Taking the Desktop plunge...
Hi Shopbotters!
It looks like in a week or two I'll have a SB Desktop set up and cutting in the garage. I wish I had space for a Buddy, but it's just not going to happen... Most of the things I envision cutting are smallish plaques and such so it will be fine.
I'm also getting the indexer, I think. What I'd like to do is use it to engrave pens that I've turned on my lathe. I think the process would involve turning the blanks and then transferring them, mandrel and all, to the 'Bot. Of course it looks like I could simply turn the whole thing on the indexer and simply switch bits to do the engraving. I do like my lathe though. Has anyone any experience with this sort of thing?
In any case, I've been reading the forum for a bit now, and have experience with an eBay homebrew machine. What should I watch out for when I set this bad boy up? Any tricks that I need to know? I've been playing with the control software and it seems a lot easier to use than Mach2. I've been playing with VCarve Pro and that definitely has a few more bells and whistles than CAMBAM.
By the way, while I'm thinking of it: how compatible is the 'bot with the G-Code generated by CAMBAM? I loaded up a file and saw a couple of errors, but they looked simple to resolve. It was a small file, though, and I wonder if it might be more challenging with a more complex one.
Thanks for any tips.
Jerry George
It's here! (And running too.)
Well, I went over to the freight terminal and picked up the crate this morning. It was quite impressive to watch the forklift operator put the crate in my truck as there was less than an inch of clearance on either side!
I got the thing home and started to uncrate it. It was too heavy to lift off the truck so I loosened the clips at the bottom and removed the whole top and sides at the same time. I then cleared the old machine out of way and moved the new one in. (By myself... Ouch.) I had previewed the setup information so it took less than an hour before I had to wonder in and grab the laptop. Everything worked out of the box and by 2:00 I was cutting a lithophane into a 5x7 piece of Corian.
At that point, ever willing to turn a good situation sour, or a bad situation worse, I decided that I should go ahead and hook up the dust collector. And promptly hit the power switch I reached around it...
Everything was working well up to that point though. And the dust collector is hooked up now too.
So, next on the list: I need to pick up some bits. I got the "starter set" from Shopbot and I've got a good number of 1/8" v-bits and such. I think a visit to MLCS and / or Centurion is in order. The question is, what should I get? I'm going to be making lithophanes, small signage, and such. What do you guys and gals keep in stock?
What do you use to carve in blue foam? I've routed sheets of bricks for stage sets before and seem to recall that I just used a standard bit. It's been awhile though.
OK, off to prep for a Marine Corps League meeting and grab a bite.
Cheers!