Carbide 3D also sent me a package this last week and I wasn’t sure where to post this since the original post was lost with the server hiccup so I will post it here as it was related.
I appreciate my post being perceived as inspiring but truly in the last 5 months I am the inspired! Inspired by you folks here in the forum and the team at Carbide 3D that is so willing to engage us all to assist at every turn!
With that said I was exceptionally overwhelmed with gratitude for the care package! I thought you might sent me some decals and that was Cool! To include a T-SHIRT, BITSETTER, AND BITZERO completely took me and my family by surprise !
I studied Winston’s installation video and read about 30 posts regarding the pitfalls of installation and usage. I then ran a program to cut a hole thru my secondary wasteboard to allow it to receive the Bitsetter thru its face, wired up the team of devices and fired up the machine for setup and testing.
It all worked perfectly and I now I need to get back to the drawing board and start cutting!
So thank you, thank you CARBIDE 3D! I truly appreciate the investment in supporting this expanding hobby!
Got there earlier than expected! C3d and other forum members have been really good to me, so I just wanted to pass some of that along. Word of caution on the 1/8" square endmills, they are def on the cheaper side and work best in soft materials like mdf. Have fun and can’t wait to see what you make!
Over the weekend I was able to true everything up and get a cut in that I had designed a couple of months ago for my Father-in-law. It required a few tool changes so the Bitsetter was exceptionally helpful! The elevation between my piece and the tool were too tight to get the BitZero between them with the Z topped out. This was not an XYZ critical cut because I had ample material so I set my zeros and let it ride.
Pocket Patriot 16" Outliner Cut
This project was cut it into the widest piece of .75 clear pine available at Home Depot but I forgot to double check my feed rates and pass depths on 2 of my toolpaths (off by a .0) So it was was a little fast and deep for the bit and there was some tearing that occurred in some places.
Side Cut Window
The following are common sense details that I just never thought were that critical but looking back on how I set up my bit library over a month ago I was very ambitious with all my speeds. Lessons learned; 1.) Recheck old designs and update your tool and feed rates as you gain experience. 2.) Number your tools in some fashion on its container to match the tool for easy finding
The NEW BitZero and BitSetter (Thank You Carbide 3D!)
Z-Axis 2016 Bent Plate (Thank you Microwave Monkey!)
That BitSetter is a beautiful block of aluminum! There were no issues with the height of the cuts on this project which leads me to believe my 1/4" tertiary wasteboard must have a warp in it because I didn’t use it. For workholding I used screws because if I didn’t want that to be the reason for failure.
Burned with a tiny butane pencil like torch
My Father-in-law is a great guy and this is intended to be a tribute to his Coast Guard Service, service as a Telephone Linesman, his team and, his his truck. There is a not so subliminal shape that seems apparent to me but regardless is intended to represent his love of… well I hope it is apparent.
Thanks again for your support! I am more confident cutting with my new instruments and Z-plate to dial in the accuracy!
This thread absolutely made my morning! I love seeing neglected things being restored. The community effort in helping you get your new found machine running is outstanding. The Carbide community is one of the biggest reasons I went with this brand; so much support!
BrassCat- Welcome to the community! You are not kidding, these folks are good people! Their brilliance, experience, and character are demonstrated regularly and I have only been here since the end of December! The healthy supportive culture that has been built here is like none I have ever experienced.
My working culture is similar with my colleagues at work. I call it the “work with me” approach (as opposed to the “work for me approach”. Maybe its the Iron Sharpens Iron approach? Regardess it works!
With my extensive experience dealing with mechanical equipment vendors I have not worked with a group who has ever supported their products to this degree. More commonly there is a lot of finger pointing back at the end user but most often you won’t find that here unless you are doing something dangerous.
It is apparent that Carbide 3D wants you to be successful in using their product and I’m not talking about my specific situation. I have read many posts where someone logs in here for the first time upset about something that isn’t working right and they are most often quickly eased by the support found here.
With all that said, it’s good to be here and welcome. This is a great virtual shop to hang out in!
Sorry to bring back a old-ish post but this story is awesome! I signed up just to say how cool it was you gave the old Shapeoko a new life and how awesome it was seeing all the support you got from everyone. It makes me even more excited that I chose the Shapeoko.
completely took me and my family by surprise 
!
