Add button to create slop between tabs for boxing

[David Morrow]

The answer may be in your CAM program. I use Sheetcam, a very basic CAM program. Sheetcam, and I assume others, allow you to factor in a Finishing Allowance so that you cut a part slightly larger and then do a finishing, cleanup pass down to designed dimension. When I want a part ever so slightly smaller, I input a negative finishing allowance. This can be done for whatever part of the drawing is on that layer. So, if I was milling a gear, I put the  center hole on one layer and the outline on another. That way, the center hole is cut as designed. The outline could then be cut with the negative finishing allowance giving the looser fit that you're after.

Hope that makes sense.

[Mooselake]

The answer may be in your CAM program.

That's a good option, but calling LaserDRW/CorelDraw a CAM program might be an overstatement.  It's pretty basic, but in it's defense it's a minimal proprietary driver for a proprietary (undocumented interface) controller tacked on a drawing program.  No other choice unless I try reverse engineering it's protocol or replace the controller.  While it will somewhat vary the cut order (inside first so parts don't fall out by cutting the outside first) there's no provision to compensate for the tool (or laser beam) width, at least that I can find.  Hmm, Inkscape has an offset tool, perhaps Corel has one too; that might do it.

If Art can get cuts so tight they have to be pressed out perhaps I need to realign again and maybe look at a better quality lens.  Cutting up a slope (to find the best focus distance) shows I'm pretty close, but these are about the cheapest possible optics - about what you'd expect from a sub $400 delivered (rounded up to) 40W CO2 machine.

I found some gap filling acrylic glue (SciGrip 16, good except in California where it apparently causes cancer) that worked for my project.

Kirk

[ArtF]

>>If Art can get cuts so tight they have to be pressed out perhaps I ne

  I find in acrylic I usually have to press out the part, or the air assist sometimes blows it out, but its usually a pretty tight fit. Air assist IS VERY important though and I blow a few psi at the cut...

Art