Help please with design carving protocol / setup in Carbide Create / Motion

Okay, glad to.

First step is to open the file in Carbide Create:

(I am going to do this in as much detail as I can manage — please skip over the boring / obvious parts)

Select the perimeter path, set the proxy point to the upper right corner, and get the dimensions for the project:

Click on the gear icon, enter the appropriate values and click OK:

Click on the Reset View icon, click on the Design button if need be, select the Text tool, set the desired house number in a pleasing typeface, and set the proxy point to the center, and adjust the various values until a pleasing arrangement is arrived at:

Click on Toolpath | Create Toolpath | V-Carve — if need be, Edit the Library and create a tool to match the one which you wish to use:

and accept the defaults, giving the toolpath a suitable name:

Select the inner path which you wish to use for the bevel, and assign a Toolpath | No Offset toolpath to it with a suitable V-bit to a depth which will give the desired bevel width:

(be sure to name the toolpath appropriately)

Click Ok

Select the outermost profile, and again, choose a Toolpath | Contour, but this time, use Outside Right and pick an appropriate tool to cut it out (note that you could have added a V-chamfer to this path at the previous step), click “Use Stock Bottom” to ensure that it will be cut all the way through, name it appropriately (again) and click Ok:

One may now click on “Show Simulation” in the Toolpath pane to get a preview:

Note that the no offset path fails to show how the V-bit would cut (I believe this has already been filed as a bug report).

If things are okay, one may then “Save GCode” and / or send it to the machine.

If you wish to see any of the above images in full resolution, see the upload log on the wiki: http://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Log/upload

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns. You may find the Coaster tutorial helpful as well: Let's make a coaster

and I’ve uploaded my finished file for you to use as a comparison:

CC_housesign.c2d (308.3 KB)

3 Likes