Looks really good.
I hope my first inlay comes as as good, when I find the time!
Did you use CC or another program?
I used Vectric VCARVE. You could easily do most of the design in carbide create, but I am more familiar with VCARVE at this point. The only thing that would be difficult in carbide create would be the curved text, but that could be replaced with straight text below the knifes and I think it would still be nice looking. I just found the images of the knifes and the pigs using google image search.
If anybody wants the file I would be happy to share, but it does require a copy of VCARVE.
(curved text might be possible in CC, but I don’t know how to do it)
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I finished a new wasteboard and made some fences for an XL. Gonna make some new cam clamps tomorrow for the wasteboard. Also gonna make a base and connector for a dust collection boom.
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Smart cutouts for the BitZero in the corner. I was happy when I saw those on the official square. Also, your BitSetter looks naked!
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Well how dare you take such liberties as looking at my naked BitSetter.
My previous and still present fence on my XXL are the Myers Woodshop design. That design never worked but I seldom use the corner on the XXL. However on the XL the real estate is more limited so I think I will use the corner more. I measured the BitZero and gave myself some room. I am currently working on a draft of the considerations of making a wasteboard for a Shapeoko. So I have been documenting how I planned, designed and cut the wasteboard. I have been taking pictures and getting ready to finalize how I made my wasteboard, optomized its size and centered and squared it when placing it on the base board.
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A piece that makes me thankful for having a drum sander - onion skinned and then ran it through the drum sander to separate the work piece. My wife has been asking for this cut out longer than I’d like to admit.
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I have a Jet 16-32 drum sander. I cut a piece out and it did not quite make it through to the bottom. I had been using the drum sander and thought that I would just sand through the onion skin left at the botom. All went well for the first pass. Then a piece broke loose and moved and ripped by conveyor belt. I have had problems with the belt tracking to one side and had replaced it with a Kingspor belt and was working great. So I had ordered 2 when I got the one that was working. I replaced the belt and it tracks to one side. So much for saving time and effort to sand off the little bit of wood on the bottom of a project.
Oof! I actually had a mess up cut that I tested through the drum sander before I sent the good one through. I was a little worried.
I picked up a Ryobi WDS1600 last Summer for a good price after I’ve been patiently waiting and watching for a drum sander for a while. It’s nice to have if you have the space, but I don’t do production work or the same work all the time so it is underutilized.
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Well the Space Force wooden pattern worked a treat and the casting came out well. I powder-coated it today and I am happy with the result. I might add that it is nowhere near as good as the set by Merick01.
This afternoon I cut another pattern, this one is for casting in brass. It is for a friend who has a BMW R80 Cafe Racer. He has bought some retro front lights and needs somewhere to mount the equally retro light switches. The casting will be mounted on brackets secured to the handlebars. It will be about 3/8" thick (9mm).
All being well casting will take place tomorrow.
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This is pretty cool, we already have three different ways to make space force coasters. @Julien it should have been a Challenge, haha.
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They are very nice,are you casting them yourself??
Yes, I am basically the chief cook & bottle washer. I cut the patterns, cast, clean, polish & powder-coat.
I enjoy the challenge of can I get a design to cut and get the pattern to pull from the sand without damage to the mould.
Recently I have been making lots of classic British (and a few American) motorbike coasters, some more of a challenge than others. When I have cast this one in brass (there are actually now going to be two different designs). I would like to try making a stacked text design to cast, I don’t know what design at the moment, I would just like to give it a try. Polishing will probably be an issue with that though.
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Well all I can say they are great.The detail you are getting from sand casting is excellent.Would I assume you have a little crucible furnace at home??What I would like to do when I get the skill level up is machine some wax and investment cast,these machines would be more than capable of achieving this.
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Yes, it is just a small furnace with an A5 crucible. Are you a caster Graham?
The brass castings came out well. One I am keeping, I just need a bike to go with it!
The first photo shows them on removal from the sand, the second shows how my one cleaned up in just 15 mins. The other one is to be polished by the bike owner.
Making the patterns for these would have been at least a 2 day job without the Shapeoko. It used to take me half a day to just make a blank pattern with a raised edge. Advanced “V” carve with pocketing has transformed what I can make.
A big “Thank You” to all at C3D!
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Curious if you would make a topic showing your process and equipment? I’ve been interested in casting for some time but never knew anybody who I could reach for input on process.
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Graham,they are truly brilliant.It’s a pity you guys were not close,I have approx 50 small crucibles here from A3 up to the A10 stored away.My background was 25 years at a Steelmaker here in NZ,furnace was 40 tonne then upgraded to 55 tonne with the various transformer upgrades.Continuous caster was Rokop.Then I spent next 25 years supplying to foundries here and I was responsible for crucible sales in Australia,Indonesia,Thailand,Malaysia and a little around the islands.
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What kind of paint are you using to color fill the coasters?
I have just about finished my over head dust collection boom for my XL. I got the base machines, primed and painted as well as the middle piece machined, primed and painted as well as the boom arms. I had some 1.5" steel conduit laying around that I cut up to make the boom. My design was inspired by one I say on etsy for the OneInfinity machine. I need to finish the end of the boom and mount the base. I will let the base swivel and the middle piece I will epoxy the arm in as well as the end cap. Not much more to go. During the snow storm a month or so back my local hardware store had the roof collapse so it is closed. I will have to go to Nacgodoches to get the base bolts.
My first attempt was to just drill the holes with a 1.5 inch forstner bit. The hole was a little small for the conduit I decided to make them on the Shapeoko. I cut the hole a little undersized as a pocket. So I increased the size on the project and did a contour inside cut. That was still a little too snug so I cut it again increasing a few thousands with a contour inside cut. The third time was the charm. The base was first and since I had the measurement down I just modified the material and cut the middle boom on two adjacent sides. As soon as I get it together I will cut the end cap tonight and prime and paint tomorrow. I need to drill a few holes for wire ties to secure the dust collection hose. I will post a pic when mounted.
Almost done. Waiting for Peachtree 2.5 dc hose. This hose is very flexible. The black hose laying on the waste board is too stiff to use but using it during mock up.
Good my hose and mounted to table.
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I could make a post about the casting process Mike but a “cnc cutting” forum is probably not the place for it. One thing I would say is be VERY CAREFUL when watching you tube videos on the subject some of the practices will, at best, put people in hospital.
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Thanks Graham. 50 crucibles is a lot of crucibles, and 55 tonnes is a LOT of steel. Way out of my league. I think my A5 crucible weighs about 8 kilo when full of brass, though most of my casting is aluminium. As you say “if we were a bit closer” I don’t think it is possible to get further apart than a 36 hour flight!
The paint is powder-coat, mostly black, followed by a top clear powder-coat.
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