I’m in the process of making 500 classic six-sided “toe pincher” coffins to display autographed bottles of Ozzy Osborne wine for a local winery where he will be playing for the upcoming total eclipse. The top will be solid with the center removed leaving an inch around the perimeter. The remaining “frame” gets a 1/4x1/4" rabbet on the inside that when turned over will accept a 1/4" acrylic panel from the underneath. I’ve tried using the polygon feature in CC but don’t seem to be able to adjust the sides accordingly. I’ve also tried using the multi line feature but when I scale the grid to 1/16" its too small to see. Any Ideas?
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Use another tool when you bump up against the limits of Carbide Create.
Suggest Inkscape, or some other vector editor ― what platform do you use?
If by platform you mean my computer, it’s a new Lenovo windows 10 that I got exclusively to run the shapeoko. I’ve been looking at artcam but don’t know if the free version would do the job. however since it would perform 5 different processes per unit the $180 per year subscription seems worth it.
Yes, by platform I meant computing platform.
Apparently there’s a free version of ArtCAM — might be that would work for your needs. http://www.artcam.com/free/index.asp
As I noted, simple enough to just re-draw this in Inkscape or pretty much any vector editor. List of free/opensource options here: https://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/CAD#B.C3.A9zier_drawing_programs Commercial ones here: https://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/Commercial_Software#B.C3.A9zier_Drawing_Programs
Yeah in Illustrator (which compared to Inkscape most closely) it would take a few minutes to draw and save as SVG, which can then be opened in Carbide Create. You’ll hit the limits of CC fast.
This certainly sounds like it would be a straightforward design in Vcarve Pro, fwiw. It may be worth getting professional grade software for designs when you plan to make hundreds of them.
One other thought here — if you do get the basic shape drawn up in Carbide Create, the way to do regular offsets from a path is to lie to Carbide Create about the diameter of an endmill, so work up the design for a 1/4" endmill, then, when you want the 1/4" rabbet, just cut on the inside and tell it you’re using a 1/2" endmill.
That said, it’s as noted, easy enough to draw:
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If all you need to do is profiling, then the free version of Autodesk ArtCAM should be all that you need: http://www.artcam.com/free/download/index.asp
Otherwise you should be able to complete the job using the free 30-day trial version of Autodesk ArtCAM Standard: http://trial2.autodesk.com/NET18SWDLD/2018/ARTCS/4489FD30-345A-4589-A593-9DD157E50426/SFX/ArtCAM_Standard_2018_ML_Win_64bit_dlm.sfx.exe
There’s a 50% discount on a 1-year subscription to Autodesk ArtCAM Standard thru July 31st, which means it costs $180.
I’ve been looking at ArtCam and I wonder which post processor to select for the S03. There’s one for the Nomad; will that work? There’s also a generic. Is that okay? There’s also some discussion about using, if I remember correctly, the Mach3/4 postie. Since you are suggesting ArtCam, can you say which post you’ve used that worked?
That was from July a year ago. I know almost everything has been updated since then. The post processors may have been updated while the programs were upgraded and the old info may not still apply.
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I’d check on Vectoric.
A lot cheaper, and you own it.
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.tap mm still works fine in artcam
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Vectric make several products. When it comes to functionality, Autodesk ArtCAM Standard and Vectric Aspire (not V-Carve Pro) are comparable. The math shows ArtCAM Standard is the cheaper of the two products, and that’s before the latest 50% discount offer: http://www.mycncuk.com/threads/10250-Vectric-Price-rises
Exactly why I’m thinking of getting it soon.
Before the price goes up again😊
They’re both great, once learned.
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