very basic cad cam software

[EddyCurrent]

Charlie, CamBam has a 'join' feature too, also set your depth of cut to a negative value for Z to go down.
Juist tried loading the your dxf and you are correct, it's in too bad a shape for CamBam to open, you could easily have drawn those in CamBam.

[GEOFFREY]

Hi Clive, yes it was nice to put a face to a name after meeting you last year. Alphacam also allows you to put a box around a drawing to join and form a closed geometry, but if the break is too large it will not join them and lines/arcs need to be extended/trimmed before the join can be completed. That is what I meant when I said "cleaned up". I have never used Autocad, but suspect that most of these programs are basically very similar. For me tha advantage with Alphacam is that when a drawing is completed, the cutter paths can be put on in the same program and the G code is then automatically output and post processed to suit the machine. I like it nice and simple - I suppose that suits my mind!!! G.

[EddyCurrent]

Charlie, I've attached the cb file, you need to set the depth of cut, spindle speed, feed rates, etc. The biggest tool that would do all of it was 3mm diameter so that's what I used.
Also you're drawing was way out in no-man's-land, it's best to make drawings around the X0, Y0 position.

[charlieuk]

Hi guys many thanks for all the help, I used auto cad to draw it as it was what I was most familiar with and I was struggling a little with drawing in cambam. I found the problem in auto cad it was some if the chamfers are not linking up for some reason but some are ( it's the ones that go from a circle to a straight line) I have generated what I think is the correct code so will try running it in some foam first and see what it does and allso compare it against what you have given me eddy ( many thanks for that much apresiated)

[Ger21]

Use PEDIT in AutoCAD To join lines and arcs into a continuous closed polyline.

[Clive S]

Use PEDIT in AutoCAD To join lines and arcs into a continuous closed polyline.

Thanks Gerry That's what I was looking for. ..Clive

[charlieuk]

cool will try that many thanks

I just had it cutting and all looks good however I noticed that the 3mm holes I had it does not want to do with the 3mm cutter is that because you cant go straight down only? ( this is using my file)

many thanks

[GEOFFREY]

Try making the holes 3.1mm and rout them out. ( might even work with 3.01mm). G.

[EddyCurrent]

Try making the holes 3.1mm and rout them out. ( might even work with 3.01mm). G.

3mm works fine if using a drill mop

[Clive S]

I agree with Geoff make the holes 3.1mm and do them with the same endmil spiral down. ..Clive