Learnings and Questions

[cubitfx]

Now that I have had my mill going for about 2 weeks, I wanted to share some learnings and ask some questions of the community. 

Learnings

1. CAD is hard. There's a pretty steep learning curve!
2. Fusion 360 seems really awesome, but finding resources online is challenging
3. Practice, practice, practice. I've gone thought so much lumber goofing around and trying to figure out how to make things.
4. If you stain wood before milling out images or text, it looks really awesome when done. Stained surface, natural color inside.
5. Don't mill MDF. Just don't do it. The dust is insane. If you want something cheap, use pine instead.

Question (Specifically, Fusion 360)

1. How do you control depth of cut (Z Axis)?

More detail to the question: I have figured out the process of 1. Create sketch  2. Extrude   3. Go to CAM and select 2D Adaptive Clearing   4. Select the BACK plane of what you're cutting out (Example, for doing inlay text. Not cutting things out). The results I get are: Usually the right XY measurements, Unpredictable Z axis amount of removed material. I've spent hours trying to get it to do a 2mm deep removal, but I can't seem to do it. First try, it was going to do what I suspect is 12mm (2mm on each pass, 6 passes). The second time, I got it down to 3 passes (honestly, don't remember how) but I am still trying to get it to one. Tried setting my extrude measurement to 2mm. No luck. I am sure I am missing something simple.

I really enjoy this new hobby of mine, but am having trouble getting past a few minor hurdles. On the bright side, I've already learned a TON and am having a lot of fun.

[kevin]

It's good that you're having fun even though you are running into some hurdles. Fusion is a great program, but it's pretty complex and learning it at the same time you are learning CNC'ing can be a lot to take in.

I'd recommend you try a program like makercam or Easel which may not be as comprehensive as Fusion, but are great programs, and are easier for someone new to the hobby to use. Once you are able to master the concepts in an easier program you can always go back to fusion. If you want to hang with Fusion, I recommend you go to the Millright CNC page. Under the Resources tab you will find a tutorial for Fusion 360. The CAM process is outlined beginning on Page 9 of the tutorial.

As far as cutting MDF, it is probably the cheapest material you can cut and it can be used to make lots of great stuff, but if you are cutting MDF without dust collection, I can see why you have an aversion to it. I'd recommend that you use some type of dust collection system. At a minimum you need to have on a dust mask if you are cutting MDF without a dust collector. You can check out youtube for homemade dust collectors for some ideas on how to make a dust collecting solution. For what you save in buying MDF to mill for practice projects verses lumber you may be able to make yourself a pretty effective dust collection system.

Good luck, and keep having fun.

[Derek the Admin]

I'm glad you are having fun with it Cubitfx. Kevin has given some good advice.

MDF is indeed a mess. I wouldn't avoid it, I'd find a way to deal with it. Dust shoes can be 3d printed or milled that will really help when attached to a shop vac. (Side note, I'm really looking forward to the community putting out some solutions here).

I think the issue is on Z depth is what you are selecting. Don't select the back side of the solid body. If I wanted to pocket in text on a shape then cut it out I would sketch the outside profile, extrude, then put the text onto the top face of the extruded body. I would take that outline text, then extrude it into the solid using a cut operation. Switch to CAM. Select the bottom of the pocket you just created as the geometry to be machined. Bottom height on the heights tab should be a 0mm offset from the selected contour. On the passes tab, go to multiple depths, then set the maximum step down. For the profile cutout, select a 2D contour operation then the bottom line of the file. Best of luck to you!

Side note...I am not looking at it right now, but I think adaptive clearing is a roughing operations only. It's designed to clear stock while keeping a fairly constant load on the cutter by the way it feeds. I may be wrong but I don't think there are any finishing passes that you can select. You might want to experiment with adaptive clearing and a 2d pocket to see which gives you. A better finish. The 2d pocket has an option for finishing passes.

[cubitfx]

Thanks for the advice. I'll take all that and play with it this weekend. As far as MDF, Pine is relatively cheap and far less messy. Also, the area I have in the house to use for a "shop" is only about 80 sq ft, so it's also much easier for me to work with a 6' x 10" pine board instead of MDF anyway. So for those reasons, I'm planning to stick to pine for the time being. Yes, dust collection would help a lot. But who has time for anything that isn't milling?

Admin, your suggestion on how to do the pocketed text makes PERFECT sense. I can't wait to go home and try that out. Too bad I'll have to wait until Saturday or Sunday to do it. As for what 2d operation I'm picking, I'll play around and let you know. I was trying to figure out what the differences were. I bet you're right.

[aforww]

The other thing you can do with text and Fusion, if you apply the text to your sketch, select it, then explode it treats the letters as individuals entities. So extrude the part around your text then extrude the text to whatever you want. I really like fusion now that I'm getting the hang of it.
Look on YouTube for fusion 360. They have a ton of content on there.

[aforww]

I just posted my system for managing dust in the dust collection thread also.

[Derek the Admin]

Dec 1, 2016 13:35:58 GMT cubitfx said:

Thanks for the advice. I'll take all that and play with it this weekend. As far as MDF, Pine is relatively cheap and far less messy. Also, the area I have in the house to use for a "shop" is only about 80 sq ft, so it's also much easier for me to work with a 6' x 10" pine board instead of MDF anyway. So for those reasons, I'm planning to stick to pine for the time being. Yes, dust collection would help a lot. But who has time for anything that isn't milling?

Admin, your suggestion on how to do the pocketed text makes PERFECT sense. I can't wait to go home and try that out. Too bad I'll have to wait until Saturday or Sunday to do it. As for what 2d operation I'm picking, I'll play around and let you know. I was trying to figure out what the differences were. I bet you're right.

No problem. In an 80 square foot space I really encourage you to mask up no matter what you are milling. I don't deny that MDF is a messy and nasty bugger one bit. It machines like butter though.

Glad that makes sense on Fusion.

[scott71]

Is anyone profitiant in inkscape?
Having an issue with the engraving extension. First cant edit tool list ro get the proper rool path and now when I complete the project and send it to the machine ( via gcode sender) its not machining at scale.
Any ideas?

[aforww]

Mar 3, 2017 19:22:58 GMT scott71 said:

Is anyone profitiant in inkscape?
Having an issue with the engraving extension. First cant edit tool list ro get the proper rool path and now when I complete the project and send it to the machine ( via gcode sender) its not machining at scale.
Any ideas?

Got me on that one. I rarely use inkscape for anything other than creating some .Dxf files that I then load up into fusion for modeling and cam.

[Derek the Admin]

Mar 3, 2017 19:22:58 GMT scott71 said:

Is anyone profitiant in inkscape?
Having an issue with the engraving extension. First cant edit tool list ro get the proper rool path and now when I complete the project and send it to the machine ( via gcode sender) its not machining at scale.
Any ideas?

I cut my teeth on Inkscapes g code extension but I never mess with it anymore. I think it's been updated a lot since then and I'm not sure it has maintained all the same functionality. All I could ever get it to do was a pocket op (they called it area) and a follow path op. I never found it cared what size tool I specified, but again this was an older version. One work around is to do g code for a 100m square load it into UGS, visualize it, then see what dimensions it has. Use that as a scale factor. Not the best, but a workaround nonetheless.