Just FYI. I deleted a comment from someone that "Asked" or should I say accused me of stealing a copy written image on this video. I should have left the comment there and responded directly, but I can't stand those kind of people. First of all I own the license to the bear image in the video. I have extended licensing rights to it. Secondly what kind of asshole responds to a video like this with an accusation that I am stealing shit. If you are that worried about it as a concerned citizen send a private message and ask. To the person who commented thanks for the lecture, but no thanks I'm a big boy I know how to conduct my business.
@@hyperhektor7733 you have to look at it from my standpoint. I made about $300 making several plaques for teachers. I also made over $1000 on this video. It was worth the investment.
This was very kind of you to share so much of the process that you followed to create this piece. If you only priced this at $30 your customer got a real good price!
I just came across your channel upon looking up Shapeoko. I have to say I think it was a great video. No fluff, the right info and details along with some great pointers. Liked and subscribed. Thanks for sharing.
You have created some of the most helpful videos on using the CNC and Vcarve that I have seen on TH-cam. Thank you so much for being thorough and helpful to those of us, who are just getting started, in using the CNC. Outstanding work. I also, love the way you include the misques to let us know that the things will happen and there may be ways to recover. All is very good. Thanks again.
Bought my Shapeoko XL over a year ago and have yet to cut anything on it. Just too much other pressing stuff to do. But I finally cleared the debris off it, and after watching this video, I think its time to cut something. Thanks for the nudge. great work!
Nice video, I have not weeded through all the comments to see if someone else suggested this. Since oak is bad to splinter, especially when two tool paths come close to each other, try tightly applying adhesive backed vinyl on the board first. Also if you apply stickon vinyl you won't have to mask off for painting. Just cover the letters you dont want that color. The major advantage of masking like this is - NO sanding paint off.
Nice sign. I found that the process that works the best for me on a colored v-carve is to plane the board to thickness first - primarily to pre-set the planer thickness for later. Carve the project, but set the Z-zero height to be ~30 thousandths below the surface of the wood. Paint, then plane again with the plane thickness lowered 1/32" (the 30 thousandths you went below the wood surface) instead of sanding off the paint. Seems to do a great job at eliminating the pores of the wood having hints of paint left in it, and no more sanding disks bogged down with paint.
That's a great idea to plane off the paint... I like it. I'm just curious if the paint would dull the high speed steel knives in the planer. I don't yet have a helical head with carbide inserts.
@@ronmisiura9169 I haven't noticed any additional wear, but I've only done this a couple dozen times. My planer uses the traditional HSS blades too, looking forward to a helical upgrade someday.
$30 for a sign for a friend is fine. But by the time you figure in design time, routing time, finishing, electricity, replacing worn out bits, paint, sandpaper, and clear coat, doubling the price would still be on the low side. (In fact my pricing guide for a sign that size in the grid for lowest overhead, aka home business, shows a price of $62.44. Most dedicated sign shops would sell that for $75 to $100) Even if it's a hobby business, you don't have to undercut the pros by a ton of money. If you are way too cheap, you'll get so busy you'll start to hate doing the projects. If you are pricing right you'll make decent money and not burn yourself out. Too many people underestimate what people will pay for the kind of stuff made on a CNC. After all, they're coming to you because they can't do it themselves. Actually you should put at least 5 to 10 % of every job's profit away. Someday that machine is going to wear out and need replacing. All the jobs that wore out your machine should be paying for the new one.
@NW3D You don't get the point. When enough people cheapen a product by not knowing how to charge, the whole industry suffers. In the sign industry, sign shops are getting about the same amount of money to letter up 2 doors on a truck as sign painters received in the 1950's, about $150 which would be equal to over $1500 in today's money. Technology made it possible for anyone to buy a machine and a computer and become a sign maker. These new sign "artists" had no idea about proper design layout and no knowledge of how to price. Cutting prices to get work is all they knew about marketing. BTW, the steppers on my router are $200 a piece and my spindle was $5000. The stepper you quoted is for toy cnc's.
Exactly, over saturation of the market along with undercut pricing leads to everyone suffering. I'm a cabinet maker and have to compete against handyman with a portable tablesaw from home cheapo and face nailed face frames. Luckily I have great clients who appreciate craftsmanship.
Is someone with a "toy" CNC really cutting into your market share that much? Yes, the market is a crap shoot now, but things should balance out in time. Low cost "toy" machines are widely available and cheap. These people will realize that they can't make a living for the prices they are charging, get bored and move on, or up the ante. People who want quality will buy quality, and people who are cheap will go to the "toy" machine operators. You professionals have three choices. Ride it out, adapt, or go out of business. It is the unfortunate reality of the free market. The question is, do you add value? What do you do that sets you apart from the "toy" CNC operators? Other than the fact that you hate that you paid the price of a car for your machines. Basically, it comes down to quality and experience. If you can't beat out an amateur, then what are you doing? Find a part of the market that will value you. Or buy a bunch of "toy" machines that you can use for your cheap customers, and use your expensive machine for the customers that care about quality. Create cool things that the "toy" operators can't.
That's like telling an artist to give up, your work can be mass produced for pennies. Be kind to the artist. Programming skills are still where it has always been. In demand. Design skills will always make to a great living-till some one copies your stuff and signs your name.
I really like this project. Great job. Also the way you teach/ explain things is very clear and easy to follow and understand. Thank you for your time!
Awesome video. Thank you for not just explaining the title of the video. You really opened my eyes to a lot more about cnc routers and I appreciate it. I have subscribed to your channel for that reason and look forward to everything else you do. Hoping there is an in-depth look at the Shapeoko and accessories and some tips and tricks. Keep up the great work.
