Hi folks! I am new to cnc field and I do have some questions for the experienced cnc user.
Please help me to finish the case
Thank you
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āThroughout this entire project, which part gave you the biggest headache? Can you walk me through what happened?ā
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āWas there any step that ended up taking much longer than you expected? Which part was it?ā
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āHave you ever had a great project idea in your head, but eventually gave up because you felt your current equipment or software couldnāt handle it? Could you tell me about that idea?ā
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āTell me about the last time a machining job failedāfor example, a broken tool, misalignment, or a crash. What was the situation, and how did you fix or recover from it?ā
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āBesides this CNC machine and its associated software, what other tools, software, or websites do you rely on to complete your projects? (For example, calculators, specific forums, YouTube tutorials, etc.)ā
What do you intend to do with this data?
Is it for academic research, an opensource project, or marketing research for a commercial endeavour?
Hi Will!
To be honest I am ready to invest in this area, so it will be a lil bit related to commercial? Thanks for the reply tho
Also what is your purpose/end goal with a cnc?
Cnc usage covers metalwork, leatherwork, electronics, woodwork, and probably many other fields.
On the cutting/carving design side you have 2d, 2.5d, and 3d work. Setting up for production or one of a kind projects. They all have their own workflows and headaches.
Hi Oscarļ¼
Iām thinking about the desktop cnc devices mainly, more like entry level stuff. Iām still in the process of evaluating the risk of the the entry, thatās the reason why Iām asking stuff here
I work for Carbide 3D, so my experience is based on using their machines:
- My current biggest headache is making a brass hinge in a size which is no longer available for a small lap desk ā in addition to the CAD, cutting it requires a fixture to hold the partially cut part at an angle
- See above ā fixturing is always more complex and takes longer than expected since it is custom/specific to the parts needed ā but most projects donāt need more than standard workholding
- I have an idea for a woodworking joint which is proving difficult to do CAM for ā an initial test file for a 1" x 2" x 1" joint took over 18 minutes to calculate and created a ~180MB file ā currently working on a custom G-code programming tool instead
- Broke a tool and a 1/8" collet because feeds and speeds werenāt perfectly suited to the aluminum I was milling ā ordered a replacement collet, once it arrived, loaded a spare tool and adjusted feeds and speeds and finished the cut
- I always fall back on Macromedia Freehand/MX (I was a beta-tester) and there are of course the Carbide 3D forums: https://community.carbide3d.com/ and Iāve been working on:
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Thank you for your reply!
According to your previous post, I have more question in your case:
Questions about fixtures
You mentioned earlier that āmost projects donāt actually require special fixtures,ā which I found very interesting. Thinking back over the past six months, aside from this brass hinge project, can you recall any other projects where you had to stop and design and fabricate a one-off fixture? What was the purpose of the fixture in those cases?
Roughly how long did it take you to make that fixture itself? Compared to the actual machining time of the brass hinge, what was the approximate ratio?
What materials do you usually use for these one-off fixtures ā scrap wood, MDF, or something else? Do the material costs matter to you in this context?
From the moment you realize āI need a custom fixture,ā whatās going through your mind? Whatās the very first step you take ā sketching it out on paper, or jumping straight into CAD?
Questions about software
Could you describe that mortise-and-tenon joint design in a bit more detail? What specifically makes it difficult for existing CAM software to handle ā is it the surface geometry, or the complexity of the toolpath logic?
When you saw such a small part take 18 minutes for the CAM software to calculate toolpaths, what was your immediate reaction? Did you think āmy computer is too slow,ā or āthereās something wrong with this softwareā?
When I learned that you actually started writing your own G-code programming tool to work around this issue, I was really impressed. What do you want this custom tool to achieve? What do you see as the biggest difference between your tool and existing CAM software?
- Engraving a handle is the last one I can recall, but it was further back than 6 months:
- The brass hinge fixture is still in CAD, the one photographed above, a couple of minutes.
- Depends on the project ā in this case it was an aluminum blank cut shallowly enough that it went back into the box for metal stock. Metal, plastic, or MDF are the usual suspects. Yes, Iām cheap.
- I usually sketch, though these days itās on a Kindle Scribe ā I then open up the CAD file for the project and use it as a basis for the fixture.
All the software answers should be in:
If thereās something you donāt understand, it should be explained in one of the books at:
or
If you are considering buying a small cnc, then probably you should make the investment in learning cad software of some type before you buy,or invest or build a small one to learn the ins and outs of the machine. Start with simple engraving and then move onto small parts. With experience and research you will be able to answer your own questions. Thereās nothing like hands on experience to do that. Watch videos and learn from others. Take a class. Join a makerspace. All the information is out there for you to learn at your own pace.
There are plenty of free 2d programs out there to get started on your journey. Take a woodworking class if you want to cnc furniture. Take a metal working class if you want to machine metals. A cnc machine is a tool. You have to have some prerequisite skills to get the most out of it.
My own journey began when I made my own cnc from scratch using hardware store materials and plug and play motors and controllers. I already had a background in material processing and drafting, so the journey was a little easier. Back then though, the software was in its early stages of development, so I had to write the gcode to do what I wanted. That was pretty hard at first but became a bit easier. I never made anything that complicated by writing code, but software came along rather quickly to do things like engraving text.
Today itās a lot easier to do things with a cnc. Thereās still a learning curve, but the results are worth it. Itās very rewarding to watch a machine doing what you told it to do.
This kind of place may help you get started. DIY CNC - Instructables
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Thanksļ¼Thatās so important for a rookie like me lol
Thank you Marty!
I tried a lil bit python and I found its gonna take some time to really make your own stuff.Maybe i am just not that talent at all
Best!
Really appreciate you guys! you guys are so kind!
Another beginner resource to use for research/learning is:
Jesus its so detailed! Thank you!
Really you donāt need to know Python these days to create gcode, you just need to learn how to manipulate the CAD and CAM softwares to generate the gcode. Iāll just suggest Easel, as a way to get started, as Iām more familiar with it.
Honestly I am the first time to hearing this software lol, most popular one be like fusion360,freeCAD else.
Could you tell me why youāre so familiar with this software? Whatās the most crucial element for you as a software? And personally, how much time would be acceptable to spend learning a different piece of software? Iām so curious cuz I will feel frustrated if i spend many time on something and still not able to get familiar with.
Thank you Marty
Have a nice one!
FWIW, I was a beta-tester for Inventablesā Easel, but never got very far with it.
I did far better w/ Carbide 3Dās (ob. discl., I work for the company)
Carbide Create:
I am a Rhino3d user, which was a popular application 15-20 years ago. Fusion360 is the popular one now. I have an X carve and that is an Inventables product. Converting my drawings to Gcode used to involve for me, using Meshcam or Cambam. Iām not an authority on Easel or anything else for that matter, but I do import a DXF occasionally to convert to Gcode. It is pretty user friendly for what it can do. It has its limitations but for somebody wanting to get started, I think it is a good beginning. They are developing it all the time. I have tried 360 and it just isnāt as intuitive for me. I like seeing toolbars, as the early Cad programs I used had themā¦like MacDraftā¦LOL.
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