Buddy Startup Essentials

[mikeacg]

Steve,

I had a 2 week delay on delivery of my machine back in October so I spent the time building all kinds of files to run once I got it. Helped me hit the ground running! Welcome aboard!!

Mike

[sixshooter]

Mike, I have been trying to make some cut files to run when I get my machine but I have zero time using any CNC software, but I have been reading alot of the post on this form and viewing the trainng videos, I am certin that with all the support a guy can get from the forum and Shop-Bot I will pick it up in no time and may be down the road I will be able to respond to a new Shop-botter myself.
Thanks Mike Have a Super day

[bluecollar]

Sounds like our tools are in production at the same time. I've got a similar delay. I'm spending the time working on some designs of my own in TurboCad, importing into ShopWorks, generating the toolpaths. Lots to learn. I'm new to the CAD world and went through the tutorials. Nothing like working on a real project to see what parts of the tutorials will apply. I'm running into a lot of vector issues where I've combined circles, splines, beziers, etc. I've got to figure out how to join these together into a single vectors for the Vectric product to treat them as one.
As Steve F alluded to, the shipping delay is probably a blessing in disguise. If I had the tool out in my garage, I'd be far more prone to make these mistakes on wood. This delay is forcing some much needed learning.

[dana_swift]

Steve Z- you are learning the things that experience teaches. The way to keep the vectors as single entities in PW is to create them as "polylines" in the cad package. Polylines can have curved segments, and then PW imports them as a single complete closed vector.

Another trick is to tell the Vectric software to allow more tolerance in matching endpoints of lines into a single vector. Usually there are not closely spaced vectors that can get confused, so that has to be used with an understanding of what is being imported.

Using the simulator on SB3 will save you bad cuts every time you use the machine. If it doesn't look right there it wont be right when you try to cut the real item.

D

[beacon14]

I've got to figure out how to join these together into a single vectors

Select multiple vectors that all touch at the ends to form a single path or entity; select "Edit/Join Vectors", make sure the icons are visible on the left and you'll get a Join Vectors window with tolerance options.

[bluecollar]

Dana hit it on the head, the issue is that the end points don't match up absolutely exactly. I'm trying to figure out the correct order in which to select the segments, edit/join vectors and what exactly the tolerance setting does. I actually learn more by the mistakes than by it working right the first time.
Funny how I've always considered the 1/32" or 1/64" measurements issues which were either sandable or something to be "snuck up on to fit". That's part of the paradigm shift I need to accept with a tool that demands this level of precision. I'm enjoying the journey.
Dana: I may likely take you up on your offer to visit you in Tulsa. Seems I'll have some time on my hands this summer (another economic casualty). Actually I bought the Buddy 2 days after my notification. What a great way to get some focused time on the tool, 'eh?
sjz

[gcox2]

I've been viewing these posts for several weeks now (among others) and I find many of the questions that are asked are ones that I also have. I think that one of the questions that was asked, I actually had an answer!......anyway, I got my Onsrud catalogue yesterday and am more confused now than before I got the catalogue! I don't have any specific questions now but I'll read the catalogue and try to decifer and then I might be able to ask with a little more authority. meanwhile I'll read and observe all of you botters. Thanks for being there.

[erik_f]

Gary...there is a lot to know about bits and feed rates and chip loads and and and...chances are you will go ok, with just about any reasonable bit selection and reasonable feed rate. The nice thing about CNC is you only have to draw and design it once and as long as your work doesn't require some tedious amount of set up...if you make a mistake you can just start over and adjust.

[dana_swift]

David- that is a work-around, but the problem can be prevented in the first place by creating the vector path as a single "entity" in the cad package. Each entity in a DXF file has a single ID number carried with it. If you get properties of a polyline in a cad package, it will reveal the entity number for the polyline. All polyline segments having the same entity number are automatically joined in both the cad package and PW. The cad package makes sure the end coordinates match to create a closed path. PW has only to read the finished vector.

That probably makes no sense, but once you see what I am talking about the "open vector" problem goes away. The problem comes when joining separate entities that we humans look at and are related visually.

Once I figured out how to create things in my cad package so that PW knew they were a single thing, my life got much simpler..

Gary- That is the way the forum works. Many lurkers getting great info, when one posts a question. Thats what got me on here in the first place, I was learning from other peoples questions. I had my bot for many months before making my first post.

As to the bit choices, there should be a guide in the catalog to select bits for different materials. If you want to know what bits some of us run regularly, I'm sure that you will get a flurry of answers.. and probably end up just as confused as before!

I select from the onsrud web site.. usually starting from "wood", then usually selecting the family of Super-O cutters. From there you pick "upcut" or "downcut". Downcut tends to hold the material together while it cuts it, but doesn't clear chips as well. Then it is a matter of picking a diameter that works for your application. At first a generic 1/4" "CED" cutting edge diameter, with a fairly short "CEL" cutting edge length. In the downcut list there is a bit 64-025 which has an "OAL" over all length of 2 inches.

That may not be a great bit for your purposes, but I keep them on hand for general purpose cutting. Not a bad place to start out. Get several, as a beginner you will break one or two sooner or later. Remember that just because it is optimal for wood, doesn't mean it wont cut just about anything else, it will, and very nicely.. Keep the feed rates around 4 to 6 inches per second with very shallow cuts until you get a feel for how aggressive you can get with your bit choices and materials. SLOW CUTTING RUINS BITS, keep the feed rate up. I made this mistake when I was starting. Use the cutting speed formula they provide, figure a chip size of 0.01 and you should get started just fine.

I'm sure there will be other opinions tho-

Good luck!

D

[sixshooter]

Dana, You-the-Man, with guys like you and Eric, Mike, David, the list goes on and on any newbie can get help with anything that they are having trouble with or questions about their ShopBot because there are people on this forum that have already had the same problem or somthing simular. This is great it makes me feel comfident knowing this forum and the people in it are there to help.
Thanks Guys

Dana I will be in Tulas on May 30th visiting friends with my wife and would ilke to meet you. Maybe I could pick up some pointers on a BT32, let me konw if might be possible.
Thanks
Steve French