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[John TenEyck]

Yes. The molding profile is an arc, trimmed from a circle. So a pure quarter circle.

The start point node is put on the vector start point node and swept (is my understanding). This one is a 1/2" roundover which made me wonder if it stopped short of full depth for some reason (not obvious)

But if you look closely where the profile blends to the vertical cut (same vector used to cut out the overall shape), you see a small shoulder with a radius where the ball nose bit cuts into it.

I can offset a vector and run off that. But.... it doesnt seem like it should be happening.

Location is just a thing to figure out. Unless some play in the machine I dont know about. Will just beef that up a bit.

I would run a vertical line down from the end of the quarter circle, at least 1/2 the tool diameter. With a ballnose end mill it will remove that uncut "flange" at the centerline without affecting the other side. That's exactly how it was done with the little birds, except I was using a tapered ballnose endmill.

John

[Carl Beckett]

I would run a vertical line down from the end of the quarter circle, at least 1/2 the tool diameter. With a ballnose end mill it will remove that uncut "flange" at the centerline without affecting the other side. That's exactly how it was done with the little birds, except I was using a tapered ballnose endmill.

John

Yes. But I have tabs that get in the way already - so can not go deeper for the given radius.

Changing to 1/4" full R bit improved things significantly. Just need to do better with registration - when you said you used dowels, did you mean wooden dowels? (I was thinking metal but then realized you may mean wooden). The precut wooden dowels that I have with glue grooves are slightly undersized - so I am not sure will be the greatest. Others I have used fit as an interference and that would make sense to me.

More to come but its getting there.

[John TenEyck]

Yes. But I have tabs that get in the way already - so can not go deeper for the given radius.

Changing to 1/4" full R bit improved things significantly. Just need to do better with registration - when you said you used dowels, did you mean wooden dowels? (I was thinking metal but then realized you may mean wooden). The precut wooden dowels that I have with glue grooves are slightly undersized - so I am not sure will be the greatest. Others I have used fit as an interference and that would make sense to me.

More to come but its getting there.

The software will protect your tabs. Look at in the simulation to verify.

I use 1/4" wooden dowels, preferably the grooved ones. If yours are undersized, just mill the holes required to whatever size they are. If you're cutting 1/4" holes it's best to use a 1/8" bit with a pocket cut, not drill the holes with a 1/4" bit. That approach allows you to customize the diameter using the allowance feature. Draw the holes as 1/4" but adjust the allowance to make them the exact size you need. I make the holes a tight fit and press the work onto the dowels.

[Carl Beckett]

I think I am pretty much there. A couple small tweaks to make but the smaller dia tool cleaned up the step along the vertical and better location pins did the trick.

I do not know why it didnt zero on the top surface the prior time.

The step on the top/bottom was a .010" step I had in the design file.

At this stage can knock however many of these out that I feel like.

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[John TenEyck]

You've got it now, Carl. That's going to look like a factory original after a little sanding. Well done.

John

[Carl Beckett]

Fitted. Now I can sand and put some finish on it and get back the regularly scheduled programming...

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I have a couple more of these to make, and expect they will go more smoothly each time as I cleanup the details. (famous last words).