How does the Wrapped Fluting Layout gadget lay out flutes around a rotary blank?

What it does

Wrapped Fluting Layout (Gadgets menu, preinstalled) lays out the vectors for straight flutes and coves around a rotary workpiece. It is a layout gadget: it draws evenly spaced vectors in the 2D (wrapped) view, and you then machine them with the Profile or Fluting toolpath. It does not create toolpaths itself.

Because the 2D view of a rotary job represents the unwrapped cylinder surface, flutes that must be evenly spaced around the circumference are just evenly spaced vertical vectors. The gadget does that spacing math for you from the job's cylinder dimensions.

The form

• Top section (your parameters): number of flutes; distance from the start of the workpiece where flutes begin; distance from the end where they stop; and optional cove creation at one or both ends.
• Bottom section (reference only): the job's cylinder dimensions, shown for information.

Flutes are laid out evenly spaced based on the circumference of the cylinder.

Workflow

1. Set up (or open) a rotary job. The gadget requires one.
2. Run the gadget, set flute count, start and end distances, and cove options.
3. The vectors appear in the 2D view.
4. Create a Fluting toolpath (ramped ends) or Profile toolpath on those vectors. For coves, use the Profile toolpath with the Machine Vectors On option.
5. On shaped (non-cylindrical) work, enable Project toolpath onto 3D model so the flute depth follows the turned surface.

Pro tips

• For spiral or twisted flutes and barley twists, use the sibling gadget instead. See the entry on how to design and cut a barley twist or spiral fluting in VCarve Pro & Aspire using the Wrapped Spiral Layout gadget.
• A ballnose or round-nose bit with the Fluting toolpath's ramp options gives the classic scooped flute ends. Coves from the gadget pair well with a cove-profile bit.
• Official documentation: Wrapped Fluting Layout
• Official documentation: Gadgets