Help a Complete Newbie - Please

[FrankS123]

I am brand new to using VCarve Pro and the CNC world. I am watching videos and beginning to learn the basics but the learning curve is steep for me. I want to a small jewelry box for my granddaughter's first holy communion in early May. I would like to use my Shark to carve a 3D Cross into the lid of the box. I purchased a STL file of a cross and imported it into VCarve Pro (crv attached) but I don't have any idea how to develop the necessary vectors, and I cannot find a version of a suitable cross that includes vectors. I am will to purchase a file for this purpose if necessary but cannot find a source. Any help would be very much appreciated - thank you!

[gkas]

This will be a 3D project. Watch some of the training videos. A good start will be the 3D Assembly and the 3D Toolpaths.

https://www.vectric.com/support/tutoria ... d-assembly

P.S. Be sure to start with some scrap or cheap wood... you'll make plenty of mistakes. Your project can be as complicated as you want it. You can be simple and elegant with carving the just cross, or ornate with embellishments. Everyone here will be happy to help you along. We all started in this spot.

[FrankS123]

Thank you, gkas! Appreciate the quick reply and reference video links!

[sharkcutup]

Like This? File is too large to post here. If your interested in it I could post it to dropbox and a link to it from a post here.

Or you could create a pocket in the lid the shape of the cross to glue the cross into.

It is all in how you desire it to look!!!

Note: Just a word of Caution ---- Be careful posting items to the Forum. The Model could be Copyright Protected Material!

Sharkcutup

[adze_cnc]

When dealing wiith imported 3D files it’s best if you can extract the curves (vectors as VCarve calls them) from the source model. With STL files, though, it’s usually not an option.

One command you will want to get familar with is the create a boundary from component (e.g. an imported STL) circled in blue below:
 

 
From that you get a vector like this one (for this model):
 

 
With that you can use the “selected vector” option on the 3D Finishing toolpath to limit the ball-end cutter to the area within the vector instead of doing the whole material surface. Using model boundary will create a “virtual” vector and stay within it. But, this vector can also be used to create a pocket outside the model to flatten the rest of the lid.

While I have downloaded the cross file for the purposes of creating these two images I have also deleted it.

Steven

[martin54]

The learning curve is steep for most people who have no experience of CNC or the software required for it's use so you are not alone

It depends what sort of look you are after & 3D carving is a little different to 2D so you may not need any vectors for your 3D machining, watch some of the tutorials that have been linked to which will give you a better understanding of how the toolpaths work & also how to create vectors if you do need them

[SteveNelson46]

Maybe something like this? It is just a easy weekend project and I'd be happy to share it but it's in Aspire V11.5. The lid top and the cross are components so it really can't be saved as a .crv file without a lot of work. The perspective of the pictures is skewed a little but the box is symmetrical and the lid will fit in any direction.

[sharkcutup]

Maybe something like this? It is just a easy weekend project and I'd be happy to share it but it's in Aspire V11.5. The lid top and the cross are components so it really can't be saved as a .crv file without a lot of work. The perspective of the pictures is skewed a little but the box is symmetrical and the lid will fit in any direction.

Very Nice Steve!

Sharkcutup

[Jimcad]

Beautiful.

[martin54]

very nice @SteveNelson46

Are those feet machined from the actual stock material? I never thought about actually machining feet on a project before

[SteveNelson46]

very nice @SteveNelson46

Are those feet machined from the actual stock material? I never thought about actually machining feet on a project before

Yes they are. Just a v-carve toolpath, excluding the circles for the feet, using a V-bit and a larger clearance bit. In this case, a 60 degree v-bit and a 1/4" up-cut. The knob is cherry also. I made it on my 4th axis rotary.