CNC (Lasers, Routers, Etc)

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Hekotat

Hekotat

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Bandwagon said:
That leopard is awesome!

This is the type of stuff I'm talking about re: apprenticeships. Not looking to make a career change or anything like that, I just want to spend some time around someone that knows all these tricks so I can make some of my ideas without so much trial and error. Are some of those CNC?

I worked at a prop house in LA for awhile....wish I'd stuck around a little longer to see how some of the pros put shit together. Feel free to use this thread as a damn blog, Hek! I like the details on techniques.
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I work for a pretty big CNC company, unfortunately the thing I'm the least well versed in is the laser since we stopped making our own and now have a partnership with another company. I haven't had any time to learn those machines at all unfortunately.

From what I've seen though, filters and contrast seem to be the biggest attributes to clarity of the raster-ed images. Also for a more textured look you're going to want to have multiple layers or job files that you run at different power settings, like with that leopard I know he ran higher power on certain parts of it to get this ridiculous texture. I used to tutor under that guy until he retired.

First laser I ever worked when I was a technician I rolled up into the shop and this guy had the safety cover off. I refused to look at anything while it was running due to this, I got the issue resolved and stuck around to make sure it was working correct and I kept noticing that guy rubbing his head. I get a closer look and his head, hat and face were covered in laser burns. Dude was leaning into the beam to check on his cuts with the safety shield off, while it was cutting with the safety circuit bypassed, I couldn't believe it.
 
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Bandwagon

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Kolohe
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Ahhhhhh, I never thought about splitting them into entirely separate files. I've just been using the settings to vary power based on gradient
 
slippery

slippery

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Bandwagon said:
I use an API to generate QR codes for a digital inventory system that I've been working on at work. Generating the QR code is easy as hell, so no issues there....including a URL link like k^M said.

As far as the laser goes....I would think that engraving them on a medallion of 1/16" or 1/8" wood would work just fine, then use leather for the straps. The glowforge will cut leather, too. That sounds pretty easy, honestly. If you're trying to do them in bulk as a business, I would think that the hardest part would be autofilling an SVG file with a list of 5,000 unique QR codes and making them ready for the cutter, instead of doing them one by one. Does that make sense? I have no idea if that's the direction you're aiming, but that was the difficulty for me with the QR code / inventory system I was working on. I wanted to keep a running tally of existing assets and generating a new QR code that conformed to a certain naming convention, without any duplicates. Never found a good solution for that.

This is what I use to generate QR codes for Asset IDs that are already in a database: http://api.qrserver.com/v1/create-qr-code/?size=100x100&data=ASSET15
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This is somewhat of a derail. I've wanted to come up with a QR code system at work that people could scan a bottle of wine and it would bring them to a website that gives them information about the wine or a review or something like that. How hard is actually set up QR codes with a link like that?

I mean this would be something that would be a huge time investment on my part which is the main reason I haven't done it (though maybe now with no business because of COVID it's the perfect time), but I'm just wondering how complex it is. Is there a good way to keep track of what you've created?
 
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Hekotat

Hekotat

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Bandwagon said:
Ahhhhhh, I never thought about splitting them into entirely separate files. I've just been using the settings to vary power based on gradient
Click to expand...

Sometimes they'll run certain spots multiple times to darken it if need be. The best image we had was of The Ramones Rolling Stone cover and a salesman just gave it away.
 
Bandwagon

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Kolohe
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slippery said:
This is somewhat of a derail. I've wanted to come up with a QR code system at work that people could scan a bottle of wine and it would bring them to a website that gives them information about the wine or a review or something like that. How hard is actually set up QR codes with a link like that?

I mean this would be something that would be a huge time investment on my part which is the main reason I haven't done it (though maybe now with no business because of COVID it's the perfect time), but I'm just wondering how complex it is. Is there a good way to keep track of what you've created?
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You can find websites to enter in a url and create a qr code to take you there. Would take like 3 minutes. Zeeeeerrroooooo problems.
 
Bandwagon

Bandwagon

Kolohe
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Hekotat said:
Sometimes they'll run certain spots multiple times to darken it if need be. The best image we had was of The Ramones Rolling Stone cover and a salesman just gave it away.
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I've been having a damn hell of a time getting maps to engrave well. I need them to work with imagery though, no vector layers. Literally just imagery. I don't suppose you could bug your master o' lasers at work for some input? You can show them some of my more recent posts in the drone thread.
 
