A good word for ShopBot support!

[joewino]

I just thought it would be a good idea to put in a nice word for the excellent tech support at ShopBot.

When I got my PRTalpha96 up and running, I was having trouble with the USB to Serial Adapter being able to carry on a conversation between the computer and the control box. It just couldn't seem to find the right port every time I booted up the computer. After a lot of key punching, moving the USB from one port to another, and a lot of frustration, it would finally work...until the next time I booted up the computer.

Frank made some suggestions but nothing seemed to work, so he finally sent me another USB to Serial Adapter cable and software. Now, everything is peachy-keen.

Thanks Frank and ShopBot.

[tuck]

Most companies have "customer no-support". Not true with ShopBot. They have true "customer support", and in the few times I've needed them, they have truly cared and been concerned about my 10 year old PRT96 that I bought 5 years ago.

BTW, Raymond, is your Bot doing "what it ought to do" yet, or is it still doing "what you tell it to do" instead? ;-)

[joewino]

Mark - it's coming around. We are beginning to speak the same language. Still lots to learn and lots of "imiginations" to become reality. It has already proven to be a great new "tool" in our business, even with the limited way we are using it now.

We have done several "sandblasted" signs with a woodgrain background and lots of profile cutting.

The goal is to learn 3D and be able to turn out some super nice signs without me having to hand carve everything.

Thanks for asking.

[tuck]

Raymond - a woodgrain background? I have to admit, that's a new one on me. How do you do that? I have lost more than one job in the past because the customer(s) wanted that look, and I didn't think it was possible. Don't tell me you hand carved the background!?!?

[joewino]

Nope - no hand carving.

I took a photograph of a piece of standblasted wood and imported it into ArtCam Pro. (Actually, the photo was provided by my great friend Dan Sawatzky in Canada.)

I sized it to fit the artwork of the sign and then did the tool paths. With ArtCam Pro you can set the depth of the "sandblasting" and how much detail you want.

The sign was 3' x 4' and I used a 1/8" ball nosed bit - turned on the ShopBot and let it run. I was working in HDU and was experimenting with speeds so it probably took a lot longer than was necessary, but I was doing other things so it didn't matter how long it ran. Total time was about 8 hours, but next time I can probably cut that to about half. We did two - 1.5" thick 15#.

The ShopBot did the "sandblasted" background around the copy, did some straight cuting on a logo, made a cove edge around the outside of the panel, did two convex shapes in the corners, and then cut the whole thing out to profile. Never touched a saw, router, or sandblast pot...and no HDU dust all over the place.

How sweet it is.

[tuck]

Raymond, that's cool how you did that and admitedly a bit over my wittle head. I have ArtCam but never use it. Could you possibly post a pic of the sign(s)?

But the time involved,...dang! I'm sure you know that one can sandblast a 3' x 4' HDU sign in about 15 minutes max with the right set up and be done with it. It's messy and dusty and can be miserable work in the hot sun without the proper equipmentif you have a lot to blast, but I gotta go with our old friend Joe Crumley's advice on this subject, which was something like, "If it needs to be blasted, then blast it. Don't rout it."

I'm not set up to blast, have no good place to blast, and don't want to invest in all the gear (mainly the BIG compressor), to be able to blast,..but I'm thinking that I can sub out these occasional jobs to folks that DO blast and still make $$$.

Just my 2 cents.

Bot On!

[paco]

Check out texturing toolpath strategie in VETRIC's V Carve PRO...


7551

[tuck]

Not bad, Paco. How big is the sign and how long did that take?

[paco]

The background texture is estimate at about 1-1/2 hour with a 1/8 ball end. Approximatly 40" X 19" for the backgroud only.

[joewino]

Mark - Yes, I know that it can be blasted...probably 15 minutes is a little bit of a high expectation to get everything set up, apply the stencil, cut the stencil, blast, and clean up.

I wasn't setting watching the ShopBot for all that time. I pushed the button and went on to something else. And no sand in my underwear. Or dust all over the shop.

I've blasted these things and I've routed them with a ShopBot...I'll stick with the ShopBot.