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IndustryArena Forum > Manufacturing Processes > Milling > A newbie question, cutting art in plywood
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Posts
    6

    A newbie question, cutting art in plywood

    Hi
    I am new to CNC so might be using the wrong terminology, but learning quickly....
    I want to cut out a pattern in thin plywood (attached below)
    What's the best practice to keep the piece on the working surface, so it will not move?
    If the frame will be cut out firstly then the whole piece will move

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/2897f6iejazf7se/q1.png?dl=0

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    1206

    Re: A newbie question, cutting art in plywood

    Welcome to the forum.Before giving potentially misleading answers,it might be useful to know what process you intend to use to create the toolpaths.It would also help to have an indication of the depth of the pattern and the thickness of the material.Will it be a single item or will there be a number of copies with a sheet of ? size? Come to that,what are the actual dimensions of the item? An appropriate workholding solution for a large piece might not be successful with a tiny piece.Does your machine have a vacuum system for holding parts?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Posts
    6
    Hi, I left out the details which I thought are not relevant to my question, or in which I do not need help.
    I can take graphic image, create vector (dxf or svg), and convert to gcode for my machine.
    I have very simple Chinese CNC machine (link below), the material is attached to the platform by bars and screws
    I want to build a lamp, I will need 4 10X20 CM pieces, which has some kind of artistic pattern inside.
    So my Gcode will cut the piece (10X20) and the pattern by milling through the material (5mm width).
    I got confused when planning to have one Gcode for the outer frame, and the inside pattern, because if the outside frame will be milled, it will be detached and the machine will fail trying to mill the inside pattern.
    The solution I came to, and will try tomorrow, is to divide the work into two separated Gcode, first the inside pattern and the outer frame, unless there are other ideas

    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3225...chweb201603_53

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    5728

    Re: A newbie question, cutting art in plywood

    Usually, to prevent parts of a pattern from becoming detached when being cut out, some small tabs are provided that keep them in place while machining is going on, that can be easily removed later. It's not necessary to run different programs for the inside and outside, although you can do it that way if you want.
    Andrew Werby
    Website

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Posts
    6254

    Re: A newbie question, cutting art in plywood

    Hi Ronise - I see you doing this two ways:
    1) Use double sided tape or contact to hold the piece down to a wasteboard. You then can cut it in one go
    2) Use outside clamps. Cut the pattern inside then program a stop. Release a clamp cut past replace clamp and stop etc until the job is done.

    There are others but they require vacuum. The clamp method is good if you program to cut one side (half the outside shape) and clamp the other then clamp the other side, remove clamps from the original side and cut the other side, saves stopping and starting a program if you don't know how to. Cheers Peter S

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Posts
    6
    thank you all

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