Thanks buddy. I'm just starting out doing stuff like this myself and it's really helpful to see how more experienced people do things (along with the little mistakes).
Would you find masking and painting a little easier if you pre-masked the blank and routed through it, peeling the mask after the color application? We use a mask with an adhesive that resists paint crawling under it.
Very nice work. I use shellac for my first sealer coat. I made my own touch plate for a piece of aluminum. With that you can do a point cloud and some auto height correction to make all the lines perfect.
It's a couple of years late, but the stopping when jogging is normal when using the mouse on the axis, it's the program taking a second to recognize additional clicks/ movements
A couple things you can do to speed up setups is screw down a straight edge in X & Y to bump parts. My corner location is Origin 1 and then origins 2 thru 4 every inch in X. I cut a line every inch in the straight edge to show the origin locations so now, depending on the size of work and where the hold down t tracks are I just locate the part on the table and pick my origin in the control I want to move to. I use a cheat stick that is cut in a U shape to bump the parts consistently. I rarely set X & Y because they are already defined. I program everything from the bottom left corner for repeatability. If I need to add a feature or re run something my parts go right back where they were originally.
Wish I had the space and money for this CNC stuff. Would be fun. One trick I heard about for setting the z axis is to get the spindle close to the piece, then loosen the bit so it touches, then tighten the collet.
Great video.... On the nurse hall step. How do you set you first using the 1/4 bit then go back in with the 1/16 bit? Im new to the cnc game... Just trying to learn the inns and outs... Thanks
That is a very nice sign really like the different elevations very well done . I am trying to buy my first cnc . I have been trying to learn how carbide create works. I can't figure out why when i do a pocket everything gets routed out. I can engraved inside the pocket but I can't do raise letters like your design. Are you showing by any chance how you did it
I have watched 10 of your videos so far and subscribed. I admire your transparency. I appreciate your format, the fact that you go from idea to completion through all steps of a project. Please continue with your style.
Just a suggestion. When doing V-Carved color filled plaques I use vinyl self-stick shelf paper (from the big box store) as a mask before I cut the plaque. Also, I apply a coat of shellac to seal the wood before applying the vinyl self-stick and a coat of shellac in the carving before spraying the colors on the plaque. That way the paint won't bleed into the grain of the wood. Using the mask there is very little sanding after spraying the colors in the carving and you stand less chance of sanding some of the shallow carving away. The vinyl shelf liner that is left on the plaque is very easy to remove. Using this method I can spray color on the whole plaque before applying the mask, cut the carving, spray color in the carving, remove the mask and have the whole plaque a solid color and the carving a different color. One more pointer, I use Marsh spray stencil ink, it will not bleed into the grain of the wood as bad as most rattle can paints will. The Marsh comes in 7 or 8 colors.
Thanks for the pointers Gene. I have since started using the vinyl masking. I did a video a little while back. I didn't use the shellac, and quickly learned I needed to. I also use marsh inks on some projects. I tend to not use it as much because I can't buy it local and it is pretty pricey.
I've made a lot of plaques using the vinyl shelf paper, never have problems as long as I put a coat of shellac on first, and lightly sand before putting on the vinyl. I know the Marsh cost more than rattle can paint, but I use a lot of knotty pine, the Marsh does not bleed into the grain. So my carvings always have a nice crisp edge even on very fine detail carvings.
Very interesting. A couple of questions if you don’t mind Why don’t/wouldn’t you lacquer the whole surface before any engraving? Doesn’t the lacquer interfere with where you do want the paint to stay? If you wanted “Nurse Hall” to be painted (say white), could/would you paint that area before engraving - with the engraving just leaving the words in white?
I find my Shapeoko stutters when jogging sometimes, but only when using the mouse. I *think* I've also experienced it when using my laptop's touchpad. I also find that if you don't keep the cursor over the icon of the button the whole time the machine is moving it will almost certainly stutter. I've also had two occasions where the machine has continued moving after I've taken my finger off the mouse/trackpad. Not just a bit of run on, either: the machine ploughed on to the end stops. Try using the keyboard arrows for X and Y, and the +/- keys for Z+ and Z- and see if the stuttering goes away.
I'm curious if there is a reason why you don't do a clear coat BEFORE you start? At least whenever you do color fill projects. I ask, because the only bare grain, after the milling op, would be where the CNC cut material.
I've only just discovered this video... The jog function moves x number of stops based on configs. The fast jog seems like it stutters because it executed the command of x steps then waits for its next command. If you look at the gcode export of the jog command, you'll see it send "move (x steps) in (direction) at (speed)". There may be extra code that'll increase the wait time, but you can send direct code for each of your anchor locations if you take the time to grid them.
This is more or less how I used to do this. Now I sand the wood with 220 grit, then put shelf paper on it and then do my v-carving. Note: DO THE V-CARVING FIRST! Do the flat area clearance next. If you do the flat area clearance first, it'll rip up your shelf paper. The V-bit will cut cleanly, leaving the v-carve exposed and the top surface covered. I usually remove the shelf paper from the wood to be cleared by the flat area bit after the v-carve (doesn't help any and the clearance bit will just chew it up anyway). Remove from machine, paint, then remove the shelf paper. It's not perfect, but at least 80% of the time, there's no sanding involved afterward, saving a ton of time.
I can't tell you how many time I have forgotten to zero my Z after a bit change. Loved the video and really loved the music, I'm a die hard blues fan. "Bonamassa Rules" LOL
Really nice work. I like the sealer step. That made all the difference. It stabilized the work surface. I like the "now I hope this will all come off" talking about the paint on the sanding step. That's how it feels doesn't it? If you had some cracks that had paint in them where you did not want it, you could come back with a dark paint over that, and sand again.
