So I’ve recently built a MPCNC and everything seems to work. However, I’m having trouble about where to go next for actually milling out the parts. I have designed the STL files and am on MacOS, with experience w/ Pronterface/Slic3r for a 3DP. I’m not quite sure how to do any of this for the mill and would love some guidance about what to do next after making the STL.
Could I do it directly through Fusion360? That’s where I have designed all of my parts.
Yes, go to youtube and search for: “fusion cam tutorial”.
(I do not thing .stl is the native format for Fusion, but it can handle .stl with a secret trick)
Hey, so I too am using Mac/Fusion 360/Repetier. Basically, once you’ve draw the part in the Model tab of fusion, you then go to the CAM tab. There you will first setup a “setup” which tells Fusion how the stock material and your part will will be positioned on the machine. Then, you need to add the operation you want to perform. For instance, if you want to cut out a part, you can use 2D Contour and configure that operation to suit your needs. Some of the things you’ll do here is select the tool, the feedrates for cutting, the depth you want to cut and how many passes, if you want tabs, etc.
The Fusion 360 videos do a very good job of showing you what to do. There forum is also quite excellent. I’ve posted a few times there and an Autodesk employee is usual the one that responds and often with a video of how to do it!
Awesome, so then does it make the GCode file for you? Also, they aren’t native STLs in Fusion, I just say that because I know that is what’s mainly used for 3DP.
You will need a post processor. Search in the forum for it. There are at least 2 posts processors for mpcnc for fusion here.
Check here
Ok I got everything going well, but now my issue is that it mills out the outside before doing the inside of a design. The issue is that when it mills the outside, there’s nothing holding the piece down so it moves around. In Fusion can I choose what it does in what order (i.e. Mill out the center parts and then do the outer edges at the end)?
Yup, it does in in the order you set in the tree.