“Carve” out some time. Okay 
I’m making a modular synth case and found myself in need of some ventilation slots in the back panels to let the heat out. I just couldn’t commit the crime of boring round holes…
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Hard to tell exactly from the video, but the corners look very clean and sharp - what bit did you use?
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Hah, sorry, the video was also meant for non-woodworkers.
The adaptive clear was a regular #201 style two flute
20kRPM
1,500 mm / min
2.4mm optimal load
6mm depth of cut (workpiece was only 6mm)
0.5mm stock to leave
The contour was a cheap single flute £10 for 10 on Amazon 1/8" cutter which I run fast and take bigger cuts per tooth than I did the #102 2 flute.
24kRPM
1,250 mm / min
full depth
ramp down at 4 deg
2 finishing passes at 0.25mm per pass
Finished with a chamfer mill (Trend 90 degree V cutter) at
24kRPM
800 mm / min
0.5mm chamfer
2mm tip offset
(remember to measure the stock thickness properly to get the right chamfer depth when zeroing off the spoilboard)
The combination of the high RPM single flute with finishing passes and the chamfer tool leave very little to sand, even in this quite stringy birch ply.
It’s not the fastest set of toolpaths to run but I trade time on the machine for finishing time, especially sanding the insides of fiddly shapes like these.
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Mostly the same feeds and speeds here
Except for the outer contour, still a 6mm step down but this was a 1/4" compression cutter with the double finishing pass at 0.25mm stepover and full depth to leave a nice crisp edge that didn’t need chamfering to clean up.
The big 19.1mm bottom cleaning cutter runs at 23kRPM (it just sounds happy at that speed with no vibration) and 0.5 to 2mm DoC feeding at 1,500 to 2,000 mm / min 9mm stepover.
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Big week of firsts for me.
This week, I tuned up my Shapeoko for the first time. Leveled, squared, tuned belts, trammed, surfaced.
All so I could make this gift for my wife.
The box, also a bunch of firsts. First box. First v-carve. First Inset v-carve. First time thinking about the way the wood grain will look on the finished project. First time stacking multiple cuts for rough cut then finish cut. First real “finished” project.
It’s not the Mona Lisa but I’m pretty happy with it
Box is about 5-1/2” tall, 6” wide, 1-3/8” tall. Maple.
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Very nice. Someone has been reading the candy hearts instead of just eating them.
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Got to do my first cuts on the HDM today. Cut some UHMW parts for my 3lb battlebot and started an aluminum sign with my logo. It cuts like butter. Huge upgrade from the Nomad 883 Pro.
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Nice mixed media. I have a bunch of handmade paper I need to make some honeycomb lamps with the paper on back.
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Inspired by a Chinese 2022 Year of the Tiger board made by MTM wood, I thought that I would come up with my own version of a tiger on a background of tiger stripes.
Cherry and Wenge for the background, Osage, Wenge and Maple for the tiger. Finished piece 450 x 350 x 65mm (18 X 14 x 2 1/2 inch). With a 6mm (1/4") inlay. It is a very heavy piece.
It was a challenge but I am happy with the end result. I had to cut a trial tiger in some oak just to check things over, I didn’t want to mess up the expensive cherry, so now I have two.
This design would not work with the types of inlay that have a glue pocket as the VERY small pieces between the whiskers would not be held in place.
Now I have to finish the “trial” version.
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What v-bit did you use? That’s some pretty amazing details!
All cuts have been done with a 10 degree v-bit and a 1/8" end mill for clearance.
In Vectric V-Carve.
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We’re having a “white elephant gift party” at the next family reunion. Thought I’d stir up the group that wants to “steal” the good gifts. 
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Tex, What type of material is that?
I’ve lost track of the order (for now.) Got a dozen 12" x 12" sheets around 2019. It isn’t HDPE or PVC, because its hard and will chip. Cuts really smooth. I was thinking its PTFE, but I can’t find that in my order history email. I bought it mostly for inlays, and it works really well and long term for that. Speaking of elephants, it polishes up smooth like an ivory keyboard.
Is it UHMW? (Which is really just HD-HDPE according to the internet.)
HDPE = high density polyethylene
UHMW = ultra high molecular weight polyethylene
Like I said, I don’t really know what it is until I figure out where I bought it. It isn’t “foamy”. It is stiff and somewhat brittle or “chippy.” Man, it does make some nice chips.
My third attempt to vcarve aluminum on the HDM came out okay. Struggling with tape fixturing that doesn’t warp. The carving is a bit rough around the edges, any advice on how to make it cleaner? This was a 0.1mm deep carve with a 60 degree vbit.
@SLCJedi this is my wife’s lab logo in ortho.
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Have you tried the trick of running the job two times in a row ? The second run sometimes acts as a natural deburring pass.
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