easy seg fixture

[thomas howard]

have a cnc router. can anybody share to date for cutting the easy seg plates. will buy

 

[mfisher]

have a cnc router. can anybody share to date for cutting the easy seg plates. will buy

Not sure what software you are using. The woodclub I belong to uses VCarve Pro. You should be able to plan out and make your own plates.
Here is a couple links with the forumulas.

" how to calculate open segment angle.
Answer: (360° – (segments * gap)) ÷ segments ÷ 2.
Example: 24 open segment ring with 4 degree gap = (360 – (24 * 4) ÷ 24 ÷ 2 = (360 – 96) ÷ 24 ÷ 2 = (264 ÷ 24) ÷ 2 = 11 ÷ 2 = 5.5°

How do you calculate the cutting angle of an open-ring segment? | Segmented Woodturners

Answer: (360° - (segments * gap)) ÷ segments ÷ 2. Example: 24 open segment ring with 4 degree gap = (360 - (24 * 4) ÷ 24 ÷ 2 = (360 - 96) ÷ 24 ÷ 2 = (264 ÷ 24) ÷ 2 = 11 ÷ 2 = 5.5°

segmentedwoodturners.org

Open Segment Vessel variable gaps and lengths

woodturnerpro.com

Here is a link to an excel spreadsheet for calculations.

https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fsegmentedturning.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F09%2FOpenSegmentLenght_RevB.xls&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK

 

[thomas howard]

running VCarve 11.0. Would it be possible to post DWG file for use.

 

[mfisher]

Vcarve Pro I use has a default of a CRV format. Have to go to the club to make the tap file.

I will look at coming up with some instructions for you to design your own. It will take a few days.

 

[thomas howard]

thanks.

 

[mfisher]

Thomas.
I will be getting some pointers to you within a few days. I am using vcarve pro 11.0. So getting you a crv file should be ok.

it is the open face plates you are wanting to make?
if so, how many segments for your first plate? 12 segments with 8 degree space is the example I will provide. After that you can make your own.
How big of center hole do you want? That is are you mounting the plate on the lathe or using it as a standalone with the stomper?

 

[thomas howard]

Yes it is an open seg design in dennis keeling book page 103 and at this time will be mounting plate in lathe. I wish sometimes more people were around to learn from. Don't know anybody in this area of Michigan that just wants to share the knowledge.

 

[mfisher]

Seg Easy Plate 12 segment 8 degree space

• Job Set Up
• XY Datum in Center.
• Draw Polyline 1
• Angle 0, length 8.5”
• Draw Polyline 2
• Angle 22 degrees, length 8.5
• 12 segments is 30 degrees angle minus the 8 degrees space = 22 degrees or 11 degrees each side of the segment.
• Connect the two polylines at the open end with a polyline.
• Toggling on the smart snap feature and geometry snapping helps put the line at the end.
• Draw a circle using a center point of X 0 Y 0
• Diameter depends on how you are using the plate. (stomper, lathe mounted, other).
• In my example I used a 1” diameter.
• Edit Object using the Interactive Trim (scissors) to cut away the polylines within the circle and the large part of the circle not connected to the polylines.
• Select all and use the Join vector tool.
• That should make the polygon a closed single unit.
• Select the polygon and use the OffSet and Layout Circular Copy Tool
• Rotational Center should be X 0 Y 0
• Check the rotate copy box
• Total Angle set to 360 degrees
• Select Copy.
• At this point you should have 12 wedge polygons. This gives you the wedges that will be cut out in a pocket cut.
• Group the now formed 12 wedges.
• Create a circle slight smaller than the diameter of the wedge circle
• Example file: 16 inch diameter circle
• This will be the diameter of the segeasy plate.
• Create a center circle for use in mounting.
• In the example it will be 1 inch.
• Create Pocket Tool path for wedges
• Select the grouped wedges.
• Create the toolpath using the bit you want and cut depth.
• Create a Profile Tool path for center circle
• This cuts out the center circle for your mounting/centering purposes
• Create a Profile Tool path for cutting out the outside diameter of the plate.

