Vcarve pro question

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Mimbler
Posts: 76
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 5:37 pm

Vcarve pro question

Post by Mimbler »

bridge.jpg
While I wait for my software to arrive in the mail, I have been viewing the tutorials, and haven't seen yet a way to carve the semi-cylindrical wings on this guitar bridge. Can this be done in Vcarve Pro. The rest looks easy,
thanks, Mike

4DThinker
Posts: 951
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:00 am

Re: Vcarve pro question

Post by 4DThinker »

There is great capability within VCarve Pro, but for some of it you need a background in drafting and/or creative thinking. The cylindrical surface would be considered a 3D cut which is beyond Vcarve Pro, but 3D cuts for extruded surfaces can be easily simulated with a series of 2D profile cuts if you know a few tricks. For a cylindrical surface I would start by drawing an end view that shows the arc of your cylinder just underneath and tangent to a horizontal line representing the top surface of your board. The arc represents the extruded surface you want to end up with.

On that end view I would lay out a tight row of circles that represent the round end of a ball end bit you would use to cut the surface. Offset and Copy Along Vector tools can simplify this. You can use the tape measure tool to measure how deep the bottom tip of each circle is from that horizontal line (cut depth), and a vertical line up through that horizontal line can tell you where each profile line should be placed on the plan view relative to the center peak of the arc for example.
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Mimbler
Posts: 76
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 5:37 pm

Re: Vcarve pro question

Post by Mimbler »

Thanks 4DThinker! I'm a retired mechanical engineer so I follow your description, and had thoughts along that line, but your advice on actually how to use the software tools to execute it are very helpful to me. That's how I will proceed, Thanks again!
Mike
4DThinker wrote:There is great capability within VCarve Pro, but for some of it you need a background in drafting and/or creative thinking. The cylindrical surface would be considered a 3D cut which is beyond Vcarve Pro, but 3D cuts for extruded surfaces can be easily simulated with a series of 2D profile cuts if you know a few tricks. For a cylindrical surface I would start by drawing an end view that shows the arc of your cylinder just underneath and tangent to a horizontal line representing the top surface of your board. The arc represents the extruded surface you want to end up with.

On that end view I would lay out a tight row of circles that represent the round end of a ball end bit you would use to cut the surface. Offset and Copy Along Vector tools can simplify this. You can use the tape measure tool to measure how deep the bottom tip of each circle is from that horizontal line (cut depth), and a vertical line up through that horizontal line can tell you where each profile line should be placed on the plan view relative to the center peak of the arc for example.

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Bob
Posts: 1252
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 3:35 pm

Re: Vcarve pro question

Post by Bob »

And, another way...
hump.jpg
You could use Fluteplus:
Check here with Paul to see how it is used:
http://paulrowntree.weebly.com/gadgets.html
Bob
"Focus"
Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek (Developer of the microscope.)

Mimbler
Posts: 76
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 5:37 pm

Re: Vcarve pro question

Post by Mimbler »

Wow! that adds full extruded shapes machining to Vcarve. I'll add it when I get my Vcarve. I really appreciate the experienced help I'm receiving here. I hope eventually to be able to help others,
Mike
Bob wrote:And, another way...
hump.jpg
You could use Fluteplus:
Check here with Paul to see how it is used:
http://paulrowntree.weebly.com/gadgets.html
Bob

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