First non-outline project - help needed

Kiri:Moto
1

Hello,

I am starting a new project. I managed to create a solid on FreeCAD, exported STL and imported it on KM.

workspace_starfish.kmz (2.7 MB)

As it is my first model with a curved surface, and all my previous projects have been simple cutouts with 1/8 endmill, I am not sure how to set up this work on KM.

I have thought about a Rough operation + cutout operation, but the rough operation also wants to do the holes. And I am also not sure about which bit to use for a good surface finish. I don’t have many, but I am open to suggestions to keep learning and extend my bits collection :slight_smile:

Thanks in advance!

Alex

2

consider this

  1. roughing with omit thru and no clear faces
  2. outline inside only for holes
  3. contour x and y for finish quality
  4. outline outside only for cutout

starfish-proposed.kmz (2.8 MB)

Screenshot 2025-09-30 at 7.19.11 AM
Screenshot 2025-09-30 at 7.19.11 AM1654×1120 229 KB

3

thanks a lot Stewart! I will give it a chance in a few days, when I go to my parents’ place where the CNC is located.
About bits, I see your proposal uses the 1/8 endmill for all the operations. But the smaller holes at the end of the starfish arms are excluded. I can try to do those holes bigger, but is the endmill the best bit for the rough and contour operations? Asking out of pure ignorance :wink:
I also would need to buy new bits for 1/16 operations with the flute higher than the stock height, right? Or at least that the flute and the rest of the bit is 1/16. I have now 1/16 and 1/32 bits, but they are only 1 cm in that size. The rest of the bit is 1/8 and I cannot dig the full stock height with that bit. I tried one day by mistake and the result was not very good…

Thanks!

4

since only the outermost holes are missed by the outline, I added a trace that clears just those. it’s kind of a hack, but should work.

what material are you cutting? what kind of machine is it?

starfish-trace-end-holes.kmz (2.6 MB)

5

thanks Stewart.

I am cutting pine wood 18mm thick. Usually my stock is 300x200x18mm. I am using a TwoTrees TTC 450.
With complex slices, the machine does crazy moves. Still figuring out why and with which complexity. Sometimes I think there is an elf inside that is checking when I leave the CNC alone. Whenever I am by the machine looking, all good. I leave the machine alone because it is a long work, and when I come back the stock has moved, the path has gone wrong, or some other error… :sweat_smile: