Could the CompuCarve make something like this?

[hellothere]

I would like to know if making a wooden iPod cover such as below is possible with a compucarve machine.

http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/2005/07/05/wood_ipod_zapwizard/1.html

Thanks!

[pine acres woodshop]

I don't see why not, you will need to be well versed in the software to pull it off, but I wouldn't use quarter sawn stock as he did, I would use flat sawn stock or it will split just as it did on him. Good luck



Mark

[hellothere]

Doesn't the flat sawn have a different finish to it though?

Would quarter sawn really break easily with a carvewright machine, because he used a dremel rotary tool for everything that he did.

[pine acres woodshop]

Doesn't the flat sawn have a different finish to it though?

Would quarter sawn really break easily with a carvewright machine, because he used a dremel rotary tool for everything that he did.


The flat sawn wouldn't have a different finish, the look of the grain would be different, but it wouldn't finish any different.
It's not that the carvewright machine would break it, It's that the grain is running perpendicular to the thickness of the piece, with the piece only being 2mm thick that makes it weak and can snap along one of the grain lines, if it is flat sawn the grain is running parallel with the thickness which will make it stronger and less likely to break. Just a thought, but I do believe the carvewright machine is capable of making one. Good luck




Mark

[hellothere]

Alright, thanks for the advice! :D

[pine acres woodshop]

Your welcome.

[pine acres woodshop]

Hellothere


Here is an example, I don't know what the dimensions are but as you can see it can be done.



Mark

[FdxGuy]

Mark,
I made a small change. I am still waiting on parts for my carvewright, so I only have the designer to make virtual wood chips with.

I made a cut on the face of the iPod cover with a 90 degree V following the same rectangle you cut. Just enough to bevel the edges.

My question is, in reality would this work out as perfectly as it needs to? We would have to cut the bevel on the back of the wood first (which is the face) and then remove the wood to cut out the front of the wood which is the back of the plate.

Would it all line up perfect?

[pine acres woodshop]

Nice, I love the added touch, I was playing around with the radius bit but couldn,t get it to work right without spending to much time on it, I was just seeing if it could be drawn up, so , as far as the dimension go I was just guessing.

I think if you have the dimensions and want to spend the time on it , it could be done, but i'm sure you'll have to run a few samples to fine tune it.

As far as the bevel goes you couldn't do it first because I think it would interfere with the cut out tabs, the material would be missing that it needs to make the tabs, so what you could do is after you rout the underside flip the piece over make the bevel and then make the cutout from the face side, as far as it being aligned, if the piece is centered on the material it shouldn't be an issue, but hey ya never know.

Are you planning on trying this? If you do let me know how it works out, it could be a little money maker for you.





Mark

[hellothere]

Well, I currently don't have a carvewright machine, but I had heard of it and thought it might be a fun thing to mess around with... and after one of the first things to come into my mind was the wooden iPod.

The guy that made the original one told me that he used to sell them al $1000 each because of the time that it took to make them.

So, I suppose if I could get a nearly perfect faceplate then I could make some money. ( I wouldn't charge $1000 though :mrgreen: )

One thing that I was thinking was said by FdxGuy, about how you would cut the front and back. I guess you could cut the click-wheel and screen holes and curve the edges one it then go to the back, but I would think that it would take some precision to get it lined up.

Also, on the little things that click into the iPod on the back of the faceplate. (The picture below)

I'm not sure but I think that they have would need to be cut a bit horizontally. Would this be possible?

[pine acres woodshop]

You Wouldn't be able to undercut the tabs if they have to slide in to lock the face plate on, but that isn't anything a little hand work couldn't handle.
Just carve them a little larger and final shape them with a file, it wouldn't take much effort.
Since your using the same piece of wood for the carving all you have to do is flip the piece over. The machine should measure the piece as the same size, so as long as it is centered on the material there should not be an issue with alignment, unless it does not measure corectly, so that should be an operator's check to verify that the measurements are the same before running the rest of the program. Good luck.




Mark

[hellothere]

Heres a bit of it... The dimensions as far as height, width, the holes, and (I think) the curve on the sides are right. The depth would be right if I was making a full size iPod and not just a faceplate. :?

I don't even want to try starting on the back right now... too complicated. And I don't have the measurements yet. :mrgreen: