HDU Routed Signs - Question for a newbie

[skvandeusen]

I've been working on my Vision2550 router for about a year now, making basic shapes and dimensional letters. Finally got a decent painter and want to start experimenting with routing HDU signs.

I have come up with a "seal" design that I want to make. It's got a lot of space that has to be routed out, but also has some small details.

My question is- if I need a small diameter bit (like 1/8") to do the detail, do I need to use that to route out the big chunks of negative space too? Seems like it will take forever, but I can't think of a good way to use a big bit to do the big parts and a small one to do the detail. Maybe I'm just nothing thinking of something!

Any help would be appreciated!

I'm going to make a sign similar to this:

 

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

I'm not sure about that program, but can you outline the elements and rout those areas with the 1/8" bit, and the other areas with the larger bit...

It may look ugly on the screen, but it should work. The only thing is you will have to be dead on with the depth, or your going to have anothing indent where they meet up.

 

[skvandeusen]

I'm not sure about that program, but can you outline the elements and rout those areas with the 1/8" bit, and the other areas with the larger bit...

It may look ugly on the screen, but it should work. The only thing is you will have to be dead on with the depth, or your going to have anothing indent where they meet up.

I didn't even consider resetting the bit and worrying about the depth. Thanks for that insight! I guess I'll just roll with the small blade and let it run!

 

[The Hobbyist]

Consider for a moment the phenomenon of optical perception.

You can route around letters to get your depth using a 1/4" or 3/8" or 1.2" bit, to hog out the "meat" of the sign. Then come back and trace the edges of the letter only 1/8" DEEP, using a 1/8" bit or even a 1/16" bit.

If the face of the letter is going to be a different color, the eye will see the detail of the face with the fine cuts in the corners, and not the "web" of material with a larger radius just below the surface, and painted the same color as the background.

 

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

It all depends on your software.
Enroute allows you to specify two or three different cutters for the one job eg island-fill or hatch-fill
If you specified 1/8" and a 1/2" endmill, it'll hog out everything it can with the 1/2" endmill, and only create toolpaths for the 1/8" endmill in the areas that the half inch one could not fit into.

of course you need to sense the new tool length each time you change cutters.

 

[artbot]

You are not ready to do this type of work until you get some routing software. ArtCam Express costs only $150 and can do a whole lot with it. I'd start with a free download and play with 2d profiling (cutting positive), Area Clearance (choosing various bits for cleaning negative space), Profile Options (tabbing and bit start placement), etc.

 

[rossmosh]

As stated above, many software's allow you to pick 2 or 3 cutters. One to do the bulk of the cutting and one to do the cleanup work. If your software doesn't have this, the other method is to draw a contour around the detailed section and set your small cutter to do only that section. Then make another tool path for your larger cutter which covers the rest of the job.

 

[skvandeusen]

I appreciate all the good responses, some of which I didn't see until I started getting dirty today.

Here's what I did today using only a 1/8" bit on 1" thick HDU. Everything got routed out .5" deep, and since I wasn't sure how easily it would cut (first time using HDU) I did it in two passes (going .25" deep each pass)

If I had it to do over again, I would not route the smaller text so deep (the "Established" portion for sure). This will work for my "learner" though, on to the next phase.