Hi everyone I'm new to CNC I have V carve pro 11 and it's very confusing all the options. Basically all I want to do is 3 things 1. take a 2D image and cut a pocket and a part into material that is already presized and no need to cut excess. All the tutorials I found basically are getting into cutting off access materials that I have no need to do. I can't seem to find a tutorial or instructions that just do this from a to Z. 2. I want to take an existing Vcarve file and be able to just change the dimensions of the design and cut the same design either smaller or larger whenever I like without having to start over and write the whole program again. I have cnc nextwave shark that works well with tap files Thanks
1. A) Make your work stock that exact size of the pre-cut piece you want to use. B) Then draw a pocket the sizeand shape you need where you need it. C) Create a tool path(s) that will mill this pocket out. Z) save the Gcode files and run them on your machine. I do not have time now, but I could maybe write this up. It may take some time because I have never bothered using Vcarve for something like this. I can draw a dxf file of this exact thing you want to do in Fusion 360 in about 30 seconds so I only use it for 3D carves. This one is easier for me because I do this. However, this only works if you are scaling the whole thing in correlation with your work stock. If you only want to scale one way, there are a lot more steps. 2. Open your existing file. Select "Edit" then "Job size and position". Then (1) change your work stock job size. (2) Scale your design with the size, and (3) Hit OK. It will ask you, or warn you, that all tool paths will have to be recalculated . It will ask you, or warn you, that all tool paths will have to be recalculated . Allow that to happen, and you are done. Then you just need to save these new tool paths. I did this repeatedly last year before Christmas be cause I was dumb enough to post a picture of a Nordic Santa I carved for myself (and one for my brother) for Christmas last year. That lead to a very high demand of "make me one" from my Norwegian side of the family. So I would make them out of various scrap pieces of different thicknesses leading to an army of various sized Santas. I made it easy on myself and used the same tools for all sizes.
@JVcustom, I just stumbled across this video tonight looking for ideas for sanding inside trays. He has a basic Vcarve tutorial that shows how to set up your wood size then draw vectors to create the pocket. He does a circle, then a Christmas tree, but you could easily substitute a rectangle or whatever shape you want. It is short, and well done, I added this link to that portion of the video. I hope this helps. Go to the 22 minute 49 second mark, That is where it starts.
