lithophanes in PVC

Gallery for images of work cut using PhotoVCarve
brw_racing
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:00 pm
Model of CNC Machine: taig cnc mill
Location: Renton Washington

Re: lithophanes in PVC

Post by brw_racing »

I have been zeroing on the surface and just by eye. I am usually more concerned about spacing the border nicely and trying to line the pipe up so any defects like scratches or bumps get removed by the cutter when the picture is made. If it's not quite deep enough its easy enough to stop the program hit go to zero bump it down a touch and start over.

MikeUSNRet
Vectric Craftsman
Posts: 215
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2010 3:51 pm

Re: lithophanes in PVC

Post by MikeUSNRet »

I have been wanting to add a 4th axis to my machine and this has definitely re-triggered the drive in getting the necessary parts to get this done.

I am having a little trouble wrapping my head around the steps necessary to setup the photo correctly etc.

Any possibility of you, or someone else that does this, perhaps doing a tutorial on how to setup PhotoVCarve to do a litho on a piece of PVC pipe of say 7" long x 3 or 4" diameter?
STGC(SW/AW) M. Wenman USN Ret.
1982 - 2005

User avatar
JJWMACHINECO
Vectric Craftsman
Posts: 143
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2009 2:15 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Re-worked/Modified K2CNC KG-3925
Location: Deep South

Re: lithophanes in PVC

Post by JJWMACHINECO »

MikeUSNRet wrote:I have been wanting to add a 4th axis to my machine and this has definitely re-triggered the drive in getting the necessary parts to get this done.

I am having a little trouble wrapping my head around the steps necessary to setup the photo correctly etc.

Any possibility of you, or someone else that does this, perhaps doing a tutorial on how to setup PhotoVCarve to do a litho on a piece of PVC pipe of say 7" long x 3 or 4" diameter?
Read this thread here.

http://www.vectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=6321

The circumference needs to be calculated at the diameter of the bottom of the depth of cut to give the image size in PhotoVcarve depending how far you want to wrap it around the tubing.

Hope this helps. Jeff
Extensivly Re-worked/Re-designed/Modified Servo K2CNC KG-3925 and the Mini Laser Engraver

brw_racing
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:00 pm
Model of CNC Machine: taig cnc mill
Location: Renton Washington

Re: lithophanes in PVC

Post by brw_racing »

The 4th axis carvings are allot of fun.
I set up a different profile in mach3 for the pvc lithos because after centering the y axis i plug the turntable into the y axis.
After you set the steps per inch/mm for whatever diameter pipe your using its much the same as a flat carving.
In Photovcarve rotate the picture sideways and set the max depth to the thickness of the wall of the pipe.

I use the thin wall pvc pipe and have not tried the thick wall stuff yet. Im sure the thick wall pipe would work but you would most likely clean up allot more mess.

Ron

P.S. Painting the plastic pipe before you carve it turns out really nice.
Good Luck

User avatar
dhellew2
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 1322
Joined: Thu May 22, 2008 10:14 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Legacy Artisan 72 and AVID CNC Rotary
Location: Royal City Washington

Re: lithophanes in PVC

Post by dhellew2 »

Very nice and thanks for the great photos. Dale
You will get old if you live long enough!
Young = time, no money
Old = money, no time
Dale

Greolt
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 992
Joined: Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:44 pm
Model of CNC Machine: UCCNC Router, Plasma, Laser
Location: Australia 3781

Re: lithophanes in PVC

Post by Greolt »

Here is a link to a youtube I did a few years ago,



This not in any way to steal Ron's thunder.

Just to add to Ron's excellent thread and the inspiration it might give to readers to try cylindrical lithophanes.

Greg

brw_racing
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:00 pm
Model of CNC Machine: taig cnc mill
Location: Renton Washington

Re: lithophanes in PVC

Post by brw_racing »

Greolt wrote:Here is a link to a youtube I did a few years ago,

This not in any way to steal Ron's thunder.
Just to add to Ron's excellent thread and the inspiration it might give to readers to try cylindrical lithophanes.

Greg
Greg your video is the reason i tried this in the first place. I saw your video while at work killing time on my phone. The very next day i had my turntable in the mail photovcarve on my computer and a stick of pipe in my truck......

Thank you for posting your video here.

I want everyone to know this post is all your fault :D I was just looking for something cheaper than corian to carve into. It works Lovely

Ron

User avatar
dhellew2
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 1322
Joined: Thu May 22, 2008 10:14 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Legacy Artisan 72 and AVID CNC Rotary
Location: Royal City Washington

Re: lithophanes in PVC

Post by dhellew2 »

I cannot answer for Ron, but I found that the best way to set zero-z for any lithophanes is at the bottom. If your holders are turned on the machine and fit snug inside the pipe the holders themselves would be consistently spot on for accurate cuts.
Dale
You will get old if you live long enough!
Young = time, no money
Old = money, no time
Dale

rstreeter
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:27 pm
Model of CNC Machine: cnc shark

Re: lithophanes in PVC

Post by rstreeter »

WOW! This is great, can't wait to see if a tutorial will be out soon. Gives me something to look forward to.... more info.
Thanks:
Robert

Post Reply