How would I do this? If someone can help me step by step?

I have the Nomad here and am slowly learning. But I am a newbie. Anyway, my idea at the moment is to make acrylic dies that I would us on my big hydraulic press to form metal into the shape cut into the acrylic die. 0eb81d5017718968b579a8228c1cb862 This is an example of what I would like to achieve with my CNC. I have acrylic and I do have a good selection of endmills. 4ef49e30f8166f006e0aae2fc2f15d92Here is another example. I would like to use this shape (1 of them only) and I would like for it to be rounded in the mold, not necesarily flat in the mold. So the metal shape ones pressed into the mold is in a shell like shape.

heart At the other end this heart would work our nice as well. I would like the bottom (really the top of the heart) to be rounded out like 1/2 a sphere basically so it could be formed in the press out of metal. But what steps do I take. I don’t want someone else to do it for me, I want to learn how to do it. Thank you for any advice and help to do this. I hope this makes sense…other examples bbd54c77e6cc6661565669462ddc9dba

You can either use a tool such as MeshCAM which allows you to do depth maps ( http://www.grzsoftware.com/tut/image/ and https://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/CAM#Images) or model the parts in 3D — very simple shapes might allow you to cut them as a series of nested pockets, but probably not an option.

For the free 3D CAD and CAM options see: https://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/CAD#3D and https://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/CAM#3D or see https://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/Commercial_Software for the commercial options.

I have meshcam and am learning to use it. I have all the programs that came with the machine installed on a PC. I will check out the two links. In the case of the heart, I import it into the program, then what should I do next after that? Thanks!

The heart should probably be touched up in a pixel image editor to have an even surface appearance — remember, you’re going to be mapping a given greyscale value to a given depth of cut.

Hopefully the tutorial at: http://www.grzsoftware.com/tut/image/ will work for you — if not, post a file either here or to support@carbide3d.com and we’ll do our best to help.

Thanks Will. I don’t have an unlimited amount of material to mess with so that is my caution with it. But I looked at the tutorial on MeshCAM Day 2 - Image Machining and I have gotten a bit more educated, I really want to have my first success where I do it myself! Thank you again. I will post something once I get there!

It’s best to decide upon / source a free / inexpensive (and easily / quickly machined) material to use for experimentation — I use pallets from work — a little sweat equity after a large equipment delivery got me a shed almost filled with a truckload of lumber which I’ve been cutting up since.

2 Likes

ah good idea. I am in a very poor area so pallets are not an easy find, but I get it. Wood would work, I can get that and they will cut it for me as well. Thanks for the tip!

This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.