Community challenge #9: Sign/Plaque (closed)

dmarvel · June 5, 2020, 2:45am

A family member recently graduated from law school and decided to enter public service. As a gift, I wanted to make a multi-layered sign that contained depth utilizing red, white, and blue colors. We joke that 2032 is an important election year because it is the first Presidential election cycle where he will be old enough to run. I gained inspiration online, and I worked in Carbide Create to design the concept through trial and error. I followed tutorials online to practice using Carbide Create’s boolean functions to combine a flag with the shape of the USA, for use as the sign background.

I used 1/2 inch Sande plywood from the local big box store and learned that using this type of plywood in combination with an upcut and v-carve bit requires a lot of post-sanding afterward. Very fuzzy material. However, it was a blast to make.

Lessons:
Since I’m new to CNC, I played cautiously on my feeds and speeds. I began with the default settings in Carbide Create and slowed it down from there before exporting the G-Code. I did everything in Carbide Create and used my Shapeoko XXL to cut the pieces out.

To prevent setting the feed rate too high and damaging the bit or workpiece, I start slow and use the increase/decrease the speed feature in Carbide Motion for fine-tuning. To minimize tool changes, I chose to use #302 and #201 bits.

I found out the hard way that you’re not supposed to zero the Z-axis (only) with a C3D touch probe hanging off the corner of the workpiece, in the same manner, you zero X, Y, and Z simultaneously. The cutter plunged deeper than expected and blew the tabs off rather quickly on one of the numbers, removing it. After stopping the machine, and re-reading the touch probe instructions, I realized that to zero the Z-axis only, you need to use the probe sitting entirely on top of the work surface.

Overall, this sign was fun, and now my wife wants one!