Fantastic job, the sign looks great! Love your work. I do quite a lot with a laser but would love to get into the CNC stuff more, and this is just another dimension in timber instead of acrylic.Hadn't heard of Shapeoko until I found your video, will investigate further as it does a great job. Thank you for taking the time to do the video, much appreciated! Subscribed...
Great videos. I decided to buy my shapeoko XXL because I enjoyed your videos so much. Thanks for being a great inspiration. I too miss working in my garage in Kansas when it's so damn cold lately lol
Thanks for the reply. One of these days I plan on getting a waste oil heater so I can actually get motivated in the winter to get out there and work more often.
Could you not do the entire project with, say for example, a 90 degree v-bit? I am extremely new to this so forgive me for my ignorance! Also, how do you break the project up in phases to be able to actually change the bits? I am using an X-Carve and it's included software, Easel, and I don't know where to begin to break the project up in stages. Thanks for any and all help!
I came to the comments section just for this and am baffled, why this hasn‘t made it the top. Thank you very much for answering this question and the video in general!
Could you router threw masking tape or Frisket film so that once the routing is done you just paint as you did but then pull the tape or film off and you wouldn't have to sand as much? You could even do colored epoxy in the grooves which you could sand and clear coat to give a cool depth effect.
What advantage does a straight flute bit have over a spiral flute bit? I never thought of using one. Just thinking about the geometry of it I would think it would be more prone to tearing out smaller detailed pieces than a spiral bit. I may be wrong, but I'll have to give one a try sometime.
People are talking about using a vinyl mask and I think it depends on the design and the thickness of the paint. For complex designs and thin paint, I think sanding is easier than vinyl.
Great job on both your project and your honesty.. Your video style is true and real and as newbie to cnc it's appreciated. 2 comments.. 1. I use a dremel with fine tools for the detail clean up (mini sanders and deburring tips). That might help you. And 2. Charge more for your projects. Its a craft and that takes valuable time away from your family and there are expenses that you'll need to recoup. You are an expert in your field regardless of how comfortable you feel with your progress. Keep the videos coming and thank you for doing it. Great job!
Great video, thanks for making it available. I'm interested in how you set up the two separate tool paths (1/4 and 1/16 end mills) when you cut around the words "Nurse Hall" Thanks, Tim
When you use the pocket toolpath in VCarve there is check box in that toolpath window that says "Use Larger Area Clearance Tool" When you check it there will be an option to select another tool. That is for the larger tool, and the original tool will be the smaller one. Hope that makes sense. If you watch this video I show how to do it step by step. th-cam.com/video/Y4rj5ccK9E0/w-d-xo.html
Very cool of you to respond so quickly, thanks ! As I'm very new to the CNC world I have only used the Carbide Create and Carbide Motion which came with my Shapeoko 3 XL ... there are obvious limitations. I'll be following your videos and buying the V Carve Desktop before to long. Tim
well i must say i watch some videos but iv watched a few of yours now and learn a bit that idea masking of to make things look different colors i would never have thought of that
You made a statement that you were going to put a finish on it with lacquer. Was that the Velspar Project Perfect Top Coat? If it was a lacquer finish, what was the base for the spray paint you used to keep the lacquer from raising the colored paint? Also nice job.
Enjoyed your video. I'm looking into buying my own router for personal use, but I need a way to make a couple bucks with it just to offset the cost of the software. Making signs seems like a good place to start. Thanks. I like that you provided a little more thought even in the beginning than other videos I've watched that are essentially "watch my machine make ....".
If you don't want to use a touch plate, use a 1-2-3 block. You'll have to subtract whatever the dimension is, but it sets a constant reference from whatever face you;re touching your tools off from and makes sure you have the distances exactly right.
One suggestion & One question. Have you ever considered using a 'square-cornered boarder' on a sign like this? It seems it would give the sign a more 'finished' look. (Just an opinion.) You mention you plan on purchasing 'Shapeoko's bit positioning Puck' for $125.00± when they get them back in stock. Here's my question. Is there any possible way to adapt the 'X-Carve's version' of this 'positioning puck' to your Shapeoko CNC? That asked, I have no idea as to what type of adaptation would be necessary to accomplish this 'potential' suggestion. .
I don't know how I didn't see this comment until now, but yes I have upgraded, and it still happens. It doesn't seem to effect anything. I have had several other people say theirs does the same thing, so I stopped worrying about it.
In the past I have used bottom left corner homing . After I switched to center homing this improved my setup time and design process a tonne. I switch every now and then between work piece homing methods but mostly center homing now. Touchplates are a must for any sort of reproducible Z accuracy too. Just out of interest what do you do for dust collection?
I agree with using a center homing method. This means your design will always be centered even if your board dimensions are not exact. I always use this method unless having to pass a large piece through the machine.
Here's the problem I have with using the center. It may not apply to all jobs, or all people, but knowing the kind of projects I do I know it applies to me a lot. If you use the center, and have to do several tool changes what happens when you don't have a center all the sudden to use because it has been machined out? You won't be able to at least without a stiff touch plate be able to get a good Z zero. If you know your project won't affect the center it won't be a problem, also the other issue I have with it is you have to find the center of each project meaning a little more work, and drawing lines on each project. Myself personally find it easier just to use a corner. Any corner will do.
@@stufftokeepyouentertained2168 use an edge finder to set your G54 origin to the bottom left corner. Write that location down and use it for all tools. That is, if you can manually input your home locations for each tool. This way, you're setting the origin based on spindle location and not that actual tool, so variations in diameters are immaterial.
