Simple Question... I think

Post by **reynolpe** » Tue Sep 25, 2018 2:27 am

I am drawing up a a simple model that is a name of a new baby on a flat base. I am cutting this whole thing out of a 3/4 in board. What I would like to do is get an image of it in VCarve Desktop but what I get is the model cut out of a piece of inside the whole piece of wood. I have uploaded an image to show I would like to remove the part highlighted in red out of the final image. Can this be done with the Preview in VC Desktop?

Post by **highpockets** » Tue Sep 25, 2018 2:43 am

If I understand your question.... Once you preview the toolpath double click on the areas you would like to remove.

Post by **reynolpe** » Tue Sep 25, 2018 2:49 am

Wow.. You definitely understood. LOL That could not be easier. Thank you very much. I need to get a good preview to my customer and this is perfect.

Post by **martin54** » Tue Sep 25, 2018 12:57 pm

One thing to remember is that you can't delete the waste material if you use tabs because the tabs hold it all together so if it is for customer approval then make a separate toolpath without tabs which you can use for customer approval. Just make sure it is marked clearly so you don't actually cut from it

Post by **Adrian** » Tue Sep 25, 2018 2:00 pm

Also for the best preview results you need to make the material size as close to the finished part as possible and make sure you have the Preview Simulation Quality in the Toolpaths menu set as high as your computer can manage.

Post by **reynolpe** » Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:45 am

Thanks everyone for your help.

Post by **Xxray** » Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:31 am

Used to make a lot of those kind of signs with a scroll saw, I'd usually stand it proud a bit then glue it to the block like this ...
Pretty cool effect, lettering looks like it is popping out from the block from which it came, which it actually is.

Of course, you can get far greater detail with a scroll saw than a CNC with its hair thin blade, but they do take some time and effort.
Preview of yours looks like it should come out pretty nice.

Post by **reynolpe** » Tue Oct 02, 2018 1:17 am

So here is what I came up with but my problem now is that the wood needs to be between 1/2" to 3/4" thick and I have to go down to a .0625 bit to get that to work and there doesn't appear to be a bit that skinny that can go all the way through a 3/4 board. Any suggestions?

Post by **4DThinker** » Tue Oct 02, 2018 1:55 am

If you can live with a 1/8" inch bit there are some available that are 3/4" long. Another way to make the letters stand out from the base is to run a v-bit profile ON the line just a wee bit deep around each letter. The letters will end up with a chamfered edge.

4D

Post by **SteveNelson46** » Tue Oct 02, 2018 3:19 am

I have probably made close to 35 or 40 of these. Every time someone sees one they ask me to make another one for them. These are for my Veterinarian and his wife. Then I had to make another for one of the other Vets in the office. I did use Aspire though.

EDIT: I probably should have posted this in the Aspire Gallery.

Post by **reynolpe** » Tue Oct 02, 2018 4:08 am

SteveNelson46 wrote:Re: Simple Question... I think
by SteveNelson46 » Mon Oct 01, 2018 9:19 pm

I have probably made close to 35 or 40 of these. Every time someone sees one they ask me to make another one for them. These are for my Veterinarian and his wife. Then I had to make another for one of the other Vets in the office. I did use Aspire though.

EDIT: I probably should have posted this in the Aspire Gallery.

Can you tell me how long yours are and what bits you used to make it? Also how think is the board you used? These look great.

Post by **reynolpe** » Tue Oct 02, 2018 4:27 am

4DThinker wrote:If you can live with a 1/8" inch bit there are some available that are 3/4" long. Another way to make the letters stand out from the base is to run a v-bit profile ON the line just a wee bit deep around each letter. The letters will end up with a chamfered edge.

4D

Thanks. Yeah I purchased an 1/8 that will go 3/4" but unless I make the item 16" long the letters get really narrowed up messed up with 1/8". So that is what I did I made it longer and separated the letters from each other a little bit. Thanks for your help.

Post by **Xxray** » Tue Oct 02, 2018 4:51 am

You have run smack dab into the reason why I do things like this with a scroll saw ,, And the compromise you made is about the only 1 available.

If you had a deep reach 1/16 bit I sure don't like the odds of it lasting very long cutting mdf anyhow.

Post by **highpockets** » Tue Oct 02, 2018 4:57 am

I'm with Doug, the best way to cut this would be using a scroll saw, but if you must use the CNC use 1/2" stock with a .3LC 1/16" end mill and use double side machining. There will be some clean up, but depending on your method registering the stock it should be minimal.

Post by **martin54** » Tue Oct 02, 2018 8:59 am

Thanks. Yeah I purchased an 1/8 that will go 3/4" but unless I make the item 16" long the letters get really narrowed up messed up with 1/8". So that is what I did I made it longer and separated the letters from each other a little bit. Thanks for your help.

Plus 2 for Doug

Sometimes the only thing you can do is make stuff a little bit bigger, with something like this font selection can help but there is always going to be a limitation on the size which is determined by the number of characters for that particular font

Board thickness makes a difference as you have discovered & Johns suggestion of 2 sided machining would allow you to use a smaller endmill but you also have to make sure people understand that there is only so much you can do.
I get this quite often working as a signmaker working with vinyl.
Customer wants a sign, just a plain board with vinyl lettering, they want it to say " SUPER TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY" all in one line with 4 inch high lettering & they want the board to be 2 foot wide

Oh just a quick thought, what are you going to do about the dot on the "i" have you thought about that ? You can add a small upright to hold it, use a small piece of rod or if you have any " sky hooks" are quite useful for this sort of thing