I am trying to carve an inlay of my logo, which is the stylized capital letter B partly encircled by the capital letter C and joined where the C crosses the tail of the B
This is my first attempt at an inlay and cant seem to get anywhere.Hey Brian,
You don’t mention what software you are using, but here are lots of videos showing the process.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=V-Carve+Inlay
Good Luck, Neil
Hi Neil thanks for the reply this is very new to me so your patience is appreciated. I am using carbide create, i have viewed many inlay videos and tutorials but they dont seem to address my problem. I can cut the female logo but not the male. Pocket toolpath ignores the logo and flattens it all. Vcarve gives an error mssg of no closed vectors. Can i download a CC file of my logo? c2d or nc .
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I found this technique to work very well. Wolf Inlay - YouTube
Just a thought on your pocket tool path problem, when doing the male cut you need a border around it so that cuts out between your shape and that border so it doesn’t get confused and cut the shape instead.
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Here are the two videos that I have used with success
Sorry for the typos typing from my cell phone
- Pocket Flat Depth is 7.62mm
- Inlay Start depth is 2.54mm and Flat depth is 5.08
Important settings for inlay projects
→ Use the V-carve function for both parts
→ For the Female inlay component
Start depth 0.0
Flat depth 0.11 (2.794mm)
→ For the Male Inlay component
Start depth 0.09 (2.286mm)
Flat depth 0.02 (0.508mm)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Which is basically the recommend values from the guide converted into metric
DEEP Vcarve
15 degree bit (SC 70) / 46280 CNC bit
Clearance bit RU1600 = 1/8
Important settings for inlay projects
→ Use the V-carve function for both parts
→ For the Female inlay component
Start depth 0mm
Flat depth 8mm
Mirror Flip vertical (uncheck create a mirror copy)
Add a vector around the design
select outside vector
Offset vector ( 8mm )
First tool paths
-
Start depth 1.5mm
Flat depth 2mm -
Start depth 4.5
Flat depth 2mm -
For the Male Inlay component
Start depth 7
Flat depth 2mm -
Arrange clear paths in order
-
arrage vcarve paths in order
-
isolate plug (cut it out using the offset vector) USE TABS (inside Left)
Start at 9mm to depth of wood. -
clean up tool paths
7A offset of 10mm
7B .5 mm above work
My two tests
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Welcome aboard Redhead! There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to getting a vcarve inlay to come out right. Could you give us a little more detail, such as a pic of your design? Possibly some details on your male and female toolpaths? Once you get the design work complete, be sure to use a decent vbit! Mine looked like crap until I discovered the Whiteside 1541 60 Deg VBit, and this 30deg bit from PreciseBits. Here is something I made for my daughter last week.
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Hi Bern
This the export svg file the design of my logo from Carbide create.
male is using 1/8 spiral endmill on a contour toolpath /outside
max depth .15
cut / pass .075
female is the same 1/8 spiral contour outside
md .15 c/p .075
Tried initially with a 60 vbit which did not work.
Fixed SVG (closed vectors):
Edit: Not sure what happened to the post above, but I was able to grab the intended image with DevTools — if anyone is wondering where this image randomly came from.
You are going to really struggle to make this work with an end mill. You need to use a v-bit. Two important components. Someone else mentioned putting a border around the male cave in order to select the negative area. The other is choosing the start depth. Use advanced v-carve and set the start depth a fraction of and inch smaller then you female component depth.
This will make sure your male piece doesn’t bottom out before the sides are tight. and there will be a bit of space for glue.
Also if the tool change thing is an issue, I use this web sight to split the code into two paths.
https://fenrus75.github.io/FenrusCNCtools/javascript/gcodesplit.html
And if you need to figure out which path is which I use this website.
Pro tip- starting at a deeper depth is a big cut. I usually raise my bit 1/8 - 1/4 of an inch off the material and zero, then run a pass, then zero at the top of the wood and run it again so it takes two pass.
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The logo is what i am trying to vcarve, but changed the intersection of the B&C so the the B overlaps the C
Still stumped on my logo. CC says to close vector . All vectors are joined as far as i can tell. I must be missing something
You do NOT want overlaps. A closed vector is a solid path with no beginning or end, like a circle, but it can be other shapes and have corners. It is not random overlapping lines.
Your current logo SVG from your most recent post is a number of unclosed, overlapping lines. See how I can select different pieces of it? That should not be the case.
I can help you with the SVG, but it may need to be redrawn for the best results. I just don’t know how much help you are willing to take. I would also offer to clean up the curves a bit, but I don’t want to offend you.
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I would take all the help you can offer and take no offense at all being a rookie at cnc. I see what you are getting at. Is there an easy way to draw the curves ?
I tried to keep everything close to the original, but even things out a bit to make it look a bit less hand drawn. However, if you have a real-world version of the logo you would like for me to reference, you could upload a photo.
See if you find either of these versions appealing:
You can see now that the outside vector and inside vector of the monogram are individually selectable as separate, continuous lines (i.e., closed). This is what you want to see.
Both versions are together in one design for simplicity. Choose whichever you like and delete the other, or let me know if you need some minor updates. Adobe Illustrator original, SVG export, and JPG preview included in ZIP file:
BC LOGO CIRCLES DESIGNED 2.4.zip (247.0 KB)
As for drawing tips, I would recommend you check out tutorials on YouTube for whichever program you prefer. They will likely help you better than I can convey over this medium.
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Ok thanks. They both look great, i would like the tail of the B to over lap the C. I will venture back to Ai and learn the basics.
I guess I’m not understanding the distinction. To my mind, they are already overlapped.
Are you saying to want to carve two separate inlays for the monogram instead of one piece?
can i draw the logo in carbide create? I am having enough trouble learning CC let alone Ai.
just want it to be defined where the C would be “behind” the tail of the B, they now they seem to be blended together.
I want one piece as i am planning to use Mammoth Fossil Ivory for the inlay.
How small could i carve the logo and still have it recognizable? 1"diam?
Thanks again.
What do you mean by “behind”? Do you mean different heights? If so, that’s not a normal inlay and would require extra steps.
The SVG I gave you is ready to go for a single-piece, one-height, standard, flat inlay. No editing should be required. The overlap is the white area between the lines, not the lines themselves.
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OK thanks again i will try one.