Software for CNC

**Lappa** · 17th June 2023, 08:37 PM

After a month or two of fiddling around, trying various tasks I’ve settled on some free software that do certain jobs but I still need to find software for specific tasks.
I would like to start doing Vcarve inlays. I can do parallel sided inlays using Carbide Create V6 but they are alot less forgiving than Vcarve ones and you can lose some detail.

IMG_2122.jpg Parallel sides. IMG_2125.jpg Vcarve - warts and all but more detail.

I watched many, many YouTube videos and 95% use Vectric products such as Desktop, Pro, and Aspire. Some use Carveco and only a couple I have found used Carbide Create V6 which I have. I have followed their directions but the results are less than satisfactory - gaps around edges etc.

IMG_2123.jpg

The trick seems to be the calculation done within the Vectric program with its Flat Depth setting which is not the same as the Max Depth setting in Carbide Create V6 and others. I’ve looked up forums, seen mathematical formulae using tan etc

but still haven’t been successful.
Is anyone out there doing Vcarve inlays successfully without a Vectric program or should I bite the bullet and buy one?
Also, what wood would you recommend for the dark timber? Merbau is brittle and tends to chip on the finer points; Spotted gum is good but hard on the bits.
Thanks.

**Lappa** · 8th July 2023, 02:21 PM

I ended up buying Vectric Vcarve Desktop - so far so good.

**Jeffen** · 8th July 2023, 02:49 PM

Lappa,

Looks promising.
what CNC do you have?
I'm considering getting one of the 3018's to get some experience in this space.

Thanks, Jeff

**Lappa** · 8th July 2023, 11:20 PM

Looks like you may follow my path

I bought a combined 3018 CNC and Laser (Vevor - small 775 spindle and 5W laser) to get a feel for the hobby and what to buy in the future. I chose CNC ( which I built myself) as I thought it would better suit what I wanted to do, and kept the 3018 set up permanently for laser burning/ etching.
The CNC build has a thread I posted earlier.

**Jeffen** · 9th July 2023, 06:07 PM

I may indeed! I'm looking at the Genmitsu Prover V2.
It looks like a good starting point. With a bit more idiot proofing than the entry level versions

Jeff

**Lappa** · 31st July 2023, 08:18 PM

During the hiatus that was COVID, I was chatting to BoneInspector about his CNC. I asked him if he thought it would Be possible to use one to cut out toy animated animals I was making at the time, as the bodies where 38mm
Here’s my original post re the toys on the Toy Forum.
First go at toys

BoneInspector said it should be possible and invited me to come around, when lock down was over, and give it a go.

This unfortunately did not eventuate.

So with my new software I decided to give it a go. Cut the four leg parts out of 10mm hardwood in one go the the 38mm thick body in the next job. The problem being the body thickness and the length of the available router bit - it was a close call.

Well it certainly worked. Very little sanding required as the cut surface finish was excellent.

IMG_2165.jpg

**BoneInspector** · 2nd August 2023, 01:28 PM

Great to hear. 38 mm thick is definitely up there and to get such clean cuts your machine must be set up pretty straight.

**Lappa** · 2nd August 2023, 10:15 PM

I spent a good deal of time with shims and trial surfacing cuts to get the tramming right. Worth the effort though.

**BoneInspector** · 3rd August 2023, 04:20 PM

I use a piece of float glass and a dial indicator attached to the router shaft. Takes a while to get it right.

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