Hekotat

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I'll ask when we return to work, may not be anytime soon.
 
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K

k^M

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Bandwagon said:
Any lurkers here that know of a site to "tile" designs, or upload a design and material sizes and have it auto-fill into new files based on how many it can get into each sheet? Two separate requests.
Examples:
1 - I have an earring design and a sheet of material that is 12"x20". Tile the design to cut out as many of them as I can in a single sheet of material.
2 - I have a jigsaw puzzle SVG that's 500ft x 500ft and material size of 12"x20". Split up the SVG design into separate files that fit on a single sheet, and export as many as needed to cut out each piece.



@Ignatius @Xadion - fyi, this thread.
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Didn't see this post before for some reason, but yeah nesting is what you are after. Vcarve has it (paid software) but I think the license cost is about $1k? Deepnest.io is another option, that's a free web based service but gets iffy depending on how much stuff is on the page.

Silhouette business edition also has it and that only costs maybe $100, and allows exports to svg/pdf. Couple different options, highly worth it when you are making tiny models or puzzle pieces.
 
Bandwagon

Bandwagon

Kolohe
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k^M said:
Didn't see this post before for some reason, but yeah nesting is what you are after. Vcarve has it (paid software) but I think the license cost is about $1k? Deepnest.io is another option, that's a free web based service but gets iffy depending on how much stuff is on the page.

Silhouette business edition also has it and that only costs maybe $100, and allows exports to svg/pdf. Couple different options, highly worth it when you are making tiny models or puzzle pieces.
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Yea I found the nesting software awhile back after sadris sadris mentioned cutlist optimizers on page 1. Deepnest software on desktop worked well when I was just using designs that I downloaded, but I can't figure out how to make it recognize pieces with designs as one part. Any idea how to make it recognize this whole thing as one part? I'm using inkscape and they're all grouped, but it still splits all of the tiny little shapes in the graphics off into their own individual parts.
1587582714064.png


1587583123936.png
 
K

k^M

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Grouping is purely "visual" in a saved file, things will travel together but in terms of design structure they are separate.

To get around that, you usually have to do some form of combine/unite/join (each bit of software calls it something different). There are some things you can't unite however, as it'll mimic whatever formatting existed in the top/last selected piece (settings dependant).

For example, if you have black shapes for cuts, blue for engraves, and red for scores, and you try to unite the blue/red objects it'll turn them all into red (or blue) objects. Kind of irksome to work around
 
Bandwagon

Bandwagon

Kolohe
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k^M said:
Grouping is purely "visual" in a saved file, things will travel together but in terms of design structure they are separate.

To get around that, you usually have to do some form of combine/unite/join (each bit of software calls it something different). There are some things you can't unite however, as it'll mimic whatever formatting existed in the top/last selected piece (settings dependant).

For example, if you have black shapes for cuts, blue for engraves, and red for scores, and you try to unite the blue/red objects it'll turn them all into red (or blue) objects. Kind of irksome to work around
Click to expand...
Well shitfarts. So there's not really a way to use the nesting software for stuff like what I posted, unless I set it all up before adding graphics? Doing a join/union isn't really an option on some of the designs.

The box maker festi.py exports boxes that have interior cuts that aren't visibly connected to the exterior part and those still function as one piece in the nesting software though?
 
K

k^M

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More or less correct, yeah. You can nest the outside cut lines so that you maximize board usage, but if you try to do that with images/other stuff inside that's normally just grouped (score/etch) it'll try to nest those all over.

Easiest solution is create the outside box/line/whatever as normal that will be cut, then create some point of reference boxes inside it that are also cuts. Unite/merge/combine those so they move as one in a nest and get your layout entirely the way you want it. Then break apart (opposite of unite/combine/join/whatever) to separate them.

From there, use those reference boxes to place your artwork with the allignments, IE center/left/right on x/y/z box and then do that for each one. Adds 2 steps (if you put the boxes correctly) but they are 2-3 clicks at most so easy enough. Attempted illustration below.

You can delete the reference box in the middle of the square after you align everything. If this doesn't make sense let me know and I can hop on discord/zoom and do a quick demo easy enough. I don't use maker festi.py so I'm not sure if theres an easier way to do it but it the concept isn't overly complex in any software to get around unites / group differences for the GFUI

1587593942983.png


1587594039711.png
 
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Hekotat

Hekotat

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I only know Enroute and our company's own software which has a nice nesting feature.
 
