CNC Mill Toolpath for Highly Detailed Shapes

Post here for help on using FreeCAD's graphical user interface (GUI).
Forum rules
and Helpful information
IMPORTANT: Please click here and read this first, before asking for help

Also, be nice to others! Read the FreeCAD code of conduct!
Post Reply
freecader2
Posts: 99
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2020 11:19 pm

CNC Mill Toolpath for Highly Detailed Shapes

Post by freecader2 »

Hi,

Could anyone offer advice on creating tool paths for very detailed shapes? In the instances I'm dealing with right now, it isn't feasible to create operations for each face or feature.

Do you know if there's a technique (mostly automated, hopefully) to create a path to mill a part like in these pictures? Or any other ideas/suggestions how I could generate gcode to mill this?

Thanks!

Image
Image
Image
Image
chrisb
Veteran
Posts: 53938
Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 9:14 am

Re: CNC Mill Toolpath for Highly Detailed Shapes

Post by chrisb »

Start milling with only one of these, and then multiply it with a PathArray.
A Sketcher Lecture with in-depth information is available in English, auf Deutsch, en français, en español.
raymw
Posts: 81
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2020 4:06 pm
Location: UK

Re: CNC Mill Toolpath for Highly Detailed Shapes

Post by raymw »

If it is a 3 axis mill, and you have a small enough cutter (It looks like a model of a tiled roof to me,) then you need to angle the work piece, so you can use a square ended bit, so that the 'tiles' are flat, then write a few lines of g-code, repeatedly called with an offset. No cad needed. And you won't get square corners in the slots. In fact, you could write a line in Notepad, and cut and paste as often as you need, if in relative moves (G91, etc.)I guess it would be two operations, one with a cutter big enough to create the steps, the other with a smaller cutter to carve the grooves.
Post Reply