Video

Yep, it does quite well for its size. I'm still very happy with it.

I love spalted woods, as well, but those were rotten.

Hi Eagle - That's done with the "Fluting" toolpath. You can see the setup for the coaster tray here - windridgewoodcrafts.com/resources/Fluting_Toolpath.png. The variables for {Pocket} and {Flute} are 0.1" and 0.4", respectively. Let me know if you need more information about any of that.

@@WindRidgeWoodCrafts Thanks for the info! I'm guessing this can't be done in Easel? I haven't seen a way anyways.

@@eagle2D2 Sorry, Eagle, I haven't used Easel or Easel Pro. The screenshot is from Vectric VCarve Pro.

That's Lily. She is a very sweet rescue that has been with us about 9 years.

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.

Hi Sinner - it should work with no problem. It's just simple gcode, nothing tricky or specific to any brand of CNC. Let me know if you have any problems.

@@WindRidgeWoodCraftsI wasn't sure how post processors and all that side work so yeah...machine hasn't even arrived yet but you've added to my to do list lol

@@8thsinner a post-processor converts the model (CAM) into gcode. In this case, the post-processor is my little bit of Perl code that runs behind the scenes to go from clicking submit on the web interface to mailing you a gcode file. When you fill out the form on the web interface and hit submit that does a few things: sends the form contents to an email template, sends the form contents to a database, and triggers a Perl program to run. The Perl program reads the database for new records, builds a gcode file based on the record and sends an email with the gcode attached. That all happens in about 0.03 seconds. So, you get a pair of emails, one that confirms what you submitted and the other that includes the gcode file, along with a recap of the form contents.

Glad you liked it. Yes, it's to avoid minor tooling and burn marks as you drop straight down before moving horizontally, Basically, I'm moving the marks away from the finished portion of the coasters/holders. Check the reply to KennethTurner earlier and let me know if that addresses your question. If not, give me a little more info and I'll be happy to follow-up.

Thanks!

Thanks, Miles. Happy to help answer any questions. The motor sticks out the back of the machine a couple inches and there is a release handle on the front of the fence rail that adds a couple inches, for a depth of about 32". I also have Grizzly's "Bear Cub Crawl" mobile base, which is about the same 32" depth. If you need it in a tight space and can move it whenever you need to cut something longer, the base has worked great in both garage shops I've used it in. I'm hoping to get our pole barn fixed up next year so I can move out of the garage and have more room than I know what to do with.

What about the maximum width of the machine?

@@milesmanglos1583 sorry, I missed the follow-up ... the G0555XH is about 28" wide and the Bear Cub Crawl base is about 35" wide.

Thank you 🙌

Definitely. No reason to show any of the others, there was no beating that one.

Yep. Still coming up with a few ideas for them.

I’ll check that out.

Gotta love the classics :-)

I use Vectric VCarve Pro software. You can find info about it at www.vectric.com/products/vcarve-pro. The cutting past and recutting are for similar reasons, avoiding burns and cutting marks on the wood. The cutting past, called a lead, avoids leaving minor scorch marks on the wood as the bit plunges into or exits the wood. As the bit goes vertically into the wood, the edge of the bit can burn the wood and leaves a little dark line that needs to be sanded out. By using a lead, you essentially move the scorch mark to a scrap portion of the wood. This can also be done with a simple ramp that cuts into the wood at a slight angle, rather than vertically, which also eliminates burning. The recutting is needed to avoid tooling marks on the wood as the bit cuts along an edge. When a bit is not able to cut through the entire board for any reason, such as the CNC is not rigid enough or the board is too thick or the bit is too thin, it will typically leave a tiny line in the wood at the end of the bit. If you need 4 passes to cut through a board, you'll see 3 lines along the edge of the board, with a 4th one at the bottom edge of the board that isn't really visible. The final recutting uses a tiny offset at full depth to remove those lines. So, let's say I have a 1/2" board that I am cutting in 4 passes at 1/8" per pass for a coaster with a final diameter of 4". I would cut the 4 passes at 4.02", with a final full depth pass at 4". That full depth pass is only taking off 0.01" along the entire edge, so it can handle a 1/2" cutting depth without any issue, such as breaking, deflecting, chattering, etc. Since it's at full depth, there are no tooling marks left on the board.