@@stufftokeepyouentertained2168 Thanks I was just wanting to know as the drag bit doesn't work for glass products. maybe acrylic or brass and aluminum but not glass
Great video but how did you get the images (the bear and nurses symbol) into the machine. Have you done a video on importing images? If not could you? I have watched several of the cnc videos and each one has been informative including the corrections needed for the mishaps seen. Keep ' me coming. Thanks for all the effort that goes into these videos.
HI, I just found you on youtube. I also have a Shapeoko XXl. You asked about the stuttering when jogging that seems to be the norm mine does it also. Do you have the new CM program that allows you to change you the speed on the fly. Also would you mind sharing your Speeds and feeds on the 3 bits you used. Great video
The sign looks great, nicely done. I have one question, where did you get the bear face from? I have a project where the bear face you displayed would be great. Thanks for any information you might be able to provide.
SUGGESTION: There are cnc videos that show how to do wood inlays for your bear and medical symbol. The plaque will hold up better over time. Seeing what you made in your garage gives me great hope for success. Thanks.
Well Done, I use the similar technique to make a huge plaque for a good friend. I was not sure how you keep the paint from penetrating the wood and having to sand like crazy. Well Done.
Question. Have you ever painted the name first before running through the machine. Like a block of red approximate to where the name will be. Then the machine carves away the excess redx leaving only red letters, instead of a red background? Is it possible to do it that way?
@@stufftokeepyouentertained2168 thanks. I'm debating on buying the machine. I'm newly retired, and looking to create fun stuff as a business and also for myself. Does your machine have the ability to have a 4th axis? Anyway, great stuff. Was initially thinking of getting the machine to carve custom unions for american flags. But it would open up a whole new world I think. Keep doing what you do. Salute!
@@scottyh201 I have seen some people add a 4th axis, but I'm sure it takes some extensive knowledge of the machine, and a bit of modification. So to answer your question I'm not really sure if the shapeoko is the best platform to do that with.
@stufftokeepyouentertained I realize this is an old thread, and I just found your channel. I have 0 CNC experience, but a fair amount with robotics. I assume the stutter you see is from some sort of step count in the g-code. It seems more like it moves (for example) a 100 counts, minor pause, then another 100 counts. That is pure speculation though on my part. Hopefully you eventually found out the real answer to this! Thanks for your channel, your helping this newbie out with all of my questions.
So you did all this with the carbide sw? You don't have to have one program for design and another to generate the G-Code? the makerspace at my company has one of these and I'm excited to try it! Turns out lots of people use lots of software it sounds like
For a touch off block check out MSC for a digital height touch block in the milling section . It is approx. 2" tall that you set on your work piece and touch off your tool in z. They are all metal and some have a digital led scale battery operated. Also you could change your process by sanding your board first, coat with 2 coats of shellac, let each coat dry sand, then cover your sign with adhesive backed clear shelf paper, cut the sign, paint then peal off the paper. Walla finished sign!!!
The best way to make lots of new friends is still to have a trailer. And a close second is to have a welder ... but there is a good argument for a CNC router being right up there too.
the Studer is the pause between comments from the computer. happens with 3d printers. you can fix with better stepper motor controllers or new motherboard
Just FYI. I deleted a comment from someone that "Asked" or should I say accused me of stealing a copy written image on this video. I should have left the comment there and responded directly, but I can't stand those kind of people. First of all I own the license to the bear image in the video. I have extended licensing rights to it. Secondly what kind of asshole responds to a video like this with an accusation that I am stealing shit. If you are that worried about it as a concerned citizen send a private message and ask. To the person who commented thanks for the lecture, but no thanks I'm a big boy I know how to conduct my business.
how much did the bear cost? where to buy it?
Came to the comments expecting to see something like this.
@@hyperhektor7733 I payed $89 for the full rights to it.
@@stufftokeepyouentertained2168 really? then wow
@@hyperhektor7733 you have to look at it from my standpoint. I made about $300 making several plaques for teachers. I also made over $1000 on this video. It was worth the investment.
This was very kind of you to share so much of the process that you followed to create this piece. If you only priced this at $30 your customer got a real good price!
I just came across your channel upon looking up Shapeoko. I have to say I think it was a great video. No fluff, the right info and details along with some great pointers. Liked and subscribed. Thanks for sharing.
You have created some of the most helpful videos on using the CNC and Vcarve that I have seen on TH-cam. Thank you so much for being thorough and helpful to those of us, who are just getting started, in using the CNC. Outstanding work. I also, love the way you include the misques to let us know that the things will happen and there may be ways to recover. All is very good. Thanks again.
Just came upon your channel. I am about to purchase a shapeoko xxl and your videos are among the best I've watched.. I am now a new subscriber. Thanks
Never comment on videos but I am ordering my Shapepoko after a year of saving and wanted to thank you for your amazing videos.
Bought my Shapeoko XL over a year ago and have yet to cut anything on it. Just too much other pressing stuff to do. But I finally cleared the debris off it, and after watching this video, I think its time to cut something. Thanks for the nudge. great work!
Nice video, I have not weeded through all the comments to see if someone else suggested this. Since oak is bad to splinter, especially when two tool paths come close to each other, try tightly applying adhesive backed vinyl on the board first. Also if you apply stickon vinyl you won't have to mask off for painting. Just cover the letters you dont want that color. The major advantage of masking like this is - NO sanding paint off.
Nice video, and shows nicely how you go through a project from start to finish. Well done!
