I’m a complete novice when it comes to CNC’s. I have just bought a locally made machine here in Australia. It requires Easel to use. Easel requires an internet connection to use. I am having great difficulty getting wifi into my shed. Being a retired veteran I cannot afford megabucks for stand alone programs. I see that Carbide Create does not require an internet connection nor cost prohibitive. Can I use it? Sorry if this has been asked before I have just joined and still trying to find my way around.
Yes, you can, and it’s free:
http://carbide3d.com/blog/2017/big-carbide-create-update-its-now-free/
Note that we are also offering a free 1 yr. license in consideration of the current global health crisis:
Welcome to the forum, Bucky!
Just a thought: As you have electricity to your shed, have you considered using PowerLine adapters?
I’m sure there are other suppliers, but I found these from a quick Google search.
Of course, I prefer to use Carbide Create and Carbide Motion, but my CNC is in the shed :cough: workshop, and I use PowerLine adapters to connect to my storage hard drive.
1 Like
Those prices seemed crazy until I realized the location. That should be like $30 USD at most. I’ve had great results with an Eero wifi mesh network - reaches all the way to the neighbors house. I have 4 identical endpoints, and like the powerline adapter they output both Wifi and offer a wired Ethernet jack.
@Bucky If you go the powerline route and have issues just make sure you are plugging the router end on the same circuit as your shed. Not sure how you do phases down there, but here in the US we have (2) 120V legs.
1 Like
Hi @Bucky I feel your pain - I ran my Shapeoko in a shed with no wifi for a couple of years. I recently had success with this set of powerline extenders from Officeworks (@NewToThis linked it above)
Out of interest which machine did you get?
An offline option is to get the following two programs (I would go this way whether you get Wifi in the shed or not… much better than easel)
Carbide Create - As you’ve mentioned, this can be used to design your files, just save the gcode to a folder on your computer then open it in Universal Gcode Sender to run it on your machine.
You have the option of running Carbide Create on a computer in the house and saving the Gcode file on a USB stick and taking it out to the shed/CNC computer
Universal Gcode Sender - this replaces the part of easel that runs your machine, if you have the details of your machine I/we can help you get it set up. its simple and quite easy to run. This software is used to zero the machine and convert the Gcode into movements on your CNC.
2 Likes
I’ve been a’victim’ of that, too!
1 Like
Will you do your design work in the shed?
You could always generate your gcode with Easel and use whatever sender you’re planning on using anyway.
1 Like
My shed electrical supply is on a separate circuit with it’s own circuit breaker panel. I’ve been told powerlines adapter won’t work. I have tried a wifi mesh network with 2 units, that didn’t work either. My shed is steel colour bond sheets. I just want to be able to send a project from my computer to the CNC without having a internet connection. Apart from that I don’t really need internet in my shed. My shed is set up as a woodworking space that is my hobby and therapy. I bought the CNC as another tool for my hobby. It is a Bluecarve, assembled in Australia. I understand it is similar to the X-carve.
I bought a Bluecarve “Bluey” from a guy in Melbourne and had it shipped to Bundaberg in Queensland.
There are quite a few people running the Ethernet Over Power on separate circuits in Australia with success. The speed of the connection is reduced (to about 80 megabytes a second which is more than enough for your needs) but seems to be reliable. I have a set of the TP-Link AV1000 arriving next week that I will test on separate circuits.
If you’re keen to get it working I’d just buy the ones from Officeworks or similar and return them if they don’t work. Otherwise buy a reel of ethernet cable and put something permanent in?
I did a lot of research into the Bluecarve machines, unfortunately they didn’t have the work area I wanted, but the machines look great and Adam is good with support - I buy a lot of endmills off him.
1 Like
I think I will try Carbide Create and see if I can get that working. Rather than spending money trying to get internet I could use it for buying mills, etc. Looks like I will be watching a lot of YouTube.
I wrote up a bit about learning CC and attendant concepts at:
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed after 30 days. New replies are no longer allowed.