Intricate V Carvings

[splinterfinger]

A question about v Carving very small lettering and Scenery:
I'm trying to create a Logo to sign projects and add a poem and a small compass Rose to a cutting board. I've got the vectors created for all of the above and have created tool paths.
When I created tool paths I had to add to the cut depths incrementally until I could actually see the cuts in the previews. When I machined the tool paths they were way too deep into the material.
Is what you see in the previews in VCarve what you get? when I cut from zero surface I get nothing until get around 0,20 - 25 flat depth. It looks good in the preview but not good when cut. I also tried starting below surface and no flat depth basically the same thing. Using Amana 60 Deg. v bit 1/2 dia.
Good thing I tested this in MDF.

[mtylerfl]

Hi,

Will you please upload your file so we can see how you’ve set it up?

If your file size exceeds the limit to upload here directly, please use a free file transfer product such as DropBox, then post the download link here instead.

[adze_cnc]

If your preview simulation quality is set low then yes it will look on the screen as if very little is being cut. Try upping the resolution perhaps even to Maximum (see image).

In the end, what you see on your material trumps all. That's why we do small tests of extra-ordinary projects.

[Adrian]

One thing confuses me about what you said with the depth. You say you see nothing until you get to 0.20 to 0.25 flat depth. The flat depth only decreases the depth of a v-carve toolpath it never increases it. The only way to make it deeper is to make the text "fatter" or use a more acute angle bit. I wonder if you're confusing start depth and flat depth?

The other thing to bear in mind is that the preview is pixel based so for the maximum clarity you should make sure that the area you are cutting matches the material defined as closely as possible. If your machine bed is 4'x4', for example, you don't have to define the material as that size and a 6" square piece in the corner will only have a comparatively tiny number of pixels to play with compared to the overall amount available.

The attached pictures are of the same text (0.25" high) on a 4'x4' material size and a 6" x 6" material with different preview resolutions.

4 foot standard resolution

4 foot very high resolution

4 foot maximum resolution

6 inch standard resolution

6 inch very high resolution

6 inch maximum resolution

[CarveOne]

I do a lot of carvings that are cut into red oak using a nearly zero tip width 60 degree V-bit (Whiteside #1540). If I need to go a little deeper than the surface of the material to insure that it cuts deep enough into coarse grain wood I set the start depth to something like 0.005" to 0.008" to deepen the cut a little without losing any of the V groove shape. The flat depth setting removes part of the V shape at the bottom of the cut to make the V groove flat on the bottom.

A recent example of this is shown below. (a Littleton, N.C. church). The vectors were created from a photo of a line drawing on one of the church's greeting/sympathy card. These plaques are 5" by 7" by 3/4". Clear satin polyurethane finish. Java gel stain in the V carving.

Richard

[Luvtocarve]

Look up my “sign painting” post in tips and tricks section. I also use a Whiteside 1541 60 degree v-bit for almost every intricate project. I find a depth of .05 works best for great detail on hardwoods. I have no luck at all with sigh board so not sure testing your work on that is a good use of your time. I seem to have the best results on maple or cherry. Look at the eyes on the owl in the foreground of this picture. That plaque is 7x7 overall.