Inlay Problem using Carbide Create

I am having problems when using Carbide Create to design inlay elements and the pockets that they fit into. The inlays are small and complex shapes with both internal and external elements. In order to properly size the inlays to fit into their respective pockets,

I need to reduce the inlays in both the height and width separately. When I change the height in Carbide Create it automatically changes the width and vice-versa. Is there a way to change one without changing the other? And if not, what CNC software can I use to accomplish this. I am attaching a photo that demonstrates this problem. When the horizontal dimensions are correct, the vertical dimensions are not. For reference, the fox head is approx. 1-1/4" tall.

What kind of endmill are you using? Are you trying to vcarve the pockets?

No, it is a 1/32" straight flat bottom end mill. Some of the pieces are way too small to use a V bit.

You shouldn’t need to scale the inlays — maybe inset them to allow for a glue line, but they otherwise ought to be the same proportion.

One consideration is to cut both the pocket and the inlay in the same orientation (don’t rotate one or the other relative to the other).

You may need to calibrate for belt tension: http://docs.carbide3d.com/shapeoko-faq/how-to-calibrate-the-machine-for-belt-stretch/

I need to scale down the pocket vector to create the inlay size so that the inlay will fit in the pocket. Because there are internal elements, (for example between the ears,) they don’t scale relative horizontal to vertical. I’m not sure that I know why they don’t, they just don’t. I have miked the pocket and the insert before and after scaling and they are not the same relative to each other as before the scaling, if that makes sense. If I am doing it wrong, I need to know how to do it right. I will check the belt tension to see if that may be the problem.

Start by testing something simple in a piece of scrap.

Then start with a set of geometry which all fit together and use offset paths to make things fit. There’s a bit of discussion of the various considerations here: Inlay Work (Woodworking)

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