Text on Text Carving

[Adrian]

For the life of me I cannot get the top text to appear on top when simulating. I am using only end mills, and am trying very hard to follow the instructions which, because of they incorporate v carving also, leave me perplexed. When converting to curves, welding and combining, is that done on level 2 (or 3), or the final level (5)? Also, is level 4 really needed if level 5 gets all the info anyway??? Thanks.

Have you seen the tutorial video - http://support.vectric.com/tutorials/V8 ... cks_1.html

[Jane Ndungu]

Thank you Flemming so much for sharing this will sure be good to learn.

Kind regards

Jane

[jtb223]

The recommended stacked text tutorial is great but the stacked text template version is better. search YouTube for "vectric stacked text template" It takes the subject to a higher level. I created this based on the tutorial.

[Beltramidave]

Very nice looking design! Be sure to post pictures of the finished product.

Dave

[martin54]

The recommended stacked text tutorial is great but the stacked text template version is better. search YouTube for "vectric stacked text template" It takes the subject to a higher level. I created this based on the tutorial.

anniversary.jpg

No need to search youtube, it was part of the 2015 user group meeting & the tutorials are here

http://support.vectric.com/tutorials/V8 ... Index.html

[NL7U]

I have suceeded, after many failures, to consistently get my text on text figured out using Desktop and my Piranha FX machine. I viewed EVERY YouTube video ever made, plus the tutorial from Vectric. Some were terribly done, most were way to complicated to follow. I finally found what my own bird brain and simple outfit could handle. I will stay with this until I can cut them without worrying that I am going to ruin a good piece of wood.

Enclosed is a pix of my first project test. Notice the the lines that the end mill made. I do not know what the end mill was up to here. Material was maple. Any ideas?

[mtylerfl]

Howdy,

What do you have set for the stepover percentage? (Smaller percentages reduce the striation marks.)

Are you using an Upcut End Mill? Upcut EM's leave a better "floor" finish.

Is your material very, very secure to the machine bed? I see some depth variation here and there. Perhaps material movement contributed to that.

Lastly, are you using a reliable, foolproof method of Z-zeroing your bits and is your machine bed perfectly flat? Check your spindle/router is perpendicular to the machine bed as well.

[Rcnewcomb]

Check your spindle/router is perpendicular to the machine bed as well.

I agree that it looks like the router is out of plumb. Take a look at this thread: Tramming (Squaring) Spindle Question

[Mobius]

I'd also like to add several more things that can contribute to that effect:

1. using a fishtail endmill vs. a flat bottom endmill
2. using a dull endmill (pulling and ripping the wood vs. cutting cleanly)
3. Feed rate too high

[martin54]

I have suceeded, after many failures, to consistently get my text on text figured out using Desktop and my Piranha FX machine. I viewed EVERY YouTube video ever made, plus the tutorial from Vectric. Some were terribly done, most were way to complicated to follow. I finally found what my own bird brain and simple outfit could handle. I will stay with this until I can cut them without worrying that I am going to ruin a good piece of wood.

Enclosed is a pix of my first project test. Notice the the lines that the end mill made. I do not know what the end mill was up to here. Material was maple. Any ideas?

This isn't intended to be Negative but will probably come across that way, I would say that you have jumped in way to deep with a project like this if you are new to both the type of software & CNC machining in general. There is quite a steep learning curve involved & by not starting with the very basics you have made things more difficult for yourself, bit like trying to learn calculus without first learning to add, subtract, multiply & divide
I can fully understand why people want to do that, learning from the very basics takes time & most people (myself included) just want to be making stunning items as soon as they get their machine

If you take the time to go back to the very beginning & work your way through the tutorials from the start then you will give yourself a very good understanding of not just what you are doing but why you are doing it, this will give you a very good grounding as you move forward. Don't just watch the tutorials, take the time to download the files for each tutorial & work along with it. Takes time but is really the best way, not only will you learn how to use the software & your machine but you will also learn how to diagnose problems for yourself, like the endmill marks in your project that you can't explain
Won't help with all of your questions but will answer a lot of them, the forum exists to help with anything else you need to know or learn

Best of luck with it, the picture you posted at least shows that you are making some progress

[mtylerfl]

Hi Martin,

I know you don't mean to be negative and your advice is intended to be helpful as always.

However, I can't completely agree that this was "way too deep", nor was it a particularly "steep learning curve", as the OP did seem to perform his due diligence in watching video tutorials specific to this technique. He was successful in the basic overall outcome and is now in the trouble-shooting stages how to make it better and more professional looking.

I believe we're at the place where the forum members submit ideas and suggestions for things to check, consider, adjust and tweak for achieving a better outcome in his projects.