Missionary Africa Support Project (Tabs and Vector cutting)

[dandjwoodenboards]

So I am trying to help my friends out with a T-Shirt making project that supports a missionary to Africa. I want to trace take my imported DXF of AFrica and put tabs in it. I normally am able to get tabs in there for most of my cut paths, but I am struggling to get this shape of africa to tab out. Any help out there?58615

[bergerud]

I have never used cut path on a board so thin. I do not know if the tabs work. As an alternative, undo the cut paths and just assign the cutting bit to the depth of your board (1/8"). Using the break tool, delete small sections of the curves to make your own tabs .

[fwharris]

I looked at your mpc and the cut paths you have assigned and do not see anything except that one of them you have the 3/16" bit assigned and the other two is the 1/8" bit. Visually in designer you will not see the tabs, is this is what your are asking about?

The board thickness is only 1/8" with a 0.07 max pass on the cut out.

What material are you using?

[Digitalwoodshop]

You could do like I do using the machine to cut out plastic with a 1/16th inch end mill.

Make the path many ways from using outline to a carve region of the art or simply manually draw around the item.

Once you get your path then assign the 1/16th ball nose bit for placement if you are cutting more than one. Once done with placement, select the path and select the 1/4 inch round nose bit. Then set the depth of your cut to cleanly cut through the item with NO TABS... It's a Vector Cut with no tabs.

You ask why the 1/4 inch ball nose.... Well, you are going to lie to the machine.... You are actually going to install a 1/16th OR 1/8th inch End Mill Bit but tell the machine you are using a 1/4 inch. WHY? Well the machine normally with a 1/16th or a 1/8th cutting bit that has a plunge end or a cutter on the BOTTOM will cut at two different FEED RATES. A 1st gear I like to call it.... on corners then a faster 2nd gear on long areas.... Sometimes this 2nd gear is TOO FAST.... The Bit can't cleanly cut.... BUT when you tell the machine you are going to use a 1/4 inch bit then it locks the FEED RATE into 1st gear.... Giving you a SMOOTH cut in THIN STOCK like my plastic tags. One picture shows Rough Edges with the 1/8th inch bit and even the 1/16th end mill bit in a 2 speed cut.... With the 1/16th bit the machine was pushing the bit faster than it could cut.... LHR told me about selecting the 1/4 inch round nose bit but still use the 1/16th bit to cut for a 1st gear slow speed SMOOTH CUT....

My 1/16th End Mill bit cut from a 6 inch long bit used for my Star 912 rotary engraver.

Now for the NO TABS... What I do is use double stick tape to hold the plastic to my Carrier Board that has Scrap pieces on either end, so I just replace the tape and 12 x 24 sheet of plastic and cut another.... I also use place on END all the time too.

I am working on a Vacuum Sled...

Good Luck,

AL

I have been to Africa, Togo, Ivory Coast and one more place I can't remember the name.