@@WindRidgeWoodCrafts thank you for the detailed reply

What kind of cut is it called for the slots for the coasters? Awsome work!

Vectric calls that a Fluting tool path.

Pretty sure it is ash. Wider grain and pores than cherry. Here's some cherry if you want to check it out - czcams.com/video/Ey8sqdIjlX0/video.html

Thanks for the feedback,, H.E. It was badly torn up by a chainsaw prior to it arriving in my shop. It means a lot to me to take something that is in bad shape and turn it into something that is welcomed into a client's home. After planing, the slab was made into a pair of beautiful wedding boxes for siblings and their spouses. Another board from the same tree was also made into a wedding box previously. Take a look at czcams.com/video/WIQWr7LLQS4/video.html and you'll get an idea of how the two boxes from this slab came out.

@@WindRidgeWoodCrafts I guess some eggs need to be cracked for omelettes to be made. The box turned out beautiful.

Hi Jeff, as it turns out I have a little program that generates these gcode files based on parameters input to a form at windridgewoodcrafts.com/utilities/cnc_flat/. The relevant parameters I input on that form are: CNC Info - Inches X: 48.00, Y: 32.00, Z: 5.00 Slab/Board Info - Inches X: 36.000, Y: 16.000, Z: 2.500 Slab/Board Cut Depth: 0.50 Bit Info - Inches Diameter: 1.500 Max Cut Depth: 0.030 Stepover Percent: 33.0 Stepover Mode: Flex Spindle Info - Inches, unless otherwise noted Speed: 17000 RPM Dwell: 0.0 seconds Safe Z Gap Above Material: 0.500 Rapid Rate: 360.0 inches per minute Feed Rate: 240.0 inches per minute Plunge Rate: 10.0 inches per minute Let me know if I can provide any more info.

And thanks for being my 500th subscriber. Woohoo!

Holy Moly! Congrats on 500!

One thing I noticed on that video was that you had a Makita router in your CNC. What did you have that set to? And did you say what flattening bit you used? I'm worried about wrecking it or my router. I am very much a beginner

@@BigJeff19999 Yes, Makita router set to #3, which is about 17,000 RPMs. The flattening bit is an Amana RC-2248, which is a 1.5" bit with a pair of carbide inserts. I bought mine from ToolsToday - www.toolstoday.com/v-11747-rc-2248.html. My other CNC is a smaller Next Wave Piranha Fx (Shark SD 110 is current version). It uses a DeWalt DWP611, which would provide the same RPMs on a setting of 1.

We're using these programmable puck lights. www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWVD5NT/. I just added them to the description, as well.

5.5" x 72". I cut two lanterns per picket.

My main workbench has 3/4" dog holes that have been very helpful over the years. I have a smaller CNC that has the entire bed made from aluminum T-tracks, which are also helpful, but the majority of the time I just use a flat MDF spoilboard on it and hold down projects with painters tape and CA glue. I added too many dog holes on this, I should have gone with a 4" offset instead of 2". The 3/8" holes are for cam clamps, and I expect to use the 3/4" dog holes to hold a fixture with the cam clamps holding the project piece in the fixture. That's the plan, anyway. I still do the vast majority of hold downs with painters tape and CA glue.

Yep, it can always use a little more. I just moved it to the other side of the garage an hour ago. If the Gods are smiling on me, that will remove the need to tram. I'm not holding my breath, though :-)

Thank you.

I think it was about 4 hours. Pretty straight-forward, just take your time and try to have a buddy around when you're getting it out of the crate and if you plan to put it on wheels. Those were the times where having a second body would have been very helpful.

Sorry about that, Lee. Which part of the demo can I help explain better? The Vectric part, web form, something else?

@@WindRidgeWoodCrafts no worries. new to v carve just trying to learn how to work it.

@@leeknight9063 I learned quite a bit from Mark Lindsay at czcams.com/users/MarkLindsayCNC. I think he has the best Vectric tutorials. I’m happy to help out with specific questions, if I can.

