Not enough Detail in finishing Carve

[ChadDean]

Hello, I am new to the CNC world so please bear with me. I have already completed the roughing and finishing pass on my carve but I used to thick of a bit for the detail I was trying to achieve. Can I simply change the finishing bit in Easel and regen tool paths and carve again or is there a way to create a 2nd finishing carve? I’d like to only carve the areas needing more detail and not have the bit make unnecessary passes, thank for the input.

[BrandonR_Parker]

As long as you leave the roughing bit set to the actual roughing bit size that you used, you can change the detail bit and recarve the detail pass. You might encounter a small percentage of air-carving.

Or, if you used a decently larger bit for the detail pass than the new detail bit you intend to use, you can do the following:

1. Make a duplicate workpiece. In the new workpiece, perform 2, 3, and 4.
2. Set the roughing bit to be the same as the original detail bit.
3. Set the new detail bit size as well as feeds & speeds.
4. Recarve the detail pass.

This second method should allow new toolpaths to account for the original detail bit’s material removal and should result in the new detail bit carving only where the original detail bit could not get to.

{:0)

Brandon R. Parker

[AnthonyBAldridge]

This is harder to describe but quite easy to do and takes just a moment or two.
After an unsatisfactory carve, move the spindle to a clear area on the spoilboard, with the first bit still in place bring the tip of the bit down to the original zero height and put a block with shims so that you can establish the old zero for the replacement bit. Install the new bit and bring it’s tip down to the old zero position on top of the block, note the Z height readout, pull the block(s) out of the way and lower the Z a mm or two, set that as your new zero and repeat the detail carve.

I also use a similar method if I know that there will be nothing left to set a new Z zero after roughing, I use a block with the original material thickness, and use that to set the Z hgt as zero for the finishing bit. Pretty much a repeat of the first method above.