Perfect use for PhotoVCarve

Gallery for images of work cut using PhotoVCarve
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Charlie_l
Vectric Craftsman
Posts: 182
Joined: Sat Jun 30, 2012 1:41 am
Model of CNC Machine: CAMaster Stinger II
Location: Wisconsin

Perfect use for PhotoVCarve

Post by Charlie_l »

The local credit union is remodeling. They had a Burr Oak tree die a couple years back and they saved the wood, had it kiln dried. It now covers the entry walls of the building. The wall I cut is ten by fifteen feet. The cabinet contractor built the wall of four panels, fifteen feet long. They have 1/2 inch mdf backing, with 3/4 inch oak boards on the face, ship lapped, silicone glue, and toe nailed at the 1/4 inch elevation so they were out of the way of the carving. The image is from the sister tree left standing.

When the architect explained the look he wanted for the tree image on the wall last March I wasn't sure how I was going to accomplish it. He didn't want a machined look like you would get from a V carving. Thinking just a little I figured it might work to use PhotoVCarve. A tool I had played with a little and carved at least one 5 by 7 inch piece of work. However, not something 10 by 11 feet. Well, it paid for itself many times with this one project. Many, many times. Both in the quality of the work with the finished image, and the simplicity of use.

I can explain more if interested. It was an extremely fun and profitable project. Installed this week.
Attachments
Installed
Installed
Test layout on driveway, shot from second story roof
Test layout on driveway, shot from second story roof
Kind of laid out in shop on tables
Kind of laid out in shop on tables
Cutting one of four panels
Cutting one of four panels
Image similar to what I started with, before editing in Photoshop
Image similar to what I started with, before editing in Photoshop
Charlie
Aspire, CAMaster Stinger II

alex wight
Posts: 17
Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2012 12:37 pm
Model of CNC Machine: DIY

Re: Perfect use for PhotoVCarve

Post by alex wight »

That looks absolutely brilliant. I,m interested in doing a wall piece at some point, and may be asking for some guidance/tips :wink:

Rdj357
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Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2015 12:03 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Sampson 510

Re: Perfect use for PhotoVCarve

Post by Rdj357 »

Beautiful work!!

Jane Ndungu
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Re: Perfect use for PhotoVCarve

Post by Jane Ndungu »

Hi Charlie,

That is magnificent very creative. I also wouldn't mind to do a piece like that for my own house though not this big.
Kindly if it is ok with you to share details.
regards
Jane.

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scottp55
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Model of CNC Machine: ShopbotDesktop 5.5"Z/spindle/VCP11.5
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Re: Perfect use for PhotoVCarve

Post by scottp55 »

Beautiful job Well done!!
Congrats :)
I've learned my lesson well. You can't please everyone,so you have to please yourself
R.N.

Charlie_l
Vectric Craftsman
Posts: 182
Joined: Sat Jun 30, 2012 1:41 am
Model of CNC Machine: CAMaster Stinger II
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Perfect use for PhotoVCarve

Post by Charlie_l »

Started with a high resolution image of the bottom and top of the tree. Cropped to the size of the final tree using dimensions and image provided by the architect, who is really responsible for the vision of the wall and tree. Used photoshop to mask over the top of all the extra stuff. That mask was a single color-white. Early in the process I learned that I had to bump up the resolution of the image a lot. When you blow up the photo to wall size it gets kind of grainy. That didn't work well in early testing. So, using photoshop added pixels, lots of pixels. File size was 1.7 gig as I worked on it. So, with all the background gone, then started thinning the tree to remove some of the branches. At the top of the tree it was just solid color, mostly blues and browns as the branches criss-crossed a lot. Cleaned it up until we liked it, Architect and us.

During this exercise was constantly testing the entire process from photoshop, to save as .tif file, to import into PhotoVcarve, to saving that .PVC file and importing into Aspire, to then tiling for cutting. Used lots of junk materials to practice with. Actual cut time of the final product was about 1/2 of the time I spent test cutting.

Setting for PhotoVcarve were overlap of 28 percent. Depth of 0.33 inches. Contrast about 35%. Set cut depth so it would happen in one pass. Cut speeds for all three axis at 400 ipm. Actual speed much slower because of all the accelerating and decelerating. Import to set Z fast so it doesn't slow the x and y. Cut using 1/2 ball nose spiral at about 16,000 rpm.

I set the tiles to over lap about 0.1 inches. Worked perfect.

Anything else?
Charlie
Aspire, CAMaster Stinger II

LittleGreyMan
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Re: Perfect use for PhotoVCarve

Post by LittleGreyMan »

Hi,

Kudos for the impressive work and thanks for your kind and detailed explanations.
Best regards

Didier

W7 - Aspire 8.517

Charlie_l
Vectric Craftsman
Posts: 182
Joined: Sat Jun 30, 2012 1:41 am
Model of CNC Machine: CAMaster Stinger II
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Perfect use for PhotoVCarve

Post by Charlie_l »

Thanks for the comments.
Charlie
Aspire, CAMaster Stinger II

buck4
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Re: Perfect use for PhotoVCarve

Post by buck4 »

Charlie, that looks great, nice job!!!!!!!!!

Rick Hubka
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Model of CNC Machine: Joe's 4x4 Hybrid R&P Evolution
Location: Chemainus, BC, Canada

Re: Perfect use for PhotoVCarve

Post by Rick Hubka »

Stunning. Absolutely stunning!!
One questions please:
Why did you need PhotoVcarve and not just only Aspire? The product comparison chart says the only thing PhotoVcarve has that Aspire does not is "Photo V-Groove Machining". Is that the feature you needed it for?

Charlie_l
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Posts: 182
Joined: Sat Jun 30, 2012 1:41 am
Model of CNC Machine: CAMaster Stinger II
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Perfect use for PhotoVCarve

Post by Charlie_l »

Rick,
For this particular job we started with a photo. Because I knew how to use PhotoVcarve, that was the tool I chose to use. I may just not know how to do the same thing in Aspire. Hopefully, someone will jump in if Aspire would do the same thing.

I didn't study the comparison chart but on the product screens they mention Lithopane work for PhotoVcarve. In this case the Architect did not want to have a machined look. So instead of tracing the photo and converting to vectors, I chose to use PhotoVcarve to convert colored pixels into a carving depth. Darks deeper, sky white and not machined. I spent many hours in Photoshop, but once I understood PhotoVcarve, that went really fast.

More questions welcome.
Charlie
Aspire, CAMaster Stinger II

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