2k, there is still carefull editing to be done, as it throws in plunges to  below 0 at beginning of every cut, and does not rectract up after cut.,  but it creates the slopes ok enough, even arcs maintain the slope.    I'd sure love to find another program that does it better if anyone knows of one.     

If I get time, I'll do the rainbow and post it and gcode. 

Offline rghendrix

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Re: Programing coutertop drainboard
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2007, 05:56:22 PM »
It would look alot cooler if you machined it with a ballnose endmill insted of a flat nose which will by the way leave a radiusa somewhat across the bottom wherever you doing a move with Z axis INCLUDED.....


To cut out a design like this I would not use a cam machining method, ie.. horizontal or parrellel, but rather would transform the lines directly into toolpath. Then use any shape bit to get different results. The best program I've found so far to turn lines/arcs into toolpath is Gcode2000. It mantains the 3d slope to the lines, whereas lazy cam flattens all to same level. Only even with gcode2k, there is still carefull editing to be done, as it throws in plunges to below 0 at beginning of every cut, and does not rectract up after cut., but it creates the slopes ok enough, even arcs maintain the slope. I'd sure love to find another program that does it better if anyone knows of one.

If I get time, I'll do the rainbow and post it and gcode.
Glenn Hendrix
HMT
glennhendrix@verizon.net
Re: Programing coutertop drainboard
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2007, 01:59:05 PM »
Ok Fernando, I finally came up with something, not sure it's directly useful for you as I used Visual Mill for the cam program.   However, it simply is the polylines drawn to designate the toolpath, saved in dxf, then in VM, I selected 2.5d>Engrave, with 'on condition', and this engraves the lines directly, including the slope around the arcs.  Idont have artcam, but hopefully it has an Engrave option to do this.   
I'd never used the engrave before, and only played with the 2.5d a small amount. 
Re: Programing coutertop drainboard
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2007, 02:29:32 PM »
That is exacyly what I needed!
I have access to visualmill at school.
THanks a lot Paul.
Regards
Fernando
Re: Programing coutertop drainboard
« Reply #7 on: June 29, 2007, 03:26:51 PM »
Your welcome, and thank you for your question, because I learned from it as well. 

Paul