You should be done

I just realized that I cannot send you the CRV on this forum. The file attachment part does not recognize the crv file exstention. Hopefully the pointers will get you familiar enough to create your own. I have asked Lloyd if a crv file can be added to the attach list of acceptable formats.

 

[mfisher]

Lloyd has added the crv extension to acceptable formats for attachments. I will give it a try later today. Stay tuned.

 

[mfisher]

Here is the vcarve pro crv file for a 12 segment 8 degree plate. and a word file on instructions.

 

[GrahamJ46]

I would attach an SVG file you can use with whatever software you use to generate toolpaths if it was allowed by Lloyd. SVG is the lingua franca of vector use and is read by most 2D and 3D software. I use Carveco Maker and I would attach a .art file which uses 1/4" and 1/16" end mills, again if allowed by Lloyd.

 

[mfisher]

I would attach an SVG file you can use with whatever software you use to generate toolpaths if it was allowed by Lloyd. SVG is the lingua franca of vector use and is read by most 2D and 3D software. I use Carveco Maker and I would attach a .art file which uses 1/4" and 1/16" end mills, again if allowed by Lloyd.

The OP stated they have Vcarve. That is the sofware I have. Hence the posting of a vcarve file.
Your idea is a good one. You could suggest the SVG format suggestion to Lloyd to add to acceptable file formats for downloading.

I will admit I am not that familiar with all the file formats that are used by various CNC software. I am still learning about CNC and Vetric's software.
I consider myself just above a beginner in using the software.

 

[GrahamJ46]

I don't consider myself an expert on CNC by any means but vector software I do know a little about. Vcarve Desktop and Carveco Maker are similar but Vcarve Pro is a step up from that. The Vcarve equivalent is Carveco Maker+. It depends entirely upon what you want to do. Software like Vcarve and Carveco have some good 2D vector capabilities but can't compare to software dedicated to 2D vector drawing. I use Inkscape which is completely free and is quite capable of sophisticated 2D vector work. There is other free vector software. If you want a big step up you go for Illustrator, which is far from free. Illustrator is regarded as the industry standard. Lloyd, please be so kind as to permit the upload of SVG files. In addition to making templates that would allow the upload of SVG files for cutting segments on a CNC.

 

[mfisher]

The woodclub I belong to runs Vetric VCarvePro. The club pays Vetric a fee each year to allow club members to download the software and use at home. We have to take the created crv file into the shop and use the club computer with Vcarve to make the tap file for the final toolpath used by the CNC machine.

I think I will stick with that.

 

[GrahamJ46]

Sounds like you have a good deal. Part of the reason that I ended up with Carveco is that a 3 month license came with my CNC. If we can upload SVG files then I am more than happy to contribute that way. Another option is PDF, which is a mixture of vector and text. Some software will allow the input of PDF and just take the vector portion. Inkscape will out put to PDF as well as SVG.

 

[GrahamJ46]

Here is the pdf file. As far as I can see Vcarve can import PDF files and extract the vectors. Even then SVG would be better.

 

[thomas howard]

I have a find that the written directions for making the dwg and then running a tool path on a full VCarve file worked the best for me. I was able to understand the direction and learn how to make additonal plates. Your imputs are much appreciated. I normally run over my head in this learning process. Trying to understand how to use the software for open segment constructions now

 

[mfisher]

Glad it worked out for you. We are all still learning. Forums are a great way to ask questions and share experiences.

On a side note. Still learning the CNC once the design is done. Been working on cutting box (finger joints) for a box. On some test wood the first joints came out to tight. Nothing fit. Second test they were to lose. Finally, got the off set at the right number. Joints came out ok.

 

[GrahamJ46]

I am about to try that. I created the vectors and created the toolpaths in Carveco but haven't got around to trying. Did you just use Vcarve or some joint software? How did you support the pieces in an upright position to cut the ends?

 

[mfisher]

I am about to try that. I created the vectors and created the toolpaths in Carveco but haven't got around to trying. Did you just use Vcarve or some joint software? How did you support the pieces in an upright position to cut the ends?

I used only vcarve pro. The board is cut flat. Three different tool paths are used:
- A pocket cut to form the wedges.
- a profile tool path to cut the center out-
- a profile tool patch to cut the plate circle out