Tips on proper lay out for the jig

[fwharris]

What are the recommended techniques for setting up the design for the rotary jig to reduce a possible broken bit? This is a question I've asked myself as I am sitting here laying out my first carve. The software already prevents a pattern or design from being place over/on to the part off ends to eliminate carving into the jig which is a great thing. One thing I question is the "part off" indent actually carved?

in this layout the patterns are placed far enough away from the part off and drops straight down into the pattern area.

This uses a carve region with a feather to ease the bit into the carving area.

On this I set the part of dia. to 2" and no lead in carve region.


This one still has the 2" part off and a carve region with a feather.

My choice would be either that had the feathered carve region as they ease the bit into the carving area.

Looking for others thoughts on my line of thinking!

[RMarkey]

I suggest setting the part-off to the same diameter as the max depth of the carved area next to it. The part-off is 0.1" long. The part-off will taper from the top of the board to its diameter. This helps create a ramp into the rotary.

Feathers on the main pattern tend to goof with the end-to-end seam.

Carves that don't occupy the entire surface (length of rotary - 0.5" south keep-out zone - 0.3" north keep-out zone - 0.1" south part-off - 0.1" north part-off) will not ramp-in & overcarve the rotary. It will dive straight down and carve to 100%.

When I say "ramp-in" in the paragraph above, I mean a slow entry into the wood along the length of the carve -- it calculates the highest & lowest points of the carve and slowly steps down along 1/2" of the carve until reaching the bottom. When it overcarves, its cleaning up the ramp-in.

[fwharris]

I think I follow you on this, but lets double check to verify.

On this one I set the part off to 1.5" dia. (close to the same depth as the pattern) and put a .450 depth carve region on the ends with no feather.

[SteveNelson46]

When I say "ramp-in" in the paragraph above, I mean a slow entry into the wood along the length of the carve -- it calculates the highest & lowest points of the carve and slowly steps down along 1/2" of the carve until reaching the bottom. When it overcarves, its cleaning up the ramp-in.

Now I understand why it over-carves. I did notice that when the carving first began that it seemed kind of shallow but, the carving came out great.

[RMarkey]

Floyd, I'm not entirely sure of where the .45 region is, but I see nothing that appears wrong on your pattern.

[fwharris]

Floyd, I'm not entirely sure of where the .45 region is, but I see nothing that appears wrong on your pattern.

It is on the ends...

Now as soon as I get my plumbing problems fixed I will be carving....