Halloween Spider DFX

[Call-Tech]

I found a file of a spider that I thought of making out of scraps for Halloween. I found several of these type of DXF files. However when I open the file in any of my programs I find that none of them are closed vectors like I am used to working with. The DXF files are all made of hundreds of very short segments. Does anyone know of an easy way to apply toolpaths to this type of file. Artcam will not profile the outside of an unclosed vector. Trying to join all the short segments back together is a waste of time, i could redesign from scratch faster. I have seen dozens of these files and would like to figure out an easy way to utilize them. I thought of just machining on vector, but Artcam will not let me offset tool when machining on Vector so I can not make slot sizes correct. I figure since so many people are using these file, it must be me. I see that there is leadin vectors on each part, so they must be intended for machining. I have no cad background and this may be simple fix in cad software.

Thanks, Fred

+++ jpeg +++ 34850 +++ Photo of Spider Piece and Exploded

View +++
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Right Click on File Below and choose "save link as" to download.

http://www.call-techsigns.com/images/Display/spider64.dxf

[signsbyjay]

V-Carve Pro joins them in just a few key strokes.

Try this and see if it is what you can work with


Spider

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[Call-Tech]

Yes it is better, you definitely have all the segments attached together. vector is still open though and can not be profile toolpathed in Artcam. I'm sure that I could select segments and join them together in Artcam, I was hoping for a global command that would fix all the open and crossed vectors. I can't seem to get Artcams Vector Doctor to fix anything that it finds as problem.

Does everyone else have to fix these files to use them? There are dozens of these skeletal creatures available on some of the forums and most of them have this same problem of open vectors or loops or crossed vectors. But many people are posting photos of completed projects. Unfortunately some other forums are not so good about responding as this one and I have not got any answers there.

I use Flexisign to create vectors and I have never seen a program create so many problem vectors as these files have included in them. Thats why I though I was missing something, or just did not know how to properly use these dxf files.

[landdesign]

Fred try this one. I worked on it the best I can from home. your right they all have a lot of open vectors, at the shop I'd have just ran it through Enrout and closed all the vectors. its really pretty easy. I did this one in Rhino. my guess is whoever did it was going to burn it not cut it,

Erik
spider

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[knight_toolworks]

not a big deal to fix. the problem that keeps them from all closing in vcarve is that there is a gap on some that needs to be bridged. just change the tolerance on the join all vectors and it's done. I get dxf's and dwg's that are like that all the time.

[Call-Tech]

Thanks Erik I was able to toolpath yours no problem.

I reworked the entire spider in Flexisign and changed all the slots to rectangles that I could resize width all together. This way I can make spider any size and change all slot widths to match material thickness in just one step.

Thanks Steve, I think you hit on my problem. I did not have the tolerance set right so it would not close the gaps.

[carl]

Here you go ShopBotters, the file that I have on the spider has been made smaller and modified to use quarter inch thick wood.
Fred, if you have anymore photos of these puzzles or instructions on how to assemble them, I would appreciate the files.
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I'm having problems uploading the files, if you email me I'll send them to you

[Call-Tech]

I have a few photos that do not have attached dxf files. Here are photos and instructions of a bumblebee if anyone has dfx file to go with it or feels like making one from the images.

i have a few dxf files with no instructions or photos also, my son and I cut one out and tried to figure out what it was. We assembled it several different ways and finally figured out it was a cricket, but we liked one of our ways of putting it together as an unknown bug better. {grin}

Bumblebee files are too big to post, so here are links to them. I'll try to dig up some more and zip them up and post them. I don't know if there are any copyrights on these, they are posted on many forums. I'm assuming they are public domain.

http://www.call-techsigns.com/images/Display/BUMBLEBEE.bmp
http://www.call-techsigns.com/images/Display/BUMBLEBEE%201.bmp
http://www.call-techsigns.com/images/Display/BUMBLEBEE%202.bmp
http://www.call-techsigns.com/images/Display/BUMBLEBEE.txt

[peter_hill]

Fred I would be very interested in the file of the cricket if you could post it. My daughter has a thing about crickets and cicadas and I would rather like to try and make her one.

Thanks

[Call-Tech]

Peter, here is what I have on the cricket. The dxf file came from a German website without any instructions and the bmps and instructions are from yet another site, but did not contain dfx file. However they appear to be the same cricket.

Fred

http://www.call-techsigns.com/images/Display/CRICKET.rar

[peter_hill]

Thank you for the cricket data Fred. Much appreciated.

If anyone out there has a cicada puzzle that would really put the icing on the cake as far as my daughter is concerned.

Thanks

[Call-Tech]

Peter,

I have the bmps and layout images, but not dxf file. A guy could trace one from these images though if he wanted to and create his own dxf file. Thats why I've been hanging on to these, just haven't had the time to play with them.

http://www.call-techsigns.com/images/Display/CICADA.rar

[peter_hill]

Fred I'm not able to access & copy the cicada.rar file. The earlier cricket.rar file was OK but the cicada file is not for some reason. Can you check it for me please.

Thanks.

[Call-Tech]

Fixed! lowercase vs uppercase problem, I just renamed file on server to match.

[peter_hill]

Thanks again Fred.

[mwpfeifer]

Ok, need a little bit of help here. I managed to cut out all the pieces of the spider but, now I can't figure out how to put the silly thing together. I have studied the picture Carl posted but, there are still a few parts that are not visible in the photo. Does anyone have a link to some assembly instructions? Halloween is right around the corner and I was hoping to have it finished by then.
Mike

[ron_varela]

Mike you got mail

[ron_varela]

I added the spider assembly instructions on our free server.
If anyone needs any others send me an email and I will post it there

www.rngengravers.com (http://www.rngengravers.com)

Ron

[Call-Tech]

Does anyone from shopbot or Project Wizard want to weigh in and give permission to upload these puzzles as free projects on Project Wizard?

I have several of these in various stages of completion that I would like to make available to all. Ron has just made another piece of one in the form of instructions, I have another shopbotter "Carl" near me that is creating or fixing the dxf files and sending them back to me.

They are a lot of fun to make, The only problem is no one knows where they originated from and if there are any IP problems. I think they are public domain and as I have said before, if anyone comes forward claiming rights to them, I will gladly delete them from servers. Most of them did not have cut files and we have had to make our own dxf files from the bitmap images of the pieces.

Let me know what anyone thinks. This post is related to another post I started on same subject, but went beyond Halloween items. I do not know anyway to combine them so we are not having 2 parallel discussions.

Sincerely, Fred

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/312/35201.html?1224695988

[ron_varela]

Fred in 1997 I did some work for Toys R Us in Austin Texas for Donate a Coat, they needed a way to show some the dinosaur so I made fonts for them so they can just type in the letter and print out the dinosaur and glue the paper to cardboard and the kids could just cut them out, in 2000 I made a new set of fonts for shopbotters and they were on my server for download and now you see them all over the internet. If you look at this font posted by Sam you will see it was made by me in 2000
http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/312/34369.html?1222553790
The instruction I have was given to me by Randall from Harbor Fright in Austin Tx and who is the one that were selling little kits made out of wood and plastic.
Since 1997 I have made over 60 fonts of different models from Toys R Us and I own the fonts but they own the little toys made of wood or plastic.
I made the first dino out of wood in 1997 as a model and Bill Palumbo cut a few and then Bob Netski made a 6 foot T-Rex
Made By me in 1997

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Made by Bill Palumbo in 1999

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Made by Bob Netski 1999-2000

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I Sent the fonts to Chris Burns at shopbot back in 1998, if Shopbot wants to post them it is fine by me.
The fonts are ready to cut on any material and can be used by any router bit, if you use a ¼ bit use ¼ inch material and so on. I have all the ones you posted in font format ready to scale and cut and no modification needed.

Ron