Cutouts with the 1/16" cutting bit

[SteveNelson46]

Has anyone tried to assign the 1/16" cutting bit to a cutout on .25" thick material and then tried to change the board size in version 2.007? It gives me a "Too Thick for Bit" error every time I try it. I have tried the same thing in 1.187 without error.

[bergerud]

I get the same thing. I will report it as Steve's bug.

[SteveNelson46]

I get the same thing. I will report it as Steve's bug.

Thanks. At least now I know it wasn't me or my installation of Designer.

[lynnfrwd]

.25 is max depth for that bit. Are you trying to go smaller or thicker?

[bergerud]

All you have to do Connie is open the board setting dialog and you cannot change anything without the error message. All you can do is cancel. It is a bug.

Edit: you can change the board thickness if you choose it to be 3/16 or less.

[lynnfrwd]

Gotcha. It doesn't give you any option.

[bergerud]

The only option is to change the board thickness to 3/16" or less.

[Digitalwoodshop]

I am using the or "A" 1/16th End Mill Bit to cut plastic sheet stock for my tags. I take a $20.00 sheet and turn it into about $450.00 in tags.... so for me this is a important feature of the machine... Today I am starting to cut 80 wood handles for the Accountability Boards that I make for Firemen. I have a Purchase Order for the first 60 at $130.00 each... :)$7,800.00:)

I will then cut the slots in the Plastic Sheet to let the Accountability Tags clip on the edge. A Homeland Security Grant for Genesee County, New York for Safety Equipment. I use the 1/16th end mill to cut this slot too.... I get my end mill from Johnson Plastic, it starts out as a 6 inch long bit that is normally used in my Star 912 or 9 x 12 inch Rotary Engraver and I cut it in half with my chain saw chain grinder.

So my trick with the 1/16th end mill is that I do NOT use tabs but run strips of 1/4 inch double sided tape on the carrier board to hold the cut tags in place. I DO NOT use the Cut Path.... I assign the bit to a Vector Line. I also assign the 1/4 inch end mill in Designer BUT use the 1/16th End Mill Bit.... I do this because the Vector Line will cut in TWO Speeds.... Slow on the turns and full blast on the long lines... I found that the fast speed pushed the bit faster than the bit could clear the chips.... SO by assigning the 1/4 inch ball nose bit, the machine software locks the machine into the slow gear....

I am still using 1.184 and have been reluctant to upgrade because I fear a upgrade could take away my ability to lie to the machine and I would loose the ability to cut my tags at the slower rate... "It Works... so don't Fix IT" is my motto when it comes to upgrading the Designer... I would hate to have to buy a Shop Bot just to do what I can do now.... Looks like a possible $20K year in the shop... :) I have a County in Alabama that Approved the funding for doing Picture Tags for the whole County... Double :).... And all this possible DUE to the 1/16th BIT....

AL

[SteveNelson46]

It's a great solution Al and well thought out. Still, it would be nice to have a program without programming flaws and at least some control of the bits. A program that is made for inexperienced users without options for the more advanced users can be frustrating.

[FWMiller]

I dint think there is such thing as a program without programming flaws. If there was, a lot of programmers would be looking for work;).

I would second the request for options that more advanced users (not necessarily me ....yet) can use to get more out of the machine.

[Digitalwoodshop]

We have beat that "Want a Slider of Feed Rate Control" added to Designer into the ground in the "Want" thread.... It would be nice... We DID get Multi Pass Cutting.... It was a Want that got funded....

AL

[bergerud]

I get the same thing. I will report it as Steve's bug.

It turns out that this is not Steve's Bug but Steve's Feature! This same thing happens with the 1/8" and 3/16" cutting bits. The 1/16" no longer cuts 1/4" deep and the 1/8" and 3/16" no longer cut 1" deep. A little of the 1/4" or 1" of cutting edge is required for variations in the thickness measurement and so that there is a little extra to cut through. The programming in 2.0 has been changed to include this extra tolerance. The new depths are 3/16" and 15/16" with the 1/16" given up for tolerance. If you want to cut to the old maximum depth of 1/4" or 1", you take your chances that the cut may not make it through or the top of the bit may burn. To do that, you have to start with the 1/4" or 1" board size and leave it. Any attempt to change the board settings after assigning the cutout and the program will catch it. The fact that you can still get away with the old maximum cut is actually the bug. A bug left for reasons of compatibility with projects created in earlier Designer versions. (How is that for a spin? Bug is feature!)

This also applies to drills.

So, this is a loop hole which you can use if you want to cutout (or drill) to the old maximum depths. Let me explain again: If you want to do 1/4" cutouts with the 1/16" cutting bit or 1" cutouts with the 1/8" or 3/16" cutting bits, you should to get all of the data in the board setting dialog up front. After you assign the cutouts, you cannot make changes to the board settings.

If you really want to make changes to the board settings, for example make the board longer, you have to turn off the cutouts (or drills) first. After you make the board changes, you can turn them back on.

I hope that made some sense! It is something we will have to be explaining to new users in the future.

[SteveNelson46]

It's a serious bug that reduces functionality regardless of the reasons or excuses.

[bergerud]

This is not really a bug as much as a feature change. I guess they have determined that cutting to the full depth of the bit is problematic. Maybe they have had too many complaints about not cutting through or about burning and breaking bits.

I would rather see a warning message: "Caution - Cutouts are at maximum depth and may not cut through."

[FWMiller]

I'd call it the "anti-feature".