lithopane sled making

[luckettg]

I am on a mission to get a couple of lithopane projects done before next Thursday, but this cut path stuff is drawing me away. It is really interesting and I want to play with it. Thanks to all for bringing it up. I have been making signs for several years and not using the cut path since about 2008. Now I am inspired again!

[bergerud]

Why go to the trouble of milling out a pocket? Surely the plastic does not need back support. Why not just do a cut out with a ledge?

[fwharris]

Why go to the trouble of milling out a pocket? Surely the plastic does not need back support. Why not just do a cut out with a ledge?

Dead on Dan, that is how I did mine..

[luckettg]

Interesting idea and simple to make with a saw and a router...much quicker too. It took nearly two hours to carve the 6x12 pocket. I wonder how long it would take for the CW to do the cutout and ledge?

[bergerud]

The CW will cut out the ledge and the hole in only a few minutes.

[aokweld101]

I have been interested in the pocket cuts and the cut path I have been sitting here for the last 3 hrs. laying it out I have done the pocket cuts on a project for a mirror on the paddle head that elamb posted on the forum and think I lucked out on it. On the litho insert that I had just done the outside edges were a little difficult to maneuver but I figured it out on manipulating the grid to get it to the size. Used .125 cutting bit and .25 deep If any one see's something wrong please tell me...I am going to lay it out using the .375 cutting bit and make it do two passes for the depth at .125

[bergerud]

If the pocket is just for a mirror, make the paths 1/8" apart. It may require a little clean up but so what. Also, I think I would just have gone back and forth cutting in the y direction and then around the perimeter. (Like the larger pocket I posted.) Always think about minimizing the x movement.

[aokweld101]

thanks Dan, it would be a lot easier doing the parameter last and doing strait lines in the y direction I've learned two things on this post...see I always try to out think myself sometimes, that took a long time laying that out it's always the easy solution that's the hardest....

[luckettg]

I set up a series of rectangular cut paths for my next sled but am dismayed that it still wants over an hour to do it while using a 3/8 straight bit. I suspect I am doing something wrong. I also set the maximum cut to .125 per pass, and a .25 depth, then dropped the maximum limit. It changed the carve time from 1:24 to 1:02, not a big improvement. Removing the corner circles only saved a couple of minutes. What do you all think??xAcrylic_1-4_6x12_sled_3-8bit.mpc

[bergerud]

I think rectangles are poor. The bit plunges in and out for each one. Also, most of you cutting is in the x direction. Better, I think to snake back and forth across the board. Remember also that the direction you draw the path will be the direction the bit follows. I like to snake back and forth to clean out the interior and then go around the perimeter. All one path.