Please excuse my ignorance in the topic, I am brand new to this hobby. I have been searching high and low for hours and hours. I always try to figure out issues on my own, but I am lost.
I don’t even have my Longmill yet, but want to learn first.
I am trying to make something pretty simple. I want to cut out a name, and have a pocket milled into the letter to give it a stroke look.
I have been looking at Inkscape, but cant figure out how to have multiple depths in the cuts.
I understand that I will probably have to change the bit, but is there a way to have the machine cut out the pocket first with one bit, then pause for bit change, and then cut all the way through the material with second bit?
I hope that I am explaining myself. If anyone has any resources that they can point me in the correct direction. I may just be using the wrong nominclature.
@AndyBlue Welcome to the club, andyblue. Can you explain a bit more, or better yet, post a pic of what you are trying to do?
Also, unless I am mistaken (a frequent occurrence), Inkscape is only a CAD program. What do you plan to use as a CAM program to generate your toolpaths?
After I posted this. I realized that I was missing exactly what you are talking about, to create the tool paths. I finally found Carbide Create. I was able to get what I wanted to do created already. I am experienced in computers along with graphic design (Illustrator), but my little knowledge of CNC is what stalled my progress. I also realize that I will need to do multiple sends of gcode to the machine. Which is fine. My design will need 2 toolpasses.
Thank you very much for taking the time to try to help me, I greatly appreciate it!
@AndyBlue I’m spoiled as I have access to the shop’s VCarvePro. I use UGS as the gcode sender.
Don’t overlook CamLab, created by the Sienci guys. I’ve played with it and for basic stuff, it is very intuitive to use. If Illustrator will export an .stl file, you can import it into camlab and create all your tool paths there.