Bit Selection Question / Texture

[hetzerguitars]

I am trying to cut essentially a dome shape. It's a arc on a piece of wood 10"x10". I don't want to use the 1/16" ball nose, because it's too small, will take too long, and quite frankly leave the wood pitted. I've never gotten good clean results with the 1/16" anyway.

I have to use a ballnose because the shape is round. I want to use my 1/2" ballnose bit. I imported my design into CW. But where can I tell it to use my 1/2" ball nose? I can't use the select bit because after I import my shape it's grey'd out.

Maybe my problem is that my arch is a shape and not a texture. Can I create a texture and specify a bit?

I can create a square, tell it to use the 1/2" ballnose then apply a texture. but them the use bit option is now gray'd out again.

I guess when you get down to it. I want a custom texture with a 1/2" roundover bit. any ideas?

Attached is my dome, that I'd like to use.

- Jim

[cnsranch]

I don't know if this is gonna help, but...

Attached is "help", some changes to your original design. I think you have to add a carve region to your board, then place your design into it. All I did was make your board 1" longer and wider, create the CR, and place your design into it. I also selected bit quality "best".

Also attached is "help1", your idea created thru Designer with a dome shape. Depth and height of the dome may not be exactly the same as your design, so yours is probably best to use.

If you take a CLOSE look at your design, you'll see minute ridges in the face of the board - that's the way you've designed the "dome" shape. If you can smooth it, either thru the program you used to make it, or thru Pattern Editor (assuming you've got PE), you'll lose most, if not all, of the "noise" in your design.

If you look close at "help1", you won't see those ridges - by selecting a domed surface in Designer, it'll almost be smooth as a baby's ...

I don't think you can select any other bit than the 1/16 carving bit to carve.

Again, hope this helps, but I think the problem you've had in the past with the 1/16" carving has to do with your designs you're importing, because mine are super smooth.

I may be all wet - you've got more experience with teh CW than I do at this point.

[ChrisAlb]

No matter what "pattern" you put on the board, the carving bit is all you can carve with.

Now for a dome, unless what Designer can do doesn't fit your needs, there's really no need to create your own Pattern.

Picture 1 is using a Double Dome on a 10 x 10 region and board.
Picture 2 is using a Double Down Dome.

Each are set to .5" deep and 999 high. They will "carve" very smooth.

[Amonaug]

As was pointed above, the pit problem is in your pattern not CW.

As Chris pointed out just use the double dome Surface in Designer by

1) creating a square 10 x 10,
2) center,
3) apply Double Dome Surface with settings of depth .75, height 999
4) bit optimization Best

and you'll get a fairly smooth dome with the same dimensions as your pattern (0 depth at the center, .68" depth at the corners)

[Ken Massingale]

<heresy>
Or use a block plane and a scraper and have it done in 15-30 minutes.
</heresy>

:-)

[cnsranch]

Are those add-ons to Designer?

I found Scanning Probe on the website, but can't find Scraper or Block Plane.

[Ken Massingale]

Are those add-ons to Designer?

I found Scanning Probe on the website, but can't find Scraper or Block Plane.
:-) They are in version 1.135

[liquidguitars]

No matter what "pattern" you put on the board, the carving bit is all you can carve with.

not true you can use any of the non profile bits for carving. You need to update Designer bit view.. . just select the bit in the preferences pull down menu and it will work.

For example I use the 1/4 ball bit to radius my fingerboards
but designer will only show the 1/16 bit for all raster work,
just select the 1/4 ball bit in the preference menu and it will update the viewport showing the 1/4 bit cutting bit.
the times on carving also will change to reflect the wider bit.

regarding the 1/2 ball it not on the list for WYSIWYG I think it best to try the 1/4 as the finish will be very nice.