I have the z follow the contour of the 3d. The laser module in vcarve pro does this. I did try to use a set z height on the laser by adjusting the laser’s depth of focus to be really large, but I ran into some issues with it. Not only was the laser kerf and intensity inconsistent due to the varying heights of the relief, but the laser was also inconsistent from the steep contours to the flat ones. Mainly because when the laser with a fixed z is marking a steeper slope, it’s traveling more surface distance per second than a flatter area.
If you do laser a 3d topo like this (especially with steeper contours), I very highly recommend really dialing in the precision of the laser 2d vector program relative to the 3d. And also really being precise with zeroing the laser wrt the 3d cut (x and y) zero. If a laser line follows a steep-ish contour, it will be very visible even if it is half a mm (0.02in) off.
I use QGIS to generate both the 3d and all the laser vectors. I don’t think you can do it (yet) without some type of GIS software unfortunately.
Despite all the online options to make a topo stl now, I haven’t found any that can make special boundaries or accurate laser vector projections for map features. If you’re ok with sacrificing accuracy, you could try looking for a vector file of the boundary you’d like and size it accordingly in your cam program to cut the profile out of a square topo. Some maps would look perfectly fine doing this and others not so much.
A friend of mine and I made a Rudis stand after his retirement this past December. It was his first fine wood working project and a lot of fun to work on since he was able to use everything from simple hand scrapers all way up to the OneFinity.
The center section looks like two pieces of wood, but is actually a monolithic slab of 8/4 Brazilian Cherry. It would have been easier to do it as two rectangles stuck together but my buddy wanted to keep it one piece, and we had the technology.
Adam related to me that historically the owner of a highly accomplished Roman gladiator would give them a Rudis (wooden practice sword) to mark their freedom, and that tradition is now used by some branches of the military to honor a retiree.
That makes me wonder if your ancestor was a freed gladiator and took Rudis as their last name to represent their freedom. I have no idea if that was a thing or not, but it makes for compelling story if nothing else.
That’s a great way to present the challenge coins.
I like the joinery and really dig the engraving on the front panel (I’m assuming acrylic done on the 1F? Though I could see it done w/glass depending on what equipment you have access too).
@L.M yes the front panel is acrylic. I just used a 90 degree vbit and cut the mirror image so you get a smooth surface on the outside.
The dovetails gadget is really cool, but I am super happy I did it on a test piece. What I did was cut the pin, dovetails and profile first. I orientated my pieces, built a jig (just a 90 degree stop corner, this saved me time from probing each piece) and then cut my pockets for the other pieces. Backwards from what I am use too.
The reason was due to the piece with the pins was backwards. A hiccup, but I over came.
Thanks for the love on this project. I always try to get the ‘wow’ factor out of people and I couldn’t do it without 1F!
A recent renovation left us with a nice piece of marble but no place to put it. This project started with an AI request: “Show me an image of a painted wood cabinet with a marble top. Use the Federal style and dimensions of 40” height, 14” depth and 36” width”. I tweaked the AI product a bit, then went to a CAD program to lay out dimensions for parts and to think through the assembly.
I wanted to try bas reliefs, and wasn’t satified with AI for that. I tried ChatGPT, Copilot and EasyCreate (a Vectric product). None of them could produce the long, narrow carvings that I wanted for the legs. The frieze product from ChatGPT was “OK” but had far less detail than the pre-made models in Vectric. In the end, I took the Vectric models and learned ways to stretch some portions without distorting others.
So the Onefinity performed in the way I intended when I bought it: it’s a tool to expand the options for my woodworking, and it’s not the hobby itself. (By the way, excuse the lack of knobs…they’re in the mail).
A fun small project. Wooden buttons for a carpet bag floor cushion. Mango and olive wood. Quite satisfying. The Mango wooden ones look like large chocolate buttons.
Homed off the bottom and set x,y over some scrap wasteboard
Milled a hole into the scrap 0.5 mm wider than the stumpy bit on the underside of the button.
Milled the bottom of the button from some slightly oversized stock (assumed model was 2mm from bottom of stock.) roughly over the hole (used drawn sight lines that extended beyond the stock size to judge it was centrally placed over the hole. Blue painters tape and ca glue
Flipped the button and placed the stumpy bit in the hole already milled and a little bit of blue painters tape and ca glue. Milled top. Set home point at the middle of the model (which would place it where the z,x,y We’re already homed)
In order to get the square button aligned I made the stumpy bit square and the hole it fitted into similarly square but 0.5mm wider.
I’ll take some pictures tomorrow, easier shown than described, but not complicated.
You did a great job in your written description but I agree with @BuckeyeDennis, a pictures is worth a thousand words.
Nice jig, you didn’t over think it you just did it. I appreciate everyone sharing their solutions. I have a tendency to design a space shuttle to walk the dog. Seeing so many straight forward elegant solutions is a reminder that it doesn’t need 15 moving parts on bearing rail slides with 10 magnets controlled by a single board computer. (though those ARE fun to design, Rube Goldberg and I would be buddies, I’m sure of it)
