Problem with Pockets-Vectophone Tutorial

[RobH063]

I'm having a problem understanding something. While watching the Vcarve Vectophone Tutorial about carving pockets around text and the toolpaths, I created a sign using all of the same settings except my workpiece is bigger and the text is bigger on mine. I'm using the same depth of cut, the same 1/16 inch endmill used in the video tutorial etc. When I calculate mine, I don't get the same detail as what is shown in the Tutorial video. In particular, the letter E and N as shown in the photos I've attached. Why is that? I know the easy answer is that the end mill is too big, but if it works in the Tutorial, it should work on mine as well especially since I'm using bigger letters so everything is larger and the lines are spaced out more. Does anyone have any idea why this would happen?

Screen shot from the video

Screen shot of my file

[JoeM]

Are you sure your text really is bigger?
The tutorial has 10 letters crammed into whatever space they set up.
You've got quite a few more than that (20 plus spaces?). You might have started with a larger area, but the more letters you add, the smaller they have to be to fit in the space provided.

[RobH063]

Their workpiece is 8.5" wide. Mine is 24". Nearly three times their width. Their workpiece height is 2.5" and mine is 10". Four times their height. Their letters are 1" tall with default spacing. They fit 10 letters into an area on the workpiece that is about 7.5" in width. Mine are 1.6" tall with default spacing. I have 26 letters (counting a letter for each space between words) over a 22" width. So when doing the math, I should have been able to put 29 letters into my 22" area to have the same proportion as theirs. I only have 26. My text is definitely bigger than what theirs is.

[JoeM]

Did you start with a 1/8 like in the video, and then follow the instructions for creating and switching to a 1/16th? If so, did you set and save the correct parameters for the 1/16th bit, and did you recalculate the toolpath before previewing again?

[RobH063]

I did but your post made me take a look at the end mill settings. I didn't have a 1/16th inch end mill in my tool database so I created one. What I failed to do is change the geometry. Problem solved. Thanks Joe!

[martin54]

Good to hear you now have it sorted but there is something else that you need to consider when dealing with text & that is that not all letters are of equal width so it wouldn't necessarily be correct to say that "Doing the maths I should be able to fit 29 letters in"

[RobH063]

I'm sure that's true martin. I'm learning little by little and can only get to a stage of feeling somewhat competent by practicing and asking questions when I get stumped. I'm a long way away from being at that point, That's for sure! Thank goodness that there's a tutorial section and a forum here with helpful people! When I first started on this journey, I knew absolutely nothing about CNC other than what it was. I had never even seen one in person! Then I saw an ad for the X-Carve and thought...I can build that and I'm pretty good with computers, so I took the plunge. The build went pretty easy. Then I knew I wanted to do more than what the free software that came with the X-carve could do so I plunged again and bought VCarve Desktop. I wouldn't say I'm in over my head but the water is up to my neck lol.

[martin54]

The main thing is that you are going about it the right way, the tutorials are excellent & will give you a good grounding to build on, the forum is full of very helpful people who are not only happy to answer questions but also offer advice & tips not just about CNC machining but important things like finishing. Sure it won't be to long before you are passing on what you have learnt to others who are just starting out.
CNC is relatively new to me as well but I had the advantage of being an ex Royal Navy Engineer who had used a wide variety on manual machinery plus after leaving the RN took up signmaking which helps enormously with all the 2D stuff

[RobH063]

I hope I get good enough to offer advice. I'll be retiring from Law Enforcement in another year and I have been a hobbyist woodworker for many years. It has been my stress reliever. I'm taking this process of learning CNC slowly. So many times we tend to jump right in without really knowing anything and give up because we aren't willing to spend the time to learn. I have the rest of my life to get good at this so I'm in no hurry!

[rsetina]

I had the same problem a while back. I did some node editing that didn't change the look of the letters enough to make a difference and the tool fit in all the right places just fine. Next time, if you find some of the letters inner parts, like the e don't cut out as they should, try opening up the space just enough so the tool will fit.