Newbie needs help big time

[banjomanwv]

Im new to cnc and ive got a question. Where do I start? I know what I need to do, ill be cutting pearl inlay and routing the cavities from the fingerboard. I have Vcarve pro, aspire, cut 2d cut 3d and photo vcarve....where do I start and what do I do???/

[bobmoore]

Welcome T. Tell us what to call you, and then watch, read, absorb everything you can from the shopbot forum and the vectric forum. Then use your machine and make some mistakes. Good Luck
Bob

[Ajcoholic]

Im new to cnc and ive got a question. Where do I start? I know what I need to do, ill be cutting pearl inlay and routing the cavities from the fingerboard. I have Vcarve pro, aspire, cut 2d cut 3d and photo vcarve....where do I start and what do I do???/

Well, starting by watching the Aspire tutorial videos would be a good way to begin. When I ordered my Shopbot in January of this year, I worked every evening (for the 6 weeks I waited for the machine to arrive) on learning Aspire, and getting familiar with the basics via the tutorials and by reading the manual. Then, tried many various projects posted on this site, and the SB main site.

You can ask many questions, but there is no easy way to answer - but you MUST put in the time, learning the software.

Routing out the inlays, and the pockets - for making fretboard and/or headstock inlays isn't difficult at all, and holding the work will be harder than creating the files.

Start with the tutorial videos... go through them in sequence - and you will get it.

AJC

[banjomanwv]

Ok great, I just didnt know where to start..Ive been told cut2d but aspire it is.

[Brady Watson]

Just a question - Why did you buy Cut2D, V-Carve Pro and Aspire? That's a lot of extra coin considering that Aspire is a superset of both C2D and VCP, making buying all three redundant.

-B

[dhunt]

Just a question - Why did you buy Cut2D, V-Carve Pro and Aspire?
That's a lot of extra coin considering that Aspire is a superset of both C2D and VCP,
making buying all three redundant.It's only money!

[wberminio]

T
After you practice using the hardware
Buy a piece of insulation foam at Home depot-the pink one.
Use it to practice on .won't harm machine or tools.

[bcondon]

T

I think what you are asking is to help break it down.

First thing, install aspire and nothing else. (and maybe ask if you can return the others to get your money back?

1. DO you have an accurate measurements of the finger board. If you do not, that is where you start.

2. from there you need to enter the outside of the finger board dimension into aspire. Look ath the first couple of tutorials about controls etc... forget the 3D stuff because you don't need it yet
3. after you have the finger board in, do you know the dimensions of the pearl inlays? and do you know where they are going on the fingerboard. The inlays are simply 2d rectangles that will be on a horizontal plane (aka... keep the z constant)... put in those rectangles and make then extend about 1/4" beyond the fingerboard because when you cut the inlays, you will want the cutter to exit the fingerboard so that you entire inlay will be flat.

4. you will now go over to the right side controls where the N/C cut tools are.

4a. In the upper left control which defines your part size, click the radio button that says you are having Z at the top of the part.

you will use the POCKET controls and pocket out the inside of each inlay rectangle...you can select them all... now in that control, you need to put the depth of the cut. (example .125), choose cutter from what you have
1/4" straight cutter, choose conventional cut enter a tool path name (I use something like [FINGERINLAY_S.25] cuz I will not remember what cutter i designed with and hit return

You will need to transfer that file to your computer attached to the shopbot, so have the file outside of the Aspire parts file and move it to the other machine.

Next figure how you are going to hold the part onto the shopbot (I assume you have it set p, have a flat bed, etc)... make sure the toolpath does not go through any clamping you have... I would agree to use a piece of pink foam the first time through

mount the finger board (or foam) understanding where the (origin x,y aka 0,0 is in the design part and set that location in relationship of the fingerboard. )


cut the part and check if it is what you are look for...

good luck and let us know how it comes out!
and then load cutter, warm up spindle, and hold your