Nice sign. I found that the process that works the best for me on a colored v-carve is to plane the board to thickness first - primarily to pre-set the planer thickness for later. Carve the project, but set the Z-zero height to be ~30 thousandths below the surface of the wood. Paint, then plane again with the plane thickness lowered 1/32" (the 30 thousandths you went below the wood surface) instead of sanding off the paint. Seems to do a great job at eliminating the pores of the wood having hints of paint left in it, and no more sanding disks bogged down with paint.
That's a great idea to plane off the paint... I like it. I'm just curious if the paint would dull the high speed steel knives in the planer. I don't yet have a helical head with carbide inserts.
@@ronmisiura9169 I haven't noticed any additional wear, but I've only done this a couple dozen times. My planer uses the traditional HSS blades too, looking forward to a helical upgrade someday.
$30 for a sign for a friend is fine. But by the time you figure in design time, routing time, finishing, electricity, replacing worn out bits, paint, sandpaper, and clear coat, doubling the price would still be on the low side. (In fact my pricing guide for a sign that size in the grid for lowest overhead, aka home business, shows a price of $62.44. Most dedicated sign shops would sell that for $75 to $100) Even if it's a hobby business, you don't have to undercut the pros by a ton of money. If you are way too cheap, you'll get so busy you'll start to hate doing the projects. If you are pricing right you'll make decent money and not burn yourself out. Too many people underestimate what people will pay for the kind of stuff made on a CNC. After all, they're coming to you because they can't do it themselves. Actually you should put at least 5 to 10 % of every job's profit away. Someday that machine is going to wear out and need replacing. All the jobs that wore out your machine should be paying for the new one.
@NW3D You don't get the point. When enough people cheapen a product by not knowing how to charge, the whole industry suffers. In the sign industry, sign shops are getting about the same amount of money to letter up 2 doors on a truck as sign painters received in the 1950's, about $150 which would be equal to over $1500 in today's money. Technology made it possible for anyone to buy a machine and a computer and become a sign maker. These new sign "artists" had no idea about proper design layout and no knowledge of how to price. Cutting prices to get work is all they knew about marketing. BTW, the steppers on my router are $200 a piece and my spindle was $5000. The stepper you quoted is for toy cnc's.
Exactly, over saturation of the market along with undercut pricing leads to everyone suffering. I'm a cabinet maker and have to compete against handyman with a portable tablesaw from home cheapo and face nailed face frames. Luckily I have great clients who appreciate craftsmanship.
Is someone with a "toy" CNC really cutting into your market share that much? Yes, the market is a crap shoot now, but things should balance out in time. Low cost "toy" machines are widely available and cheap. These people will realize that they can't make a living for the prices they are charging, get bored and move on, or up the ante. People who want quality will buy quality, and people who are cheap will go to the "toy" machine operators.
You professionals have three choices. Ride it out, adapt, or go out of business. It is the unfortunate reality of the free market. The question is, do you add value? What do you do that sets you apart from the "toy" CNC operators?
Other than the fact that you hate that you paid the price of a car for your machines. Basically, it comes down to quality and experience. If you can't beat out an amateur, then what are you doing? Find a part of the market that will value you. Or buy a bunch of "toy" machines that you can use for your cheap customers, and use your expensive machine for the customers that care about quality. Create cool things that the "toy" operators can't.
@@namehere5675 I'm sorry that you don't get it.
That's like telling an artist to give up, your work can be mass produced for pennies. Be kind to the artist. Programming skills are still where it has always been. In demand. Design skills will always make to a great living-till some one copies your stuff and signs your name.
I really like this project. Great job. Also the way you teach/ explain things is very clear and easy to follow and understand. Thank you for your time!
Awesome video. Thank you for not just explaining the title of the video. You really opened my eyes to a lot more about cnc routers and I appreciate it. I have subscribed to your channel for that reason and look forward to everything else you do. Hoping there is an in-depth look at the Shapeoko and accessories and some tips and tricks. Keep up the great work.
Send me one of your video
Thank you for showing even the parts that went wrong, that's how we learn. Great video.
Agree, great video! I also enjoyed seeing the good and bad!
This is one of the better cnc woodworking videos I have seen. Thanks for taking the time to go through the setup. You've earned another subscriber.
Beautiful work. Nice created video. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks buddy. I'm just starting out doing stuff like this myself and it's really helpful to see how more experienced people do things (along with the little mistakes).
Would you find masking and painting a little easier if you pre-masked the blank and routed through it, peeling the mask after the color application? We use a mask with an adhesive that resists paint crawling under it.
Very nice work. I use shellac for my first sealer coat. I made my own touch plate for a piece of aluminum. With that you can do a point cloud and some auto height correction to make all the lines perfect.
It's a couple of years late, but the stopping when jogging is normal when using the mouse on the axis, it's the program taking a second to recognize additional clicks/ movements
A couple things you can do to speed up setups is screw down a straight edge in X & Y to bump parts. My corner location is Origin 1 and then origins 2 thru 4 every inch in X. I cut a line every inch in the straight edge to show the origin locations so now, depending on the size of work and where the hold down t tracks are I just locate the part on the table and pick my origin in the control I want to move to. I use a cheat stick that is cut in a U shape to bump the parts consistently. I rarely set X & Y because they are already defined. I program everything from the bottom left corner for repeatability. If I need to add a feature or re run something my parts go right back where they were originally.
Wish I had the space and money for this CNC stuff. Would be fun. One trick I heard about for setting the z axis is to get the spindle close to the piece, then loosen the bit so it touches, then tighten the collet.
