SO Pro Build, Enclosure, Setup, and Initial Carvings

[lstoll (Luke Stoll)]

@Julien

Epic write-up, thanks for sharing ! Please tell me this was not your first CNC, it took me much longer than a couple of months to get where you are.

• This is the first time I have used a cnc machine although I have done a decent amount of design work in modeling programs such as Solidworks and Autodesk Inventor so I have the background there. I have been wanting to get a cnc machine for years though so I have done a lot of research into things.

@Julien

Yes, you just need to add (for example) a G4 P5.0 command in the section of your post-processor that generates M3 commands, this will add a 5 second delay after the spindle start command, to let it accelerate to target RPM.

I did it for VCarve, look for this part of your post processor, locate the “M3”, add the G4 Pxxx command after that:

Thanks for that information, I believe I have the postprocessor updated now. I will give it a try a little later today.

EDIT:
The change is working now where it delays the start time so the spindle can reach max rpm!

@Julien

EDIT:

@lstoll

It still isn’t good enough, so I am open to some suggestions on making this work better.

You may have bottomed out the plug on that last one ? I always use a large margin such that that plug is (much) thicker than the pocket, since I’m surfacing off everything on the machine afterwards anyway.

Also, for intricate vcarve jobs, I can’t do without my collection of 20/25/30° vbits now. 25° single flute vbit being my favorite.

I was thinking about the depth of the cut and I will probably try that out. I pre-emptively ordered a set of 20/25/30° vbits before I started cutting, figuring I could use them for fine details. Those come in next week so I am looking forward to see how those turn out.