V Carving Depth of Cut Help Me Understand

I have a photo attached of three 3x5" box lids that I applied SVG images to. The Dolphin and the Geco are good but the Dandelion with the name Ruth came out a little bit shallow, especially the Ruth text.

The #301 bit (90 degree) was used and the Carbide Create library shows the following:
#301 - 0.500 in Vee
Depth per Pass 0.151"
Stepover 0.225"
Spindle Speed 7639
Feed Rate 22.918
Plunge Rate 5.730

The above are the defaults that Carbide Create put into the library for the #301 Vee Bit

So does anyone know how Carbide Creates decides how far to plunge the Vee bit on a solid black line. Since there is no depth in the SVG image only how wide the line is. What would you recommend I change the “Depth Per Pass” setting to get a deeper text cut for “Ruth” in the picture. The Vcarving was painted with Black Acrylic Paint and then sanded. The Dolphin and the Geco are finished with Watco Danish Oil and the material is Red Oak.

Thanks


In the above image of the #301 bit is the width of the line determining the plunge of the bit?

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Yes.

Discussion at:

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Yes.

Will,

Thanks for the info. I had the concept and did not know it. So for me with SVG images with bold lines I need to be mindful of my inner pocket depth so the vcarve bit does not pierce the pocket below the top. Right now I am concentrating on box making and will have to experiment more with the images. If I want font kerning I guess I will have to use Inkscape or some other program to space my letter wider apart so the vee bit does not distort the letter next to it then export as SVG file and open in Carbide Create. I had tried setting the Z zero below the surface but that can cause unexpected results and is not really repeatable from one box to the next. I try to batch process box lids and have found that my holding jig remains centered as long as I do not shut the Shapeoko off. This batch processing saves time in setup and maximizes my time in the shop.

Will,

I downloaded the F-Engrave from the site “http://www.scorchworks.com/Fengrave/fengrave.html”. After extracting the zip file my Norton Security flagged the file as malicious. I went to the details for Norton and because it is low use file is the likely reason it was flagged. So at this point I am not sure if I want to chance the use of the application. Norton did not have any specific finding about the application but quarantined it. The version it downloaded was 1.68. I am not asking you if I should use the application but have you or others you know used the application without issue (security). I am in charge of my computer and will decide whether to use it or not but input would be helpful if you know.

Thanks

I’ve used F-Engrave with no issues. It does a pretty good job.

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I have never had an issue.

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Saw this video a few weeks back that goes deep into the explanation of how the math works in the v carving. Worth a watch.

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The video was ok, just a little short. I realize that the subject of v carving is arcane and kind of automagical. You can simply do a test run on scrap to see what happens but I am trying to understand the inner workings of how the program interacts with the work. That said I had a basic understanding of what was happening but there are a lot of variables and exhaustive testing of every little svg file is not within my time constraints. By knowing how the Carbide Create interacts with the SVG drawings is more helpful than running every design on a test piece. For the text if required I think that Inkscape will let me create the text, kern the letters and then export as an SVG file. That will simplify my work flow. Carbide Create is pretty powerful but cannot do everything. By understanding the limitations of a particular application you can find alternatives that keep things moving in the right direction.

Unless you’re wanting to write a program that generates v-carving toolpaths or manipulate a flat depth in a program that doesn’t natively support it (Carbide Create, Fusion 360, etc), there is not much to v-carving. If your machine is tuned and your stock is flat, the end result, at the Z0 plane, should look exactly like your design. If the carve is too shallow for your needs but the design is what you want, you need to use a v-bit with a steeper angle. Use a 60 degree bit for designs with more detail. You should also face your stock before you V-carve anything with a lot of detail. Another option is to use an autoleveling script.

You want to know the algorithms for generating the 3D motion in a V-carve? Or you want to understand the math behind calculating the depth of a carve?

As a corollary to all this, please see:

or contract it to the feature for V depth limiting in Vectric Vcarve.

It’s really interesting to compare the geometry one gets with a constant tool angle and the sort of continual change and consistent depth one gets with hand-carving — in particular, the depth of small, delicate areas will be much deeper with hand carving, and the corresponding shadow far darker. See Michael Harvey’s Creative Lettering Today for more on that.

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