On Sep 25, 11:11*am, Larry Jaques
wrote:
On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 07:59:43 -0700 (PDT), Robatoy
wrote:
On Sep 23, 11:33*pm, Larry Jaques
wrote:
On Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:44:57 -0700 (PDT), Robatoy
wrote:
On Sep 23, 8:31*pm, Larry Jaques
wrote:
What's your CNC setup, again?
General 4 x 8 Elte Spindle 3HP with 3Phase VFD.
http://www.generalcnc.ca/cnc_for_production
He's a big boy. (Sounds expensive.) *I'll bet it's fun to work with.
I'm glad I bought the size I did, thatsafursure. One thing I did
learn, is when one makes the commitment to buy one, one must allow a
2nd mortgage required?
Pricing from Shopbot is in a similar vein as General:
http://www.shopbottools.com/PriceList.pdf
So figure on the best part of $30K. If you want tool changers, vacuum
table, aggregate head, double that.
Minimum config should include a spindle as opposed to a universal
motor. Regular routers were never designed to run for 8 hours
straight. (Something that can happen in 3D work.
As to the mortgage? Depends on the depth of the boot where you keep
your cash.
non-productive time in order to tackle the learning curve.
How many months?
Impossible to answer. Simple V-carving should not take you more than a
couple of days to figure out. 3D from scratch takes a lot longer. I
tend to look at each job and work backwards from there. Due to the
incredible depth of Vectric Aspire, I would hazard to guess that it
could years to be proficient in all of its capabilities.
Point is, you look at a job, open Aspire and work it out. You learn in
a couple of days THAT particular operation. So now you know how to,
let's say, to make a letter with beveled edges 2" thick.
Next! (and so it goes. I only learn what I need.)
But, when I bought mine, I didn't quit my regular work. (The tax write-
offs are enough to make you smile)
It is not
nearly as bad as I want my customers to believe, but a solid knowledge
of vector editing and file-conversion is essential.
Ah should whup on Corel some more first, y'reckon? *I just picked up
X5, upgading from v3 to v9, then to X5 over the years. *I don't yet
have my Wacom tablet set up in Win7, but I might do that this weekend
while I let my bod rest. *(I can't keep up this pace or a limb will
surely fall off.)
What formats are you finding most common to be converted to/from, Toy?
I use Vectorworks because I have used for 20+ years. For simple 2D, I
now use Aspire or Illustrator.
So if you speak bezier, you've got unlimited potential.
But I find more and more ways to stay in Aspire as it reveals its
abilities.
So CorelDraw and an export to a vector-based PDF works tits!
3D is whole different deal. Imports .dwg and coulour jpegs... that is
an insane range. Play with Aspire's tutorials. That shows you that the
Z (thickness dimension) can get its data from a greyscale. White is
high, black is low with the min and max determined by the material
thickness.
The boys at
Vectric have created an incredible piece of software that would have
cost $10,000 not too long ago. Their Aspire package is insanely
powerful and relatively friendly to use.
It looks pretty nice. *Is it a fully-3D CAD/CAM package?
Close. But all you need to create stuff your cnc will understand. True
3D will show you detail from all directions, in the cnc world, there
is always the table to get in the way, iow, your router can't cut from
the bottom upwards unless you flip your work.
Owning a cnc without a package like that forces one to grow a brain
like Morris's and who wants that? G
Cat's got brains? *Or do you mean that smoky guy, Philip Morris? Or
that wonderful artistic guy, William Morris? *Oh, you mean that
strapping young DIY CNCer of Stirling reputation from EyeOhWay,
don'tcha? *Seņor Dovey. *Yeah, who wants _that_?
No cats, no smoke, no talent agent. Just the Iowain. (Iowanonian?)