Great video.... On the nurse hall step. How do you set you first using the 1/4 bit then go back in with the 1/16 bit? Im new to the cnc game... Just trying to learn the inns and outs... Thanks
That is a very nice sign really like the different elevations very well done . I am trying to buy my first cnc . I have been trying to learn how carbide create works. I can't figure out why when i do a pocket everything gets routed out. I can engraved inside the pocket but I can't do raise letters like your design. Are you showing by any chance how you did it
I have watched 10 of your videos so far and subscribed. I admire your transparency. I appreciate your format, the fact that you go from idea to completion through all steps of a project. Please continue with your style.
Just a suggestion. When doing V-Carved color filled plaques I use vinyl self-stick shelf paper (from the big box store) as a mask before I cut the plaque. Also, I apply a coat of shellac to seal the wood before applying the vinyl self-stick and a coat of shellac in the carving before spraying the colors on the plaque. That way the paint won't bleed into the grain of the wood. Using the mask there is very little sanding after spraying the colors in the carving and you stand less chance of sanding some of the shallow carving away. The vinyl shelf liner that is left on the plaque is very easy to remove. Using this method I can spray color on the whole plaque before applying the mask, cut the carving, spray color in the carving, remove the mask and have the whole plaque a solid color and the carving a different color. One more pointer, I use Marsh spray stencil ink, it will not bleed into the grain of the wood as bad as most rattle can paints will. The Marsh comes in 7 or 8 colors.
Thanks for the pointers Gene. I have since started using the vinyl masking. I did a video a little while back. I didn't use the shellac, and quickly learned I needed to. I also use marsh inks on some projects. I tend to not use it as much because I can't buy it local and it is pretty pricey.
I've made a lot of plaques using the vinyl shelf paper, never have problems as long as I put a coat of shellac on first, and lightly sand before putting on the vinyl. I know the Marsh cost more than rattle can paint, but I use a lot of knotty pine, the Marsh does not bleed into the grain. So my carvings always have a nice crisp edge even on very fine detail carvings.
Very interesting. A couple of questions if you don’t mind
Why don’t/wouldn’t you lacquer the whole surface before any engraving? Doesn’t the lacquer interfere with where you do want the paint to stay?
If you wanted “Nurse Hall” to be painted (say white), could/would you paint that area before engraving - with the engraving just leaving the words in white?
Nice done! The Bear really came out great!👍👍👍
Lots of great ideas and good info. Well done!
I find my Shapeoko stutters when jogging sometimes, but only when using the mouse. I *think* I've also experienced it when using my laptop's touchpad. I also find that if you don't keep the cursor over the icon of the button the whole time the machine is moving it will almost certainly stutter. I've also had two occasions where the machine has continued moving after I've taken my finger off the mouse/trackpad. Not just a bit of run on, either: the machine ploughed on to the end stops. Try using the keyboard arrows for X and Y, and the +/- keys for Z+ and Z- and see if the stuttering goes away.
Well I think I found that the issue was with the software, because since I have upgraded to the latest version of Motion I have had no stuttering.
I'm curious if there is a reason why you don't do a clear coat BEFORE you start? At least whenever you do color fill projects. I ask, because the only bare grain, after the milling op, would be where the CNC cut material.
This is really helpful. I am now considering buying a Shapeoko.
I need one of those machines - I love your coloring technique....
Nice project! Will you mind sharing the part number for the 1/16 bit you used here?
Love your video! Just curious, who is playing the great blues background music?
I've only just discovered this video... The jog function moves x number of stops based on configs. The fast jog seems like it stutters because it executed the command of x steps then waits for its next command. If you look at the gcode export of the jog command, you'll see it send "move (x steps) in (direction) at (speed)". There may be extra code that'll increase the wait time, but you can send direct code for each of your anchor locations if you take the time to grid them.
This is more or less how I used to do this. Now I sand the wood with 220 grit, then put shelf paper on it and then do my v-carving. Note: DO THE V-CARVING FIRST! Do the flat area clearance next. If you do the flat area clearance first, it'll rip up your shelf paper. The V-bit will cut cleanly, leaving the v-carve exposed and the top surface covered. I usually remove the shelf paper from the wood to be cleared by the flat area bit after the v-carve (doesn't help any and the clearance bit will just chew it up anyway). Remove from machine, paint, then remove the shelf paper. It's not perfect, but at least 80% of the time, there's no sanding involved afterward, saving a ton of time.
I can't tell you how many time I have forgotten to zero my Z after a bit change. Loved the video and really loved the music, I'm a die hard blues fan. "Bonamassa Rules" LOL
Very informative video. I am in the process of building a Lead CNC machine and plan on doing projects just like this. Well done!
Nice job. I love your work. I have the Shapeoko 3 and it is great.
Really nice work. I like the sealer step. That made all the difference. It stabilized the work surface. I like the "now I hope this will all come off" talking about the paint on the sanding step. That's how it feels doesn't it? If you had some cracks that had paint in them where you did not want it, you could come back with a dark paint over that, and sand again.
Fantastic job, the sign looks great! Love your work. I do quite a lot with a laser but would love to get into the CNC stuff more, and this is just another dimension in timber instead of acrylic.Hadn't heard of Shapeoko until I found your video, will investigate further as it does a great job. Thank you for taking the time to do the video, much appreciated! Subscribed...
Great videos. I decided to buy my shapeoko XXL because I enjoyed your videos so much. Thanks for being a great inspiration. I too miss working in my garage in Kansas when it's so damn cold lately lol
Thanks for the reply. One of these days I plan on getting a waste oil heater so I can actually get motivated in the winter to get out there and work more often.
Excellent. Very inspiring and useful for me as newbie in woodCNC (4030 router) Kind regards Marek Poland EU.
