I'm not a machinist, but, I would like to see more photos of the project itself
and a little info on what it will be used for. (epoxy is what piqued my interest).
and a little info on what it will be used for. (epoxy is what piqued my interest).
The epoxy is to seal the MDF, that is all.I'm not a machinist, but, I would like to see more photos of the project itself
and a little info on what it will be used for. (epoxy is what piqued my interest).
Take a look at the GCode in a simulator. See if the divot is there in the gcode. STL will be a problem because of the polygons - that's how STL works.
I would try modeling it in F360. Solids modeling is better than STL meshes. But F360 mainly for the gcode generation options. Best out there.
Nothing from SketchUp will ever have true curves, it approximates with straight lined. STL files are faceted triangles Meshes. Will need a higher end program that can actually smooth surfaces (numbs). But since there is no gcode for Bézier curves, any surface will be approximated by straight line segments.
Starting in Rhinoceros, I exported my model in all the file types that Rhino can export to, that VCarve lists as valid file types.Are the divots visible in the 3D preview in VCarvePro? What other files types did you try that didn't work?
I built several canoes with MAS epoxy. I like their products, even though I'm not using their stuff at the moment.Try the MAS Penetrating Epoxy Sealer. It's use to pre-seal woods to help eliminate off gassing and helps prevent bubbles. MAS Penetrating Epoxy Sealer
Also a limitation of the .stl format, which is just a list of triangles, and has no "features".Unfortunately, at this point I think I'm at the limit of the VCarve program?
Not sure if it's feasible with your particular model, but if you can draw a vector around the flat areas, you can use the vector as a boundary, and do a finishing toolpath with a flat tool within that boundary. Then use those same vectors to exclude the flat areas from your normal finishing passes.But what I really need is a program that can create a tool path that machines the flat areas flat...with a large diameter bit. And then a separate tool path with a small diameter cutter for just the more detailed areas.
This is usally called a pencil toolpath, and is usually restricted to higher end packages. Again, an .stl file does not really contain the information required to calculate these types of toolpaths.And a tool path that traces the edges of the details, that would ensure the filleted edges come out smooth.