[Matt Clara]

So, this has never been a problem for me before, but this is the biggest job I've attempted, a 3D carving, and looking at the TMT, it either says 65 minutes, which seems pretty short, or 65 hours, which, well, I'll need to try to speed that up! So, is it hours:minutes:seconds? That makes the most sense, but I'm hoping it's not the case...

Attachment 301410

Attachment 301412

The frame is 25 x 30".

Thanks!

[ger21]

Yes, hours.

Have you ever used the time estimate before?

Are you sure it's accurate for your machine?

Are all your feedrates 60ipm? That's really slow for a carving that large.

What size tools are you using?
Use a larger tool for roughing, with a larger stepover, and you should be able to get the roughing well under an hour I would think. 25hours for roughing is insane.

[Matt Clara]

I've got the roughing down to four hours with a .25 ball end and 40% stepover. I could probably push the speed (up to about 140 ipm), but I've found it's not as clean of a cut when I do that, and forget it when it comes to the detail of the fine pass. The other two bits used are a 3D 3 flute 30 degree bit and a .125 ball end bit. Those are for the two finishing passes. I'd use just one or the other, but the .125 bit doesn't get all the little detail, and the 3D carving bit leaves a rough looking surface in the simulation. I use the 3D bit for the profile cut at the end, too, because it's got to get in all the detail around the edges.

[ger21]

I've got the roughing down to four hours with a .25 ball end and 40% stepover. I could probably push the speed (up to about 140 ipm), but I've found it's not as clean of a cut when I do that,

It's a roughing cut, and doesn't need to be that clean.

I do finishing passes at about 180ipm, and would go faster if my machine was capable. Faster acceleration can make a big difference.

[plcamp]

Something you might consider would be the scale factor for your time estimates. I see that yours is at 2.0 which may or may not be accurate for your machine setup. I timed an actual path for my machine and armed with the actual time was able to adjust the scale factor to accurately display the true machine time.

This may by why your time is so high, at any rate this is my 2 cents worth of info. The adjusted scale factor for my machine was actually 1.13%.

[victorofga]

milling those tiniy details, due to small tool will takes time...

try this.. with 1/4 ball end mill rough and finish...

then go back on areas where really need the small detail ... I think a 12 -16 hour where you can make it reasonable..

on picture you can see I meaning.. locate the detailed areas, and mill them with a small ball nose bit..
it takes time to draw around the areas, but it will return you saving haf of finishing time..

the roughing can be 70 percent of the 1/4 endmill
the first finish with 1/4 ballendmill also can be 10-15 percent

then with the 1/16 ball nose use 10 percent..

[Matt Clara]

Well, thanks for all of the advice. I got it down to 16 hours, and started the routing this morning. Fingers crossed. The first one cut usually is a learning experience!

[manofmanyhats]

Well, thanks for all of the advice. I got it down to 16 hours, and started the routing this morning. Fingers crossed. The first one cut usually is a learning experience!

Good luck. Make sure to time it and post pics when finished.

[Matt Clara]

Well, 1/3rd of the way through the first tool path, a combo of the rough cut and first fine pass with a .25 ball end, it decided to plunge all the way through the work piece. Made a horrendous noise and ruined it, but didn't break the bit. Not sure how to even trouble shoot that, other than searching the code. It's a 13 MB text file, though, and I don't read G code very well...

[victorofga]

if it were somewhere in the pattern, then cut a shape, a circle to a depth that sure deeper than finished work,

then cut a plug into the pocket, similar grain than it is..

anyway practicing on this better than a new one

[Matt Clara]

Thanks, think I'll try that. It's a big hole, though, so I'll go the bondo route...