Newbie Novice

[dazp1976]

I will let you know how i get on :-)

It'll likely base everything on trying to run flat out and the machine will shatter.

I have a small and a mid sized bench mills.
The small one ate itself even when running at 1/4 of what a program suggested for aluminium, and that was only at a 1mm doc with a 8mm cutter!.
I still haven't even got fully to grips with SFM, DOC, WOC, Feed, Chip load, etc... etc.... Then you have cutter material to take into account. Then there's flute count....

[WoodKnot]

Hi dazp1976 -

It changes the speed and feed rate according to the size of cutter, depth of cut, material being cut.

If the software was that flawed, no one would use it.. Its widely used in the hobby sector

As i have been using an inverted router table for many years, experience of size of cutter and depth of cut and feed rate is reasonably straight forward - but it does in fact calculate these elements. I will of course check the parameters prior to making any cut.

I presume you always use upcut cutters for rapid clearing of bits as oppose to normal routing.

I always buy good quality cutters and blades and even crap machines can be transformed by using good blades and cutters

[JAZZCNC]

Hi dazp1976 -

It changes the speed and feed rate according to the size of cutter, depth of cut, material being cut.

If the software was that flawed, no one would use it.. Its widely used in the hobby sector

As i have been using an inverted router table for many years, experience of size of cutter and depth of cut and feed rate is reasonably straight forward - but it does in fact calculate these elements. I will of course check the parameters prior to making any cut.

I presume you always use upcut cutters for rapid clearing of bits as oppose to normal routing.

I always buy good quality cutters and blades and even crap machines can be transformed by using good blades and cutters

Well, all I can say is get ready to break tools because the best quality tools won't save you from wrong speeds and feeds on a CNC machine.
You really do need to start listening if you want to help yourself because 3 very experienced people now have told you it can't and won't do what you are expecting but yet you don't seem to believe this.!!

If you are not going to listen or believe what's said to you why bother asking.?

[WoodKnot]

Thanks and no offence is intended to everyone.

I apologise for asking questions and from the responses I assumed that no one had actually tried the software?

Maybe I am wrong to assume that a piece of software was actually capable of what it is intended for.

I have to start somewhere, I like the way it quickly creates what you want and that's what I was looking for.

I will wind back the speeds and feed rates and depth of cut per pass until I get to where the machine behaves and cuts like I expect it to.

I do appreciate the comments, but until I start having a go, I will never learn anything.

A problem is not a problem, it's a solution waiting to be discovered

[m_c]

I have tried Easel in the past.
I suspect the big part of it's popularity is down to X-Carve, rather than the software being popular in it's own right.
I'd guess things like Vectric have far larger user bases, as they've been around for far longer. It's just they don't do shiny videos extolling how easy it is to setup a business from your garage

From what I remember, Easel was pretty limited in how much you could customise things, as it is aimed more towards beginners.
That's not a bad thing, as it helps reduce the learning curve (or totally eliminate it, if you never venture beyond the basics), but for those wanting to improve how parts are machined, it's certainly not a good thing.

The only thing Easel does in regards to speeds/feeds, is makes it a bit easier to adjust speeds/feeds in the software.
Any decent CAM package lets you adjust them, it's just that you need to know how to get the numbers.

[WoodKnot]

Thanks M_C

For me, its when you have a go on the free trials and find what you like as a user of the software -

The problem stems from the fact that the whole 'cnc' aspect is a huge learning curve, is very expensive and fI am trying to learn a lot in a short space of time.

I am a beginner, so maybe it is perfect to get me going - the cheapest way to subscribe is on a 12 monthly basis, so worst case scenario, its just that one off cost,

This is cheap in comparison with some of the others that i have tried.

[m_c]

The thing is, what you might like as a beginner, who is often just thankful they've managed to do 'something' useful, you may quickly come to hate once you learn more and become aware of any limitations.

I'd suggest you try out as many software options as you can.
What you'll often find is where one package may work well for one thing, another will work better for something else. It all depends on your own personal work process, to a certain extent your machine, and what you're trying to machine. Things which you'll not really learn until you've actually ran your machine and machined a few items.
I'd want to produce some physical parts before parting with any money.

Personally, I liked CamBam when I got my first mill, and even though I had experience with CNC lathes, milling CAM was a new learning curve.
Now I mostly use Fusion360, as it keeps everything in the one place.
It all comes down to what functionality you need, what functionality you'd like, and how much money you're willing to spend.