Help please with design carving protocol / setup in Carbide Create / Motion

CNC Machines Shapeoko
1

Hello, I am brand new at CNC operations and just carved my first simple little wood project yesterday (it looks pretty good). I am hoping to step up the next project considerably today with this 15" x 9" x .5" HDU sign shape.

This is a TALL order for a guy on his second attempt! I “think” I’m OK with the process to carve the interior graphics, but I need some directions for setting up the sequence in Carbide Create and then Carbide Motion for cutting the exterior shape and the thin interior border.
I would like the plaque to have these features:

    • A 1/4" 45 degree edge bevel all the way around using my 90 deg V bit.
    • The interior border to be a V cut perhaps 1/4" deep again with my 90 deg V bit
    • Then a final outside profile cut with a standard 1/8" straight bit. Do I need a 2nd outline to accomplish this?

When I attempted to use my SVG file from Corel Draw, the simulation appears to show wide stepped effects.

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Remember, keep it VERY simple… LOL!

Thank you!

Don

2

I believe that this tutorial will inform what you wish to do:
http://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/Carbide_Create_V-carving_(advanced)

c.f.,
http://carbide3d.com/carbidecreate/video/vcarving/

If not, I’ll try to work up a detailed one for your specific effort at lunch time, or this evening.

The big thing is, you have two choices for the white highlight where you want the V-cut:

  • a single stroke — this would be cut by using Toolpath | Contour | No Offset (or follow path or some such)

or

  • a pair of paths which define a closed/nested region — it’s that closed region which the system will use to determine where the V-bit will move
3

Thanks Will, I am heading for that tutorial now. Would it help to attach the svg file, or can I.
Don

4

Yes, if you have any difficulties feel free to attach your SVG here, we’d be glad to look into it.

5

Will,
I took a peek at the tutorial link you sent and amazing work like that is a ways down-the-road for me.
When you have a chance, would you take my relatively simple svg plaque file (attached) and convert it into a Carbide Create file where I could actually see the steps needed?
This would go a long way to start me in the right direction!
Thank you very much!
Don

6

Okay, glad to.

First step is to open the file in Carbide Create:

(I am going to do this in as much detail as I can manage — please skip over the boring / obvious parts)

Select the perimeter path, set the proxy point to the upper right corner, and get the dimensions for the project:

Click on the gear icon, enter the appropriate values and click OK:

Click on the Reset View icon, click on the Design button if need be, select the Text tool, set the desired house number in a pleasing typeface, and set the proxy point to the center, and adjust the various values until a pleasing arrangement is arrived at:

Click on Toolpath | Create Toolpath | V-Carve — if need be, Edit the Library and create a tool to match the one which you wish to use:

and accept the defaults, giving the toolpath a suitable name:

Select the inner path which you wish to use for the bevel, and assign a Toolpath | No Offset toolpath to it with a suitable V-bit to a depth which will give the desired bevel width:

(be sure to name the toolpath appropriately)

Click Ok

Select the outermost profile, and again, choose a Toolpath | Contour, but this time, use Outside Right and pick an appropriate tool to cut it out (note that you could have added a V-chamfer to this path at the previous step), click “Use Stock Bottom” to ensure that it will be cut all the way through, name it appropriately (again) and click Ok:

One may now click on “Show Simulation” in the Toolpath pane to get a preview:

Note that the no offset path fails to show how the V-bit would cut (I believe this has already been filed as a bug report).

If things are okay, one may then “Save GCode” and / or send it to the machine.

If you wish to see any of the above images in full resolution, see the upload log on the wiki: http://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Log/upload

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns. You may find the Coaster tutorial helpful as well: Let's make a coaster

and I’ve uploaded my finished file for you to use as a comparison:

CC_housesign.c2d (308.3 KB)

3 Likes
7

This is EXACTLY the kind of help I need to help me get started!
The only thing I guess I didn’t make clear is that I want the outer bevel (or chamfer) to go only half way through the board and then a straight profile cut all the way through something like this:

Do I need 2 outer edges to accomplish this - or - can I use the same edge with two tool paths? In other words, can I use one path twice?

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Sorry Will, the bevel didn’t show… let me resend.

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That was the feature which I implied when I said:

note that you could have added a V-chamfer to this path at the previous step

(Yes, you can use a given geometry with multiple toolpaths)

If you do that, you will (when cutting) get the appearance which you describe.

One further note, the perimeter profile is being cut as a slot which can be hard on the machine — you may wish to add additional geometry so as to allow it to be cut out as a pocket which will make chip clearing easier.

1 Like
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OK… I’ll run with this and see if I can make it happen.
Many thanks again for your help.
Don

11

Couldn’t resist (I’m waiting for InDesign to export a 392 page document to IDML)

I believe this is what you wanted.

Note that it was necessary to manually select, move the center path out of the way (I added 3 inches to the X-coordinate), then do a drag-select to select the outer-most/inner-most pair, assign a V-carve to them, then restore the location of the original path.

As I noted above, it would probably be better to delete the Profile Toolpath, and instead select the outer two profiles and cut them as a pocket.

CC_housesign_V.c2d (508.2 KB)

1 Like
12

Interesting… there is obviously more than one way to skin this cat!
Thanks!
Don

13

For a Noob like myself, this level of detail is helpful and becomes a true learning experience rather than a boring didactic. Personally, I do not mind this level of detail as it allows me to learn.

1 Like
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Feel free to request your own customized tutorial.

1 Like
15

If I can finish my machine on the 14th of March, and promote it from “doorstop status”, I may just take you up on that!

@WillAdams you are the most helpful poster that I have encountered on this forum. I downloaded (stole) your CC housesign V.c2d design and may use it in our senior community here in Salem, Oregon. The homes were numbered by some guys who dropped LSD (we suspect) and a consistent home numbering would go a long way to help guests who are trying to visit and who may not be familiar with or psychedelic numbering system. The police/fire/paramedics are required to carry MAPS of the community, so that in the event of an emergency they can find the home without delay. Even then, it often takes some extra time to get to the home without some searching.

My comments about “other posters” were not aimed at you in any way, as you are the antithesis of that person. I sincerely hope that you understand and believe that.

2 Likes
16

Will, this files carves perfectly.
When I attempt to replicate what you’ve got here, the chamfer path wants to V carve everything to the center of the plaque. I cannot seem to confine the chamfer to what you show here. What am I doing wrong.
Thanks - Don

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Please post the file which you are having difficulty with, with a compleat description of what you did to arrive at your difficulty, and what you expected to happen instead.

18

Will is there a Carbide Create file for the house sign that can be downloaded.
Thanks Jeff

19

Here:

CC_housesign_V.c2d