Saw your posts, but it’s the end of the day. I will give you answers tomorrow!!! I have pictures too!
here is one of our old presses… we have three of these:
and here is one of our new presses:
these are rated at 10-15 tons.
To UnionNine: yes, we heat to 480 degrees for branding, and 220 degrees for foil stamping. the dies are all 7.8mm thick with a 4mm geometry. Cycle times for branding are about two seconds.
if you are doing the branding by hand, I recommend a arbor press with a quick release. remember: smaller geometry features will lose their heat faster than the big ones, so be sure to have a thick (3mm+) backing to maintain an even heat. If you need to stamp multiple parts, I suggest a heater block. You can find them, or make one.
Here’s a rare three-color die…
Meshcam is terrible at making efficient 2d or 2.5d tool paths. It can also drive you insane with quirks that are impossible to get around.
I switched to VCarve Pro and it produces MUCH more efficient tool paths.It’s not a stretch to say it’s 10x faster than Meshcam for most parts. VCP also offers much more control, a more intuitive user interface and great tutorials.
You might consider using a SO3 to make your parts since it has 15x more power than the Nomad. I use my SO3 20 to 1 over my Nomad for that reason and because I can cut much larger parts. I’m not sure it would give you the precision you need for these parts but my guess is that it would.
We have two sides of the same coin here… I think MeshCam is great! Now that I’ve learned all the quirks, it takes about 10 minutes to set up a die. The proper tooling is everything, and I get the tiny details I need. The 2.5D feature works flawlessly. If you need help with meshcam, let me know, and I will try to talk you through it. Several things are counter intuitive. Now that I have a second Nomad coming, I’ll be having twice as much fun!! Whee!!
Based on your run times, I think you may be giving Meshcam more credit than it is due. Those dies should not require more than 20 to 30 minutes each.
Is there G-code optimization software which works on G-code from MeshCAM?
It’s not MeshCam’s fault. The tiny tooling I have to use will break if I try to take heavy or fast cuts. Please also keep in mind, I am cutting hardened brass.
The picture doesn’t do this one justice. There was a lot of careful carving to get those lines perfect.
These are pretty awesome!
I went to Mcdonald county high school, in Missouri. We used the mustang, like the one you did for the college.
Pretty cool job, you’ve got.
Thanks for sharing.
Back from vacation!! here’s a Buffalo!!
Good time for a vacation!
Wondered where you’ve been
I had to bring my brother West… It’s a poor pun, but the best I could do under the circumstances…
I kinda like this viking, even though real vikings never wore horns on their helmets…
I’m making some work holding devices with my nomad… The first one has come out nice, with a little help from WillAdams Thanks again man ;D
Before this die, the coasters were hand-aligned, resulting in a unacceptable number of scrap pieces. This new fixture will eliminate the guesswork!
I was cleaning my desk today, and I came across a piece of history! This is the “test” piece that the guys at carbide3D ran for us before we purchased our first machine.
my oh my, how far we’ve come!
A couple high school/college dies… letters are yawn boring lol
They are “unfinished” being fresh off the Nomad. Still need to polish the surfaces, clear the holes, add counter bores, etc.
I used to live in Michigan… the economy there is so terrible, I don’t care if I ever go back.
Just a couple finished or almost finished pictures. I love seeing my dies in action!
Hot off the Nomad just a few minutes ago!!