Originally Posted by
wynpotter
I have a certain project that I'm planning to buy a Cw for. I need some help finding the correct tutorial or help. To simplify imagine I want to use a 1in thick board 12 in by 12 in. Into this board I want to cut away the area around a series of solid circles, leaving them raised. Each circle will be about 1/2 in in diameter and the cut down will be about1/4 in deep.
Since this is so new to me I don't know how to design this project to do a vector cut to accomplish this task. In the real layout the circles may be stars or leaves or other silhouette images, some solid, some with openings like the vein of a leaf.
I think the 1/16 bit I heard of will give the detail but wondered if this needs to be a rough pass then a detail pass using 2 different bits.
Since I have never worked with a cnc machine I could use some help finding the right software tutorials.
Thanks for any help
Wyndham
From what I have been seeing on a project that I am working on, I don't think you will want to try to vector cut this. I have cut a round stepped pocket for a light socket and a rectangular slot out of MDF (cheap for prototyping) and everything will pack full of the carvings. For a slot or small area this wouldn't really become too big an issue, but to do a large area I think you will find the carvings not being removed may create problems. There is a great deal more effort involved in designing such a thing too, because you must create each path for the bit manually rather than create a carving region that you can place other objects in and change the depth of each of them to achieve the desired results.
Frankly, I have spent MORE time trying to save machine carving time by vectoring paths than I will save in machine time I believe at this point unless I get to making many of the items. I have about gave up on the idea even though the vector time was about 1/3 the raster time. Layout is kicking my butt. You cannot control what happens when. The machine doesn't carve objects out in the order you have them in the carving list.
I can layout in Corel Draw exactly how things will be processed by my laser as to the order and direction the vectors are cut. I have done it many times and cut laser time by over 1/2 by eliminating a lot of wasted movement. You cannot do the same with this.
A Series machine purchased in 2007
had 30 minutes running time up till 2-13-15
Ring Neck Blues DC Insert (outstanding job keeping machine clean!), HF DC blower
Designer 3.102, Pattern Editor, Pattern Sculptor, STL Importer, Scanning Probe, 2D Vector Drawing Suite, 3D Pattern Modeling Suite, Centerline text, Conforming Vectors, CarveTight Chuck, Decorative Bit set
Universal Laser ILS series laser engraver with dual laser cartridges 135 watts total with 24" x 48" table and Class 4 module