Matching curves (Need Help)

Easel Easel Pro
1

I am designing a sign using easel. I need to make two jigs that will essentially allow me to match an inside curve to an outside curve perfectly, with repeatable results.

When you carve a piece of stock, you essentially remove the bits width of material resulting in the inside and outside curves being a different radius.

I’m looking for a way to have matching inside and outside curve templates that I would be able to use as jigs combined with a flush trim router bit.

I can’t get the curves to match perfectly no matter what I do.

Any help would be great.

Thank you,

  • Jared
2

What have you done? Some of it depends on the curve.
The inlay app in Easel would probably work.

3

If you have any flex in your system the bit will always “drag behind” the intended path ever so slightly, skewing the curve.
If there is difference in flex between the X and Y axis the skew will be similar.
The Xcarve have a accuracy of about 0.1mm at best (when properly tuned)
If pushed too hard this will increase.

How perfect do you need your jigs to be?
Example of what you want to do?

4

Marius recently posted a youtube video where he talks about a specialty bit setup and templates that let him do what you describe.

Even if this doesn’t get you to where you need to be, it at least discusses what goes on to make a tight curved joint possible.

5

This is exactly the sort of thing I am trying to do. However, I’m located in the US and you can’t buy those bits anywhere. I have searched far and wide. That 1/4" or 6mm bit doesn’t exist on any manufactures website. I have a 1/2" template bit that I can switch out bearings, but you would need a 2" bearing to compensate for offset. 2" bearings don’t exist for a 1/2" router bit.

6

You could order these from overseas. Even if the bits have a metric shank, you should still be ab le to order metric collets for your router.

Other than that, if you want to go the full X-carve path…
1). you will need to draw your curve and no part of that curve can have a radius smaller than the cut width of the bit you are using. (you can’t make pointy or narrow parts too small for the bit to fit into"
2) basic Easel has two types of cuts outline and fill. You don’t want outline because it will cut along the curve instead of staying on one side or the other.
3) you will make two fill areas. One that cuts the maple area away from the walnut and another that cuts the walnut area away from the maple.

With other software like vectric it is easier. you can define your curve and tell the software to cut on one side or the other.