Thank you, David. I appreciate the compliment. I've been upgrading them over the last 6+ years, slowly but surely.

Yep, definitely an attention getter. No doubt I could be more diligent about checking and cleaning out the dust chute.

Thanks, David.

Have you watched some of Alex Snodgrass’s videos on tuning a bandsaw? He walks you through several steps to make sure everything is properly adjusted. And be sure you have a good blade. Alex is a a much better resource on blades than I am, but I have had good experience with Highland Woodworking and Laguna blades.

@@WindRidgeWoodCrafts thank you I will watch

@@user-eu2uy1ux5q Here you go - czcams.com/video/CFZOlNsAgBU/video.html

Hello, Shanna. Thanks for checking in.

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks, Robert. I haven’t had one slip once they’re locked in.

Thank you.

Thanks, Erol.

Good luck not wrecking the packaging. I tried prying it apart first before I broke out a Japanese saw. I don't do a lot of tight curves on mine, but I have decent 1/4" and 3/8" blades that get occasional use. The saw has no problem with thinner blades and curves and the table is pretty good size and definitely sturdy.

Did you go forward with the purchase? How do you like it?

@@WindRidgeWoodCrafts got it haven’t used yet… I’ll update you

@@dentonjordan6992 Please do so. Subbed to your channel.

Thanks and hope you like the new tool.

Thanks, Dennis. It's in the 300 lb. range, so it will provide some bumps and bruises during setup. I would say the one thing I could have done better/different/safer would be a bench or a couple sturdy sawhorses to use as half-way points during the lay-down and lift parts. It's definitely manageable, just be careful and take your time. 2+ years later, the saw is doing great with no issues at all. I'd buy it again. I've been using Highland Woodworking's WoodSlicer blades ($40-ish) and just started using a Laguna ResawKing blade ($150-ish) a couple months ago. I like the ResawKing al lot, but haven't used it long enough to recommend it. The WoodSlicer blades are very nice and I do recommend them.

I started out doing things the same way. No worries about the best way, just variations on the theme.

Thanks, Angie. What software are you using with your xCarve? Is there a specific issue you're having trouble with?

Hi Angie - this was done with the fluting tool in Vectric's VCarve Pro. Are you using the same software or something else?

Carter has some great bandsaw accessories. I'm sure I'll be picking up a few more in the future.

No argument. I picked up the serpentine thing after watching the ShopSabre crew talking about it. I wrote my little program to mimic that. Here's the ShopSabre link - czcams.com/video/7th1C0JokEQ/video.html

Thanks. It's great for flat-ish objects. When you have something more vertical, the tape may not hold up to the horizontal stress from the bits. It works just fine for nearly 100% of my projects.

Sure can. There's a link to that video in the description. Here ya go - czcams.com/video/81aIl7GklsY/video.html

Yep, I have a couple bookcases in my shop for boards that I can use for signs, boxes, etc. Once I slice these up, they get added to a shelf to dry in a small sticker stack for a while. If I forget how long they've been on the shelf, they're ready to go :-) You can usually use something cut down to an inch in 6 months or so. I happen to know this particular set of boards is still on a shelf, so it's coming up on two years according to the date on this video.

Yep, this works, but there is definitely room for improvement. I'd like to see how that sliding clamp works out. Thanks for sharing.

I did those on the CNC, as well. I started doing these on a router table, but transitioned them to the CNC once it arrived. Here's a video of the slots being made czcams.com/video/QY9StHFMT6I/video.html

@@WindRidgeWoodCrafts thanks so much, appreciate it. I had a feeling a std end mill was used first. I'm gonna have to play around with the depth/width in order to figure out how to get a nice slide fit, lots of playing around to do on my part.

@@rogdotcom1 it takes a few tries to nail it down. Once you have it right, you can reduce the number of passes. I run these in three passes, but this video shows six as I had some interim attempts. I typically make enough parts for 4 boxes at a time.

Thank you and welcome.

@@WindRidgeWoodCrafts Cheers 😊🤗