VCarve Inlay Tips and Inspiration

This forum is for users to post tips and tricks they have found useful while working with VCarve Pro
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RebeccaJ
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VCarve Inlay Tips and Inspiration

Post by RebeccaJ »

All this week across social media we are exploring the art of the VCarve Inlay! We'll be looking at top tips, Free projects and lots of inspiring projects! So today's Top Tip is bought to you by Sytze Elzinga! You can learn more about his top tip and browse through some of his projects here:



What's your favorite VCarve Inlay tip?
Beki
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RebeccaJ
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Re: VCarve Inlay Tips and Inspiration

Post by RebeccaJ »

Today we have a top tip from Andy Johnson of Two Acre Woodworks: https://www.instagram.com/twoacrewoodworks/?hl=en



What does everyone else use to help even the pressure with the glue up of the two parts?
Beki
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FixitMike
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Re: VCarve Inlay Tips and Inspiration

Post by FixitMike »

My tips:

1. When you are posting about inlays cut using a V bit, identify them as a Zank inlay, named after the originator of the method.
There are two types of inlays, the Zank inlay, and the conventional inlay that uses a Vectric program inlay toolpath (which uses end mills to cut and has straight sides). They use different techniques and settings.
This will eliminate a lot of confusion.

2. Refer to my picture to understand the effect of the various tool settings for Zank inlays. In particular, note that the male inlay flat depth is not particularly important. It only determines the air space between the pieces when they are glued together and does not have to have any relationship to the other settings.
VCarve Inlay.png
Good judgement comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgement.

laflippin
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Re: VCarve Inlay Tips and Inspiration

Post by laflippin »

Thank you, Mike, for reminding us that we are actually looking at images of Zank Inlay in this thread.

As the undisputed inventor of the unique CNC inlay technique that uses v-bit toolpaths (distinctly different from the Vectric Inlay protocol) Paul Zank certainly deserves to become eponymous with his invention.

As you also rightly pointed out, properly distinguishing the Zank Inlay technique will greatly help users to avoid much of the confusion that has arisen in the past from the ambiguity of terms such as “V-Carve Inlay”. Does that “V” stand for Vectric, or V-bit? As silly as the question may sound to the experienced practioners who may be able to quickly get the gist from context there are many, many examples within Vectric Forum threads that illustrate the confusion, lost time, and bungled work that have been caused simply by a failure to recognize the difference between Paul Zank’s inlay technique and Vectric’s proprietary inlay toolpath.

Lee

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adze_cnc
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v-inlay technique

Post by adze_cnc »

So what are we going to call this? "V Carved inlays" would not seem to be appropriate since one can't see any V Carving when it is done. —Paul Z

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=564&start=15
It was very gratifing [sic] to see that others have the necessary experience and jumped right in to help. The method is no longer "mine"; it is "ours". —Paul Z

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=564&start=105

laflippin
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Re: VCarve Inlay Tips and Inspiration

Post by laflippin »

As graciously as Paul Zank has acted for freely disclosing his invention, which has stimulated the interest of hundreds of woodworkers and dozens of refinements and modifications, it is not necessarily (if ever) the role of a modest person to name his invention after himself. As with most eponymously named inventions, in scientific fields at least, a significant discovery is almost always named to honor its original discoverer by his grateful colleagues. The additional effect of eliminating ambiguity in subsequent discussions of the invention is equally important.

RebeccaJ
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Re: VCarve Inlay Tips and Inspiration

Post by RebeccaJ »

Thank you for your Tip Mike!

Paul Zank was certainly the leader in formulating this amazing process, his genius will go on for many years inspiring others and will continue to help new users yet to come we have a lot to thank Paul for 🙏 😊
Beki
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RebeccaJ
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Re: VCarve Inlay Tips and Inspiration

Post by RebeccaJ »

Jeff Hanna has created some beautiful Inlays and we were lucky to have him as a guest speaker at the 2019 User Group Meeting! You can check out some of his work here:

Beki
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