I am trying to cut a game for my family called Jokers and Marbles. It requires cuts on topside and bottomside. I believe CC requires 2 separate files for this which I’ve created. In the job design in CC, how do I ensure the game piece is oriented in the exact spot in order to make the cuts? My plan is to cut the bottomside first (male connector) then flip the stock to carve the topside and final cutout.
My table has a corner square so I can ensure the stock is in the same place. But when I flip the stock, how do I ensure it cuts at the proper location?
Mind blown on this one but that may be b/c I’m fairly new to this.
Being new to CC, will you help confirm a couple things?
If I have 2 different SVG files someone sent me for this game, I cannot combine them into a single CC file. When I select File…Open, it replaces the open file. It doesn’t append or combine.
If this is true, then I cannot have a single job path with both Side A and Side B, correct? Instead, I have to create 2 files. Once I finish the Side A job, I open the Side B file in CM and start that job. The reason I ask is that it seemed like in Kevin’s video his toolpathing hinted at a combined Side A and Side B and I didn’t think the software allowed me to do that.
No, see above. I like to use Center Left for origin of 2-sided files and then use the top-half for the top (cut first with lower-left as origin) and the lower-half for the bottom (cut second with upper-left as origin)
If the toolpath has the same tool, does the software pause between groups thereby enabling me to remove/flip the piece? Or will it only pause between groups if there is a tool change? I’m trying to figure out how to get the software to pause the job and enable me to flip the stock.
As Will said, you need a separate file for each side. When the first one completes the spindle will move out of the way and then you flip and load/start the second file.
You can have it all in one file, but disable toolpaths for one side when saving the file and then flip which ones are enabled and disabled and then save again.
These are the steps I took but the cut didn’t line up. Can someone help me understand the error of my ways and advise on how I can fix this?
Opened the file with the game piece Top
Created a frame without a toolpath (b/c i thought this would work)
Centered the top piece in the frame
Created the toolpaths for the Top in Group 1
Created the bottom piece by using the Mirror Vertical button and ensured it was centered in the frame
Defined the toolpath for the bottom cuts in Group 2
Used a different tool requiring a change in between cuts for Bottom (Group 1) and Top (Group 2) so that the CNC would present itself for a tool change thus allowing me to flip the piece
Saved this as a single file
Cut the Bottom
Flipped the piece vertically
Cut the top
My bottom cut did not properly line up with the top.
When I cut my Pegs and Jokers game boards, I cut out the basic board shapes and then I made a file that I cut out inlays half for the front and half for the rear to add boards back into for cutting out the holes and connections. This also allows me to customize lettering on the front or rear.
@cobbr68 I posted this discussion a while back and, at the end, got some great information. I think, if you read through that thread, favoring the bottom half when some better suggestions were made, you’ll find the answers to what you’re asking.
Assuming you flipped left to right. It doesn’t appear that the distance from the xy/0 to image is not the same on left and right. ( 2 squares on left, almost 3 squares on right). If you flipped top to bottom, same deal - Also, if you don’t cut out the frame, you MUST have the EXACT size of the wood, and image must be exactly centered at all compass points.
Unfortunately for me, when I did this, I did not clamp the wood good enough. Another piece of walnut for the firepit
I’m also currently making several pegs & jokers sets. My design is fairly similar although we use golf tees instead of marbles.
I hopefully solved this problem by making a jig to cut the backs. The jig should position the pieces correctly and not let them move. I was trying for an easily repeatable method that didn’t require much setup. I’m hoping to get to the back cuts on Monday.
