Editing Splines - Cribbage Board

Hi,

I recently purchased a CNC router, and am trying to use autocad to make a cribbage board. But, they will be very odd shaped cribbage boards - I have several slices of cedar stump - very cool grain and shape. To make a cribbage board, I need to be able to curve all over the place to follow the contours of the slice, and to dodge defects. I have the first slice in a jig, which I can measure X and Y on, to generate a series of points the curve needs to follow. Next, I can connect these with a spline. Then, I can use an array to make the right number of circles along the line. I've been making 38 holes along the spline, then I explode the array, leave the first two circles alone as the starting spots, delete the next circle, leave the next 5 alone, then delete one, and keep carrying on in 5s. This gives me 6 sections of 5 holes, and 2 start holes, with a break between each.

Now comes the problem. I need to somehow make a 'copy' of that set of holes, moved over 3/8, then again at 1", then again at 1-3/8". That makes one track for each player, going down 1 set, and coming back along the next. But, if you just do a regular 'copy' command, it makes an identical copy, moved over 3/8, which doesn't work right in many spots - for instance if I'm moving straight over in the X direction, than any spots where the array/spline was close to horizontal, or aligned with the X axis, the holes just run over each other.

If I offset the spline first, then create an array on each spline it gets closer to working, but still isn't right. The splines become different length, and have different radii, and the holes don't run over each other, but they don't line up very well either.

I need the holes to basically radiate out appropriately to match the curves. Does that make sense? I'm hoping there's some not exactly rocket science or not horrendously tedious way to achieve this. Any ideas?

Spruce

Darn - as soon as I posted, I figured it out. I just used the 'rows' function in the array, and it worked flawlessly. I don't know why I thought that wouldn't work before.

I made 5 rows, deleted the middle row to give me a nice space, and deleted the third, then every fifth holes, and it gave me a perfect cribbage layout, which hopefully goes right where I want in the cedar stump...

Thanks for looking...

Spruce

Welcome to CADTutor.

As a fellow woodworker and long standing tool junkie, I would love to have a CNC machine, keep looking at the ads on Rockler, although just window shopping, don't have a woodshop in my new house.

Post a couple shots once you get it done.