How to machine a wax ring from three sides
Creating toolpaths for a two-sided autoflip plus rotary pass
Creating toolpaths to machine a wax ring: from two sides (autoflip) and after that a rotary pass (DP V5, 30.5 min)
The Three-Sided Ring video teaches you how to create toolpaths for creating a wax model of a ring. Three sided: the ring first is milled while lying flat, from two sides. After that the third "side" is a rotary pass, where the model rotates during machining.
An easy way to prepare such toolpaths is by using a Template project: this is a project that already contains all settings, however in which no geometry is present yet. The video clearly explains how to create and use such template project. This instruction video has been created by Chris Botha: thanks !
In this video a very old version of DeskProto is used: Version 5. The main process as shown in the video still is valid. In the latest DeskProto version though you will see the user interface has been improved (at least we hope so). One more note about this video: right-clicking the mouse in the tree is not needed. You can double-click any line in the tree to edit it's parameters.
Rotation axis machining is possible only in the Multi-Axis edition of DeskProto.
The ring geometry that is used in this video is one of the free CAD files available on this website.
Results showcase for this sample ring
Side 2 is almost finished, detail shows the pyramid
The first results (four pictures shown) have been made by Chris Botha. He uses a MiniTech machine, with a rotary axis and a four-jaw chuck. Side 1 and 2 have been machined by simply clamping the waxblock in this chuck: see the first picture.
Using the tip of the pyramid to align the tip or the cutter, and the final result
For the 3rd pass (the rotary pass) the wax model has been clamped using the "4th Option Fixture", made and sold by Brant Emery in the USA, email wax-guy[at]comcast.net.
The ring in silver
Email us a photo of the ring that you created so we can add that to the list of results !
(in case you want with a link to your website).
It will be interesting to see which machines are used, which cutters, and also which fixtures for three sided ring machining.