08-14-2025 Q&A: Surfacing Toolpaths, Drag Knife Setup, and Multi-Color Inlays

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In this Q&A session, we explored troubleshooting surfacing toolpaths in Vectric, setting up and using a drag knife for cutting foam core, strategies for designing multi-color inlays, and creating decorative rosette trim pieces with molding toolpaths. The discussion also included scaling non-to-scale graphics, optimizing toolpath finishes, and tips for improving the Learn Your CNC Hub resource.

Key Tips Learned in this Q&A:

• Avoid Multiple Unwanted Tools in Pocket Toolpaths: Extra tools in the list will create multiple toolpaths; remove extras to get one clean flattening pass unless using intentional rest machining.

• Better Surfacing Results: Use raster strategy with the grain and a final profile pass to avoid cross-grain tool marks; offset strategy can leave ridges.

• Bowl Bit and Roughing Bit Workflow: Use separate toolpaths with allowances and depth offsets so the bowl bit makes a clean final pass without steps.

• Drag Knife Corners: Use the plasma/drag knife fillet option in Vectric to create corner loops for smoother blade turns and cleaner cuts.

• Multi-Color Inlay Process: Break the design into separate vectors for each color and inlay sequentially, starting with background colors and ending with top layers.

Questions Answered in this Q&A:

• 00:00:09 – Does the molding toolpath tab trick apply to VCarve as well?

• 00:06:02 – Why do I get three files when flattening a board and only the outline cuts?

• 00:11:09 – How to use a bowl bit after a roughing pass to smooth the bottom of a pocket?

• 00:24:34 – How to set up and use an SST drag knife in Vectric for foam core cutting?

• 00:27:50 – How to fix G-code sender COM port connection issues after upgrade?

• 00:28:42 – How to create a multi-color inlay for a tiger design with three wood species?

• 00:34:42 – How to recreate a decorative rosette corner piece with an OG contour in Vectric?

• 00:49:45 – How to scale imported graphics that aren’t to scale?

• 00:52:48 – Can a traced profile be scaled after tracing instead of before?

• 00:54:26 – Where to find good learning resources for Mach 4?

• 00:55:22 – How to save toolpaths for an automatic tool changer (ATC)?

• 00:57:30 – Is Vectric planning AI integration to compete with Carveco?

• 00:58:15 – How to rotate a project without having to reassign toolpaths?

Keywords:

surfacing toolpaths, vectric pocket toolpath, multiple tools, bowl bit finishing, raster toolpath, drag knife setup, plasma fillet, multi-color inlay, rosette molding toolpath, scaling graphics, mach4 resources, atc toolpath saving, cnc hub, carveco ai