Could you not do the entire project with, say for example, a 90 degree v-bit? I am extremely new to this so forgive me for my ignorance! Also, how do you break the project up in phases to be able to actually change the bits? I am using an X-Carve and it's included software, Easel, and I don't know where to begin to break the project up in stages. Thanks for any and all help!
Super nice video ! What would be your first and second make .. awesome work keep posting !
A wasteboard, and a set of hold downs. Thanks.
I came to the comments section just for this and am baffled, why this hasn‘t made it the top. Thank you very much for answering this question and the video in general!
Could you router threw masking tape or Frisket film so that once the routing is done you just paint as you did but then pull the tape or film off and you wouldn't have to sand as much? You could even do colored epoxy in the grooves which you could sand and clear coat to give a cool depth effect.
Just Learning to use the CNC Machine. I really like the bear face you used. Can I purchase the tool path download for it?
Great presentation! You should try using straight flute end mills.
What advantage does a straight flute bit have over a spiral flute bit? I never thought of using one. Just thinking about the geometry of it I would think it would be more prone to tearing out smaller detailed pieces than a spiral bit. I may be wrong, but I'll have to give one a try sometime.
People are talking about using a vinyl mask and I think it depends on the design and the thickness of the paint. For complex designs and thin paint, I think sanding is easier than vinyl.
Great sign. This is my first time watching your channel. Will watch more soon. Thanks for sharing.
Great job on both your project and your honesty.. Your video style is true and real and as newbie to cnc it's appreciated. 2 comments.. 1. I use a dremel with fine tools for the detail clean up (mini sanders and deburring tips). That might help you. And 2. Charge more for your projects. Its a craft and that takes valuable time away from your family and there are expenses that you'll need to recoup. You are an expert in your field regardless of how comfortable you feel with your progress. Keep the videos coming and thank you for doing it. Great job!
Do you have a file for the organizer in the drawer? My daughter has a Shapeoko and has a tiem keeping up with bits and different items. Thanks.
Nice work. What font is the "Baird Bears"? Thanks.
Great video, thanks for making it available.
I'm interested in how you set up the two separate tool paths (1/4 and 1/16 end mills) when you cut around the words "Nurse Hall" Thanks, Tim
When you use the pocket toolpath in VCarve there is check box in that toolpath window that says "Use Larger Area Clearance Tool" When you check it there will be an option to select another tool. That is for the larger tool, and the original tool will be the smaller one. Hope that makes sense. If you watch this video I show how to do it step by step. th-cam.com/video/Y4rj5ccK9E0/w-d-xo.html
Very cool of you to respond so quickly, thanks ! As I'm very new to the CNC world I have only used the Carbide Create and Carbide Motion which came with my Shapeoko 3 XL ... there are obvious limitations. I'll be following your videos and buying the V Carve Desktop before to long.
Tim
No problem. You will enjoy VCarve I guarantee it.
well i must say i watch some videos but iv watched a few of yours now and learn a bit that idea masking of to make things look different colors i would never have thought of that
great job, I think it could look great with a colored acrylic fill too.
You made a statement that you were going to put a finish on it with lacquer. Was that the Velspar Project Perfect Top Coat? If it was a lacquer finish, what was the base for the spray paint you used to keep the lacquer from raising the colored paint? Also nice job.
With the Shapeoko can you cut bigger pieces than your work area by cutting one portion, moving it through the machine, and cutting the other portion?
Enjoyed your video. I'm looking into buying my own router for personal use, but I need a way to make a couple bucks with it just to offset the cost of the software. Making signs seems like a good place to start. Thanks. I like that you provided a little more thought even in the beginning than other videos I've watched that are essentially "watch my machine make ....".
If you don't want to use a touch plate, use a 1-2-3 block. You'll have to subtract whatever the dimension is, but it sets a constant reference from whatever face you;re touching your tools off from and makes sure you have the distances exactly right.
very nice work and teaching me a lot
Great vid sir, I’m making some hand carved signs with my little router, but you really can’t do work as nice as that. Good tip with the lacquer.
One suggestion & One question. Have you ever considered using a 'square-cornered boarder' on a sign like this? It seems it would give the sign a more 'finished' look. (Just an opinion.) You mention you plan on purchasing 'Shapeoko's bit positioning Puck' for $125.00± when they get them back in stock. Here's my question. Is there any possible way to adapt the 'X-Carve's version' of this 'positioning puck' to your Shapeoko CNC? That asked, I have no idea as to what type of adaptation would be necessary to accomplish this 'potential' suggestion.
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Excellent Videos! I was just wondering what feed and speed you use for your oak.
Nice job. I’m still figuring out my Shapeoko and this helps a lot. Thanks
Dave Maiden no problem. Good luck with yours. I'm sure you will enjoy it
the studdering is NOT normal. have you upgraded to grbl 1.1f and carbide motion 4?
I don't know how I didn't see this comment until now, but yes I have upgraded, and it still happens. It doesn't seem to effect anything. I have had several other people say theirs does the same thing, so I stopped worrying about it.
In the past I have used bottom left corner homing . After I switched to center homing this improved my setup time and design process a tonne. I switch every now and then between work piece homing methods but mostly center homing now. Touchplates are a must for any sort of reproducible Z accuracy too.
Just out of interest what do you do for dust collection?
Mungbean at the time of this video nothing. I have a suck it dust boot on order to use now that I have an enclosure.
I agree with using a center homing method. This means your design will always be centered even if your board dimensions are not exact. I always use this method unless having to pass a large piece through the machine.