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Bandwagon

Bandwagon

Kolohe
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k^M said:
More or less correct, yeah. You can nest the outside cut lines so that you maximize board usage, but if you try to do that with images/other stuff inside that's normally just grouped (score/etch) it'll try to nest those all over.

Easiest solution is create the outside box/line/whatever as normal that will be cut, then create some point of reference boxes inside it that are also cuts. Unite/merge/combine those so they move as one in a nest and get your layout entirely the way you want it. Then break apart (opposite of unite/combine/join/whatever) to separate them.

From there, use those reference boxes to place your artwork with the allignments, IE center/left/right on x/y/z box and then do that for each one. Adds 2 steps (if you put the boxes correctly) but they are 2-3 clicks at most so easy enough. Attempted illustration below.

You can delete the reference box in the middle of the square after you align everything. If this doesn't make sense let me know and I can hop on discord/zoom and do a quick demo easy enough. I don't use maker festi.py so I'm not sure if theres an easier way to do it but it the concept isn't overly complex in any software to get around unites / group differences for the GFUI

View attachment 264716

View attachment 264717
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Thanks for that writeup, km. I was afraid something like this was going to be the solution. I suppose it's not really worth messing with this until I get a handful of items that I'm planning on selling regularly. I still have so much to learn right now that I'm doing a lot of trial and error cuts just to see if shit fits together and if I like the overall design or not.
 
Hekotat

Hekotat

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Bandwagon said:
Thanks for that writeup, km. I was afraid something like this was going to be the solution. I suppose it's not really worth messing with this until I get a handful of items that I'm planning on selling regularly. I still have so much to learn right now that I'm doing a lot of trial and error cuts just to see if shit fits together and if I like the overall design or not.
Click to expand...

It's mainly figuring out the tolerances between material types. For example, with a wood to wood inlay you want about a .010" difference in sizes for a nice snug fit that wont' come out and you can push it up to .015" to get a bit looser so it can be glued in or test fit while still being able to remove it from the part.

You start mixing material types and you have to do some experimenting to see what will work, but those two values are good starting points.
 
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K

k^M

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The most irritating thing is unless you are getting some grad A material wood to work with, those variances are finicky as shit. I've done a .1mm reduction and still had shit be too loose, and other times it broke the wood completely trying to get it together.

usually have to base that upon each 4x8 sheet I cut down into sections and then label them/store them together so I can use the run rate on that.
 
Bandwagon

Bandwagon

Kolohe
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We're doing some logo mockups and I'm pretty sure my woman doesn't know what "Tugjob" means. It's her favorite logo so far and I'm not saying shit until she registers a business.

Muhahaha...

Stinkbug-v2.jpg


Tugjob-v1.jpg
 
Bandwagon

Bandwagon

Kolohe
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Hey Hekotat Hekotat - I haven't tried engraving a map made using edge detection yet, but I got slightly better results on the rasters by creating some different layers. Still a long ways off and I figured out afterwards that my laser was dirty anyways, but a little bit of progress I suppose.

I was about to order some metallic prints for work from Bay Photo when I saw color prints on wood there, so I started looking at some DIY methods of transferring photos to wood. I've got a couple tests going right now using modge podge & liquitex. Maybe this will end up being the route to go for 3d topos. I really like the idea of everything being engraved, but I've been banging my head against the wall trying to get rasters to work well for months now.
 
K

k^M

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Sublimination machines do the color thing don't they? I've seen a few end results but never looked into how that actually works.

Gf has a ton of modge podge though so if you wind up finding a cool success there and want to post it, would be curious to try it out too.
 
Bandwagon

Bandwagon

Kolohe
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k^M said:
Sublimination machines do the color thing don't they?
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No idea. I figured whatever people use to do it at places like Bay Photo, it's going to be out of my budget.

k^M said:
Gf has a ton of modge podge though so if you wind up finding a cool success there and want to post it, would be curious to try it out too.
Click to expand...

Will do. Seems pretty easy, judging by youtube videos. People just coat an inverted laserjet photo and coat it in modgepodge before sticking it to a piece of wood, then they wait 24 hours and gently brush off the paper with water.
 
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