Alright…I need all you smart people on this forum to help me fill up my lead balloon…again, YES, again.
Some full disclosures first…I am a total newbie to Carveco Maker and CNC (specifically I have Elite Foreman with QCW Frame and Makita Router), and this is “technically” my third (3rd) project, (1st being flatting spoil board, second being adding grid to spoil board). My amazing wife surprised me with some files she found and bought on Etsy…more on that later.
1st I would like to say that Carveco is a confusing program, especially when you have four other programs running in your head,(laser, 3d printer, PowerPoint, TinkerCAD), BUT, once you find a tutorial, (or even a topic remotely similar), for what you are trying to accomplish it clears up the “fog” and confusion that usually turns into frustration and hatred that will affect your mood, confidence, attitude, day, family members and quite possibly your new “toy” <---- Don’t ask…LOL
Etsy files - I AM NOT KNOCKING THEM - the people who are selling them are great and helpful people. Some of the files that were purchased the store reached out to me and asked what machine I had, if I had any issues to reach out, and one store sent me a file that was already converted for Carveco Maker and Onefinity with step by step, bits needed, roughing tool path and final toolpath —WOW!!! There are those that just send vectors or picture and as a newbie it is all Greek to me to sort out - So NOT KNOCKING THEM - KNOCKING MY LEARNING CURVE and Carveco does a great job in helping out sort the mess I have created.
Carveco Tutorial and YouTube Tutorials - They are BOTH AMAZING and very informative and helpful, but I was shocked to see that in Carveco there wasn’t anything to find that I could directly use for my project. I did have to use several different parts of different tutorials and work my way through my project and I was sure I was Good To Go. In YouTube, where you can find how to DIY and replace a thing-a-ma-jig on a 1823 tinker-doodle with a gum wrapper and paperclip, the result was the same.
Now on to my question/issue: You will find attached some pics of what I wanted to and what was the end result. I opened Carveco set a model size (which I had no issue with the end result and figuring it out), hit the relief tab and imported this pic
Followed various tutorial and managed to get everything done and used the relief tool path which asked for the finishing pass before the roughing pass - i am analytical and it didn’t make sense to me.
Anyways, full of vigor, confidence, and thumb drive in hand I head to my Basement/garage/fix-it-shop/man-cave and where i house my Elite Foreman, prepare piece to be worked (scrap piece of pine 26" long by 11" wide by .75" thick - my project 16" by 10" by .50". Turn on machine, emergency stop checked, machine homed, file loaded and press start.
Well I cannot give enough praise about this machine - IT IS AMAZING - HANDS DOWN
The project went as the the simulation stated. Each pass was just shy of 1/8" and took about an hour per pass and would take four passes until the start of finishing passes. As I checked near the end of the fourth pass it was cutting as stated and as I anxiously awaited the start of the 5th pass and tool change the machine kept going and started the 5th pass, this time the cut was barely noticeable which I expected since it was the start of the finishing passes. It did not pause to let me change out the bit and I as stood there as a newly minted Lieutenant looking for a corner in a round room to grovel in, it just continued - below is the results
Don’t get me wrong I am still DAGONE PROUD of what I was able to accomplish, although it wasn’t the desired end result. I am just wondering what I did wrong. I am sure it is Operator Head Space & Timing issue but where?
Thanks for listening/reading and in advance for any advice, tips & tricks, jarring comments, and sarcasm.