Here's the problem I have with using the center. It may not apply to all jobs, or all people, but knowing the kind of projects I do I know it applies to me a lot. If you use the center, and have to do several tool changes what happens when you don't have a center all the sudden to use because it has been machined out? You won't be able to at least without a stiff touch plate be able to get a good Z zero. If you know your project won't affect the center it won't be a problem, also the other issue I have with it is you have to find the center of each project meaning a little more work, and drawing lines on each project. Myself personally find it easier just to use a corner. Any corner will do.
@@stufftokeepyouentertained2168 use an edge finder to set your G54 origin to the bottom left corner. Write that location down and use it for all tools. That is, if you can manually input your home locations for each tool. This way, you're setting the origin based on spindle location and not that actual tool, so variations in diameters are immaterial.
great looking sign, and you have the coolest music...
How did the diamond drag bits work on the glass. I am not having much success with doing mirrors.
Not the best. The engraving was very subtle. I had to cross hatch it to make it "pop".
@@stufftokeepyouentertained2168 Thanks I was just wanting to know as the drag bit doesn't work for glass products. maybe acrylic or brass and aluminum but not glass
Can u do pistol wood grips by this cnc? thank you
Great video but how did you get the images (the bear and nurses symbol) into the machine. Have you done a video on importing images? If not could you?
I have watched several of the cnc videos and each one has been informative including the corrections needed for the mishaps seen. Keep ' me coming. Thanks for all the effort that goes into these videos.
HI, I just found you on youtube. I also have a Shapeoko XXl. You asked about the stuttering when jogging that seems to be the norm mine does it also. Do you have the new CM program that allows you to change you the speed on the fly. Also would you mind sharing your Speeds and feeds on the 3 bits you used. Great video
The sign looks great, nicely done. I have one question, where did you get the bear face from? I have a project where the bear face you displayed would be great. Thanks for any information you might be able to provide.
I bought it from a stock photo company.
I’m no expert by any means but the stutter could be stepper driver overheating?
SUGGESTION: There are cnc videos that show how to do wood inlays for your bear and medical symbol. The plaque will hold up better over time. Seeing what you made in your garage gives me great hope for success. Thanks.
What does the machine do to your power bill? What is the wattage you're running at? I want to know what it'll do to my power bill before I buy
Well Done, I use the similar technique to make a huge plaque for a good friend. I was not sure how you keep the paint from penetrating the wood and having to sand like crazy. Well Done.
The bear looks amazing!
Great job! Would you mind saying how much the client paid for this sign?
Subbed! Great video! Do you know if you can change bits like that on the x carve?
Yes you can.
Question. Have you ever painted the name first before running through the machine. Like a block of red approximate to where the name will be. Then the machine carves away the excess redx leaving only red letters, instead of a red background? Is it possible to do it that way?
I have done something similar to that, only with stain instead of paint. It works just fine as long as you know the boundaries that are being carved.
@@stufftokeepyouentertained2168 thanks. I'm debating on buying the machine. I'm newly retired, and looking to create fun stuff as a business and also for myself. Does your machine have the ability to have a 4th axis?
Anyway, great stuff. Was initially thinking of getting the machine to carve custom unions for american flags. But it would open up a whole new world I think.
Keep doing what you do. Salute!
@@scottyh201 I have seen some people add a 4th axis, but I'm sure it takes some extensive knowledge of the machine, and a bit of modification. So to answer your question I'm not really sure if the shapeoko is the best platform to do that with.
@stufftokeepyouentertained I realize this is an old thread, and I just found your channel. I have 0 CNC experience, but a fair amount with robotics. I assume the stutter you see is from some sort of step count in the g-code. It seems more like it moves (for example) a 100 counts, minor pause, then another 100 counts. That is pure speculation though on my part. Hopefully you eventually found out the real answer to this!
Thanks for your channel, your helping this newbie out with all of my questions.
So you did all this with the carbide sw? You don't have to have one program for design and another to generate the G-Code? the makerspace at my company has one of these and I'm excited to try it! Turns out lots of people use lots of software it sounds like
Also, I realized I failed to say it, the sign looks absolutely fantastic!!! Great work!
Caught me by surprise with the hip music lol - Good video, thank you
How much does a CNC machine cost to start making woodcut inlays?
Where can i get some stock designs to start using my CNC router?
Google images
Awesome video! Keep making more CNC videos these have been very helpful. Would you be willing to share where you got the bear image file? Thanks!
I just downloaded it from Google images
On a project that is outdoors, would you say paint or stain would hold up better?
Neither. You need a sealer
Thanks so much
Nice job, thanks for showing how your process looks like.
For a touch off block check out MSC for a digital height touch block in the milling section . It is approx. 2" tall that you set on your work piece and touch off your tool in z. They are all metal and some have a digital led scale battery operated. Also you could change your process by sanding your board first, coat with 2 coats of shellac, let each coat dry sand, then cover your sign with adhesive backed clear shelf paper, cut the sign, paint then peal off the paper. Walla finished sign!!!
The best way to make lots of new friends is still to have a trailer. And a close second is to have a welder ... but there is a good argument for a CNC router being right up there too.
I was wondering how long the carving of the sign took minute wise. It is always hard to tell how fast the video is sped up to.
Nice work... touch plates are really easy to make if you haven’t already got one.
No I don't have one yet. I am either going to make one or buy one as soon as I get done making the enclosure I'm working on right now.
Hello, great video! Which program did you use to contour the bear head like that?
the Studer is the pause between comments from the computer. happens with 3d printers. you can fix with better stepper motor controllers or new motherboard
Where can I buy such cool bear art stuff?
Very Impressive keep up the good work
You said the bit organizer is the 3rd project you’d make. What are the first two?
Waste board and hold downs