[spalm]

Well, I got my first CNC going. Now to figure out something to route with it. First thing that came to mind was my second router, but the wifey thinks I should slow down and do something else with it first. So a wooden clock was discussed. It will also hone my Autocad skills which are non-existant[IMG]. Found some plans on the web, extracted a few dxf files and routed them. I had to manually set the Z axis in the gcode files as VisualMill saw it as only a 2D object. They were a real crowd pleaser. Also gives the XY table a good work out.

Now I want to design my own and am a complete newbie with Autocad. How do you draw a gear? I found a little application called 3DGEARS.lsp that I loaded into Autocad and it lets me draw them but then I don’t know how to save them so VM will see them. I think I have a major mental problem with 2D or 3D. How do I draw a hole down the center? Should I save it in DXF or DWG and what is the difference? Do I do this with layers, or is it something else. Should I export it to IGS?

Thanks in advance,
Steve