somewhat new to aspire

[cowboy1296]

although these turned out fairly good i still have an issue. in the ribbon above police is where it is most noticeable. there is a wavering in the ribbon. the eagle was bought from vector 3d and the badge was built in aspire

i have tried the following:
went from 60 to 90 degree vbit, result more visible in preview
lied to tool data base saying bit was bigger and smaller, no result

i finally decided to just try and sand out the wavering.

in watching the shopbot cut the ribbon, it cut perfectly, it was when the cutting was done around the letters that the bit crossed over the ribbon vector.

i have considered but not tried node editing on the ribbon to try and counter the wavering.

any suggestions are certainly appreciated.

[phil_o]

Very nice work on the badge.
How did you create the vector for the Ribbon? Also I'm not clear on what you mean by wavering. Are you not getting a clean cut?

[cowboy1296]

i use to do a similar plaque in 2d. the vectors for that badge were created by the vector Dr. i have cut it many times in 2d with no problem. i used these same vectors for 3d

now lets see if i can explain this correctly. in 3d the ribbon appears to cut smooth along the upper part of it. i purposely actually stood there and watched it cut. as the vbit cuts around the lettering it travels just a little to far upward crossing over what would be the vector line of the ribbon, creating a wavering mark in the ribbon. this mark actually shows up in the preview for a 60 degree and even worse for a 90. i am anal and don't want these marks but they are barely noticeable, even less so once sanded and finished.

i contacted aspire and they suggested the 90, saying that it was not as bad. although i have not cut it with a 90, in the preview it is even worse with the 90.

i have cut this 3 times now with the same results and not sure if a little node editing of the ribbon would help or hurt.

[myxpykalix]

I'd like to see the chest those badges would be pinned on...:eek:

the finishing is really nice

[cowboy1296]

the ash is 19 inches with the alder a couple shorter. those would be some big boys to make those fit properly

finishing is my weakest spot. i am getting better but there is still lots of room for improvement

[steve_g]

Rick

I'm not an Aspire user, But... when V-carving I found it's very important to Z zero to the top of the material and not the bed, or else any variance in actual and design thickness will result in what I think you're experiencing.

Steve

[cowboy1296]

I always zero on top of the surface of the material to be cut so that was not the issue. In aspire you can actually command various cuts to follow the flow of a 3d model, in 2d this was never an issue. I have cut it in 2d at least 20 times. The way the badge is shaped is: There is a convex or dome curve to it that is pretty consistent. However in the lower section there is somewhat of a dip on the right and left hand sides. Which pretty much follows the shape of a real badge. At the top the shape tapers off to the eagles feet.

I am still very open for suggestions. Maybe the next time that i cut i might take a video of it and post that.

[mtylerfl]

Hi Rick,

A little hard to tell from the photos, but I think I see the "wavering" you are talking about (if I squint)...it appears the V-bit went slightly "outside of the line" of the ribbon when carving the lettering in a couple areas. Is that what you are referring to?

I believe we will need access to the vectors themselves to see if there is any "fault" with them. Also, it would be handy to have the crv3d file and view your toolpath settings/offsets/depths to see if there is any issue there or not. You may not be able to make the crv3d file available if it contains any commercial models on them, of course. It could be that as the V-bit follows the contour of the shape, it is "hitting" the outline simply due to the geometry of the bit.

In any case, you did a beautiful job on the badges!

[cowboy1296]

its most visible above and between the "L and the I". i tried posting the aspire file on their forum and it was too big to post. i have taken everything out of it in an effort to post it on here but i think that is still too big.

but you have the right idea about how the v-bit is going over the outline of the ribbon while cutting out the letters.

[chiloquinruss]

I have tried to recreate what you are seeing and so far I can't. I do have one thought though, what font are you using and have you tried a different font for the word 'police'. If you follow the side contours of each letter in the word police vertically they match almost perfectly with the 'waves' you are seeing in the border. I wonder if the 'font' vectors you are using might be causing your problem. Anyhow, a short answer try a different font and see if you get the same kinds of results. Russ

[cowboy1296]

that one i have not tried yet but will and will let you know the results.

