Vectric Customer

Personally, I would fill them. How to fill them is another story. I'd use dental picks (or similar) to clean up the rot/edges, then fill it with epoxy with dark pigment (to match the dark colour) in layers. Actually, fill it the first few coats with clear epoxy (to save time) and then the final coat...

I have Aspire, so not sure if whatever software you are using has the same capabilities, but I used a model from Design and Make to illustrate how you can VERY easily create vectors of the model. https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/m28/zipperhead55/Model1.JPG In this image above, I selected "Crea...

My advice, if you are doing 3D carves for business (not as a hobby): don't make what other people are making. You really have to have a niche (or find a niche) to be even remotely profitable, since it takes a LOT longer to do 3D work than 2D or 2.5D work. Even at that, you really have to have multip...

I believe that is one of Vitalie's models, and he uses a specialized setup, and uses PowerMill software to control it. I'm sure it can be done, but likely not with Aspire (without doing what other people have mentioned). Sorry to burst your bubble, since it is a gorgeous model, and I would love to d...

I am trying to visualize what these cars look like (been a minute since I've seen things like soap box racer cars).... It might be better/easier to use moulding toolpath(s), or profile toolpaths, and then do the detail after the fact (either when it's still attached to the block of wood), or create ...

You should also be using a clearing bit (probably 1/8", but 1/4" might be more effective) to clean out the flat areas. If the bit WON'T fit into any of the areas, you'll get a warning, but otherwise it will show the areas where it can't get it (these will be obvious in the simulation). There are occ...

One thing that struck me as off is your depth of cut (.01" = .25mm) which is VERY shallow (a dime is roughly 1mm thick). Also your feeds/speeds seem pretty slow, but I'm not familiar with your machine, but that seems really slow, especially for such shallow passes. As mentioned, there is a LOT of in...

I hate to be "that guy" but the lasers that are bolt-ons aren't really worth the price of admission, compared to what is available in the laser-diode market at the moment (compared to the bolt on market). I bought a 3.2 milliwatt (MILLI is huge, right?!) laser for my NWA Pirahna, thinking that 3,200...

As an aside, regarding the "strength" of the stepper-motors (I believe the technical terms are holding torque or similar), on my machine (Axiom AR-series), there is a little controller inside the "computer" (on the motherboard in the case) that controls the voltage for the stepper. Apparently, it is...

I had someone approach me about making a frame for a Mason, and hit had columns similar to this. I have a rotary attachment, so it wouldn't have been overly challenging to complete, but I ended up turning down the project due to how long it would have taken (it would have been a one-off likely) and ...

As mentioned, the rounding toolpath is really just to get the material round-ish (you COULD have a tiny stepover, and it would be hyper-smooth, but it isn't meant to do that. I think it's really only useful for people that don't have a full woodshop to accomplish the task. A lathe fits the bill, but...

"Hey Allan... The center of my tail and headstock from the jig platform they are both bolted on is 2.1/4 inches to center axis... Are you saying that each time I set up a rotary job regardless of the size of wood being used that I should touch off on a 2.1/4 block as Z Zero? Also the 2.1/4 block nee...

I'm not sure I understand the steps you are taking. I have an Axiom machine, with a rotary axis, so it's very similar (it appears to me from your picture anyway). Here is how I use my rotary: In Aspire, I set the Z Zero Position to the center of axis. I have a block of wood that I cut that is 3" (76...

I second the recommendation for 3DWave website. The owner, Vitalie, is a very good artist in his own right, but he is focused more on the carving aspect now (he has a shop in Moldova (near Ukraine) with a bunch of 4/5 axis routers and mostly makes fancy furniture and statues, so most his work is far...

One thing I noticed after looking at your file with the toolpaths: Your roughing toolpath is VERY aggressive compared to your finishing toolpaths. You use a depth of cut (DOC) that is equal to the bit's diameter (.125") which, and a very fast feed (145IPM), but with the TBN, you go at half the speed...