First whack at grayscale geometry. Direction pls

[opensores]

Where to start? I bought this machine on a complete whim, not having any experience running these machines, and with a good basic understanding of 2d design with regards to cut paths, and the like... For the last 4 years I've been building molds for longboards. Started out doing it by hand, and ended up with a modular kit of assembly mold features for longboards. Very fun stuff to design, when thinking about how the foot interacts with the surface, and how that in turn transmits force through to the trucks. I have always wanted a 3d machine. The day the opportunity came to do 1-2" mold carvings, I bit into the idea, with full intent to do it by the CW rules, or to hack the machine figuring out how to do what I want. Or maybe I'll have to just buy/build something bigger.

I did speak in depth with a nice lady at CW who informed me that I came in outside the circle of what this machine does. Some boxes are circular I suppose. Anyways, the machine will be used for this purpose, but my intent is to get cut times WAY down. I have many questions about substrates, and would like to know if MDF can be used with ease. I have intent to cut projects such as the ones I have uploaded/attached. These are my first few attempts at importing gray scale images from Adobe Illustrator CS6. The blend tools allow for a very interesting gradient usage, and while the precision may be lacking from a traditional 3d design software, organizing pixels in the gray scale seems easy, and doable. PS, the mold/press technique I use only requires 1 side of the mold (female). Pneumatic bladder pressing FTW.

I have a B machine, with 20 hours or less of cut time. I have purchased the most recent base software. Not sure if I should be looking at the 3d designer or maybe one of the export programs, however, I prefer doing it the hard way for now given budget. (maybe a month or so). The hard way is gray scale images, in adobe illustrator until I can do cooler stuff with it. None of these attached files have been smoothed in adobe before being imported to the software, and I believe I can make the surfaces very much more flat with just a bit of make up.

I need to purchase the 3/16" cut bit, and probably the 1/8" long bit as well, but I am not willing to break bits as often, because I will be running long files, with deep cuts. If I can get away with doing 4'x12" carve sessions, then I will.

Is there a brick headed for me?

upper kicks.mpclower double kick.mpcST1 blend expirement.mpcST1 x 40.mpc34 in all her glory.mpcupper kicks.mpclower double kick.mpc34 in all her glory.mpcST1 blend expirement.mpcST1 x 40.mpc

[chebytrk]

Appears all these were made with Designer 2.0?

[fwharris]

Interesting looking designs. I did not look through all of them but for me to get a better idea of what your trying to accomplish it would help to see a picture of your finished product you are trying to make with the molds.


MDF is very workable in the machine but you should have a good dust collection system hooked up as the dust is very invasive to the machine and your work space.

[bergerud]

I did speak in depth with a nice lady at CW who informed me that I came in outside the circle of what this machine does.

Just what was "outside the circle". It seems to me that long board dimensions are not so large.

[lynnfrwd]

The initial conversation was whether or not he could use the 3/8" decorative straight bit to carve his project on his newly purchased B model machine with the old Quick Change Chuck. We were talking about the capabilities of the machine and how we are expanding those capabilities, but he aimed for the outside of the circle with this (one of his first) projects. This conversation was also without me seeing the molds and it was not about the size of the project, but more the way he wanted to do it and scope of such a project for a new CW user.

[opensores]

The initial conversation was whether or not he could use the 3/8" decorative straight bit to carve his project on his newly purchased B model machine with the old Quick Change Chuck. We were talking about the capabilities of the machine and how we are expanding those capabilities, but he aimed for the outside of the circle with this (one of his first) projects. This conversation was also without me seeing the molds and it was not about the size of the project, but more the way he wanted to do it and scope of such a project for a new CW user.

Yeah, that bit is the wrong one to use... I will need the 3/16 and the thickest long bit you guys offer.

Here is my most recent form file. Also, here are some pics of some of the forms I build.







34 bottom inch 5 2 2014.mpc

[opensores]

Ok, I will use grayscale for some stuff, but not the complex stuff. This is an example of a more complex shape. This is a file which will require the long bit. I am so scared about using a long bit. Few questions...

Do I have to upgrade my B model to the newer head in order to use the 2.125" carving bit?

Also, is this file going to be hell on my bit? Do I risk just cutting a bit? I plan to use MDF or maybe birch to make this cut.

Actually the file is 3.7 MB, so larger than I can upload... The file is 40" long, and 11.5" wide, and has a cut max depth of 2"

[CW-HAL9000]

In order to use the longer carving bits you must
1. upgrade your b machine to the carvetite spindle
2.. upgrade your belts to the rubber ones.
3. upgrade your software to 2.0 if you have not purchased this already.
4. then of course buy the bits.

It is a costly upgrade from an older machine. Gets a little more palatable with a newer one. Although I have the version C Machine with rubber belts and the carvetite spindle and I still have no plans to upgrade to 2.0 any time soon or buy the longer bits.

[fwharris]

Yes you will need the CarveTight chuck and 2.xxx software to carve this deep.. You do not need the rubber belts..

Your projects do seem like a large undertaking... If you do these as a raster carve (pattern/gray scale) you can use the long carving bits. If trying to do vector carves I believe you are beyond the reach of the bits..

[opensores]

Thanks for the quick replies. To answer your questions, I have both 2.+ software, as well as the STL importer. I'll be ordering the new chuck and the 3/16" bit, as well as the biggest long bit available. I would feel much more confident running the machine for xx hours at a time with some girth.

SO is STL file should be good with the carving bits, because that uses the pattern tool eh?

From what I understand, vector files are all single depth cut files, is this correct?

Will there ever be a 3/16" carving bit offered with a 2" cut depth?

The previous files I attached in this thread were all experiments with gray scale stuff. I will use that for some molds, and hopefully to carve the bottom of longboards as well. There is so much I want to do with this thing.

Now that I have the STL import software, I have imported a model.