[cowboy1296]

changing the font did not help, its still there. i am inclinded to believe that with the badge changing shapes/curvature is what is causing it. i can either accept this minor flaw or go to regular v carving.

[mtylerfl]

Another thought...reduce the size of the font and/or enlarge the ribbon to yield extra clearance between the letters and the ribbon vector so the bit doesn't stray into the outline as it follows the contour of the badge.

[Joe Porter]

How about limiting the depth of cut in that area with the V bit. Maybe use a small end mill to clear the field, and finish with the V bit. I think a shallower relief would still be attractive. joe

[cowboy1296]

you guys have got me to thinking.

fyi when i remove police from the ribbon and do a v varve it comes out as a perfect deep cut ribbon.

making the font smaller or ribbon bigger did not help, but as you know the preview image is not as sharp as my aging eyes.

doing a pocket cut produced a perfect ribbon but even still i think that i might like v-carving better even with the minor flaw.

i need to play with the v-carving and set depth i will let you know.

[letterman7]

Hi Rick,

It could be that as the V-bit follows the contour of the shape, it is "hitting" the outline simply due to the geometry of the bit.

!

Bingo. That particular section is simply deeper than the surrounding, resulting in the bit taking a bit of the edge off. Try a flat machine bottom - limiting how deep the V bit will plunge on the next badge.

[myxpykalix]

Regarding the design, if you can't get that part cutting resolved why not change the ribbon to a relief carving on the surface and a shallow vcarving of letters instead of having to make the ribbon a deep vcarving with the letters inside? :confused:

[cowboy1296]

Jack thanks for your input and everyone else's. The issue was so minor that most would never have noticed, but i am anal and do. Not sure if this is what you mean jack but i like the change and it certainly takes care of the wavering problem. plus more of my board remains board and not sawdust.

Oh yeah I feel like I am a member of the team now. I broke my first bit 3 nights ago. a brand spanking new onsrud and maple did not mix well together.

[myxpykalix]

yes that was what i was talking about only i wouldn't vcarve the ribbon ends, i would make that part of the relief carving also. But in the end it simply is in the eye of the beholder as to what looks good. I think about it in terms of how a real badge might be made and it normally wouldn't be vcarved, although what you have done looks great.

BTW...you are not an official member till you learn the official "Shopbot Handshake".....do some research and you should find the information.:eek:

[cowboy1296]

i did try and raise the whole ribbon, buttttttttttttttt i just could not make it look right. in trying this version, to me it looked better. but thanks for the suggestions, at least you got me this far.

there is a handshake too, oh no.

[myxpykalix]

it is in the eye of the beholder and so many variations look good. What you did initially looked great so "what ever floats your boat":p is what i'd go with.

Did you do your research and find the link for the handshake? That is the last task to becoming a full fledged member....:confused:

[cowboy1296]

search engines confuse me i was hoping that you would send me the link.

now another serious question. i scored some black walnut today and thinking of doing that plaque with it. i like black walnut. typically i wipe it with linseed oil which immediately turns it dark, i mean real dark. i am thinking of just leaving the graphics a natural color instead of staining. but i am open for ideas.

[myxpykalix]

Just by the fact that you fell for that line about "the handshake" qualifies you to be a member in good standing! btw we are organizing a shopbot snipe hunt in case you're interested...lol:rolleyes:

To be honest, i'm not the best one for finishing advice, there are far better experts than I, however i have done a lot of carvings in walnut and tried different finishes. I tried a stain on walnut which like in your case made it just darker.

Most of my experience has been to use a clearcoat of (whatever) that changed the look (the correct term excapes me at this second).

I tried a satin poly that i do not like. I like a clear gloss polyurethane or glossy shellac that was good but again there are more here with better advice.
Good luck and welcome!:rolleyes:

[cowboy1296]

that a direction that i need help in.

snipe hunting, the last time i tried to get some in a sack, one bit me on my big toe.