Routing ?

[OTHill]

Hi Im planning to mount a router on my Fastcut plasma table. I know I've seem a lot of info on here but can't seem to connect with it all at once.What make and model router do you all recommend? I want to be able to do plastics as in small gears some light aluminum as well as wood. Don't need any high balling production. I've got the Candcnc bladerunner setup. I think I can manage the sheetcam part of it. what post processor do I use in Mach 3? Any place I can look for feeds and speeds for various materials.Do I need a variable speed router? Any dos and don'ts?

[WyoGreen]

If I remember right there is Router post that was installed when you installed the Bladerunner. You should be able to find it in the Sheetcam post list. I have a dedicated CNC Router table built for the load of a full size router. With the lighter gantry on a plasma machine, I would think a palm router would work well. I would imagine that a feed and speed chart for a Metal Mill would be the same as for a router setup.

Steve

[acourtjester]

This is the one I use I use sheetcan with the mach 3 normal post processor (no add on) and EstlCam for generating the G-code. Estlcam for the carve function. The attached plaque was carved at F20 for 306,000. lines of code just fine. the carve is funny it jumps all around not like one letter at a time I have not cut aluminum yet.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/PORTER-CABLE-6 ... SwmfhX2YeB

DSCN2797.JPG

close view of another plaque shows the carving better

DSCN2680.JPG

[OTHill]

Thanks already. acourtjester I don't quite understand why you would use sheetcam and Estlcam both?

[WyoGreen]

I should mention that I use CamBam to do the Cad/Cam operations of my routing. In the software I use a Generic Mach3 post to process the drawing into g-code, which I then load into Mach 3 to run the table. I don't use Sheetcam at all for my routing and the controller is of my own design and build.

Steve

[steel 35]

2 1/4 hp porter cable router, Other's have precision collets available
(mach3) Post processor, for router.
Somewhere here in the spider I had seen this guys posts and found them helpful.
http://www.kronosrobotics.com/sheetcam- ... perations/

[acourtjester]

The reason I use both is that SheetCam is a 2 D or 2.5 D this is either a single layer cut or multi layer cuts (2.5 D) to get depth when routing.
EstlCam gives me a true 3 D G-code cut or it will operate all 3 axis at once while cutting (carve). Using a 30 or 60 degree V bit when routing the depth is dictated by the width of the cut. A letter that has a pointed section the router will lift up as it cuts to have the width become smaller.
EstlCam is very fair prices at $55. one time payment not like ArtCam at $160 per year or Vectric

t.jpg

[OTHill]

That makes sense. Thanks acourtjester. Steel 35 that is the website I am using for sheetcam instruction thanks all for advice.