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CAM Studio - open pockets on edge of workpiece
noah_isaacson378
Member Posts: 5 ✭
How in CAM Studio do I make a toolpath to cut slot/pocket on the edge of a workpiece? I tried using the "Edges" strategy but the toolpath is constrained to stay inside the workpiece/stock. I want the cutter to move beyond the edge of the workpiece to cut the full pocket. See for example this "edges" toolpath where the corners of the slot and semicircle remain uncut. The fully closed pocket in the middle is being cut without issue.
Example document: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/d995b98ce1b6ff36e8577afb/w/c5c0c6b5f9d8bdb1e0e23359/e/8b41428cd68c2ab3fe6a5a3a
I tried setting "Allow Tool Outside stock" but this doesn't seem to make any difference
I was able to cut the full slot using the "Bodies" strategy. However this applies to every pocket and I want separate toolpaths for each pocket. For example I need individual control of the offset for the slot on the left versus the enclosed pocket in the middle.
Comments
Onshape support took a look here as well. Their suggestion was making the stock bigger than the part component. Initially this appeared to work but it turns out the "bodies" toolpath is still doing the full slot cut
See V11 here https://cad.onshape.com/documents/d995b98ce1b6ff36e8577afb/v/d4c4e0354a17fd54134a67ec/e/8b41428cd68c2ab3fe6a5a3a
See V12 here https://cad.onshape.com/documents/d995b98ce1b6ff36e8577afb/v/38b912b59de4147d7ea7b8d4/e/8b41428cd68c2ab3fe6a5a3a where just the "edges" toolpath is specified with additional stock around the part
Can CAM Studio take a sketch as input? If so, you could create a sketch that duplicates the slot dimensions, plus enough extra at either end to let the cutter clear the stock or ends of the slot.
CAM Studio doesn't accept sketches it appears. As a pretty messy workaround you can create a new part though that extends the slot out to make the cut appear to the toolpath generator as a full pocket. See V15 for an example.
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/d995b98ce1b6ff36e8577afb/v/e7df65bac0ca6b4f476d7ecc/e/8b41428cd68c2ab3fe6a5a3a
For a single slot this isn't too bad but for a complex part I can see this workflow being pretty tedious.
Cam Studio does not accept sketches, but it will take a curve; you could try that.
Too bad that CAM Studio doesn't accept sketches (yet?). That works in my present CAM, though the CAM program itself has to create the sketch, I think.