Vcarve - odd problem

1

Hi All,

PXL_20220403_151030461_2
PXL_20220403_151030461_21920×2550 501 KB

These are small 2mm - 4ish mm starts I’m ‘engraving’ in brass on my Nomad 3.

I managed to get a really good VCarve but didn’t save the file and have since been trying to replicate it
without success. I tried pocketing, vcarving, advance vcarving, contour etc but nothing gives me
the same results.

I use a 20 degree single flute carbide pcb vbit. The stars on the right were cut by a 50 degree pcb vbit (They’re too wide)

Could someone suggest the optimal toolpath for this?

Many thanks,
Gunter

2 Stars on brass.c2d (21.5 KB)

2

Going to bump this up!

3

Hello Gunter,

Can you indicate which stars were from the “really good VCarve” if they are in the picture so there’s something to aim for?

(edit: the ones on the left for example look perfectly fine)

4

Hi Gerry,

Thanks for your reply.

Yes the ones of the left were good. If I remember correctly the
ones on the right within the red boundary were good too just
that I used a 90 degree engraver vs a 20 deg engraver for the
ones on the left.

Thanks for your input!
Gunter

5

I had a look at the file you posted.

Is there a reason for this somewhat complex geometry in the centre of the star?

image
image1076×1360 103 KB

It might be best to first get a nice clean design?

6

Hi Gerry,

No reason at all! The geometry is just the outline of the star and I believe
the blue lines are just the toolpaths for vcarve, but I may be wrong.

My aim is to engrave the star in brass like in the image on the left (my first pic).

Gunter

7

lol… sorry. the Carbide Create interface confused me :slight_smile:

8

I’ve had a little bit of a play - I’m not sure how to do it in Carbide Create, unfortunately. I don’t use it but there are plenty of skilled users here that should be able to help.

I thought it would be a matter of doing a VCarve but it seems not to work as expected.

I loaded the shape into the tool I use and just did a VCarve toolpath with a 90 degree cutter and it looks like this, which is close:

image
image643×716 43.5 KB

but I couldn’t get it to work in CC.

9

Thank you Gerry, could I ask which software you use?

10

It’s the one that confuses and annoys dear Will :wink: - Vectric VCarve Desktop

(edit: It could be my version of CC is not working properly… it’s version 645)

11

Is your stock actually this thin?

image
image664×1286 16.9 KB

You can get a better preview if you allow the tool to cut as deeply as it needs to and it will help to set the model resolution to “Very High”, but I believe that you’re running into some intrinsic limits in Carbide Create due to the very small size of your design.

Increasing the size improves things somewhat:

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I would suggest seeing what the design looks like in a 3D previewing tool such as Camotics:

image
image2067×1440 180 KB

That said, that is a very delicate tool, and I suspect you’d do better if you had the option of ramping in, and if the tool were able to move using G2/G3 arcs where necessary.

1 Like
12

Hi Will,

Yes the stock is just 0.5mm thick brass.

I’m afraid I don’t know what G2/G3 arcs are but I know I created the stars once! I just don’t
know how to replicate my toolpaths. The problem, as you noted, is that the stock is very thin
so I can’t allow the tool to go to undetermined depth.

I’ll look in to Camotics, thank you.

Gunter

13

Draw things up in profile, then work out how deeply you wish to cut.

I suspect you’ll need to use an Advanced V carving Toolpath.

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