CNC Machine Operation Steps

⚠️ These usage instructions are not a substitute for the required "Learn to Use a CNC Router" class. You must take the class and complete the checkout procedure before you are permitted to use the CNC Machines. ⚠️

Shapeoko 3

Before you start:

• ⚠️ Check that the computer is using the right Operating System ⚠️
  • The small CNC machine uses MacOS. Attempting a cut on the small CNC machine while the computer is booted into Windows will break the machine (and ruin your project).
  • To restart into MacOS from Windows:
    • Open the Start Menu, select Power, then select Restart.
    • When the computer shuts down and as it restarts, hold down the Alt key until the computer loads a Boot Options menu.
    • Select MacOS using the arrow keys, then hit Enter.
• Check if the vacuum is full
  • To open the vacuum, press the blue tabs on each side of the lid inward until the lid handles pop free, then pull the lid off/.
  • To close the vacuum, put the lid in place with the handles lined up with the blue tabs and press down gently until the tabs click into place.
  • Cleaning a dirty filter:
    • Remove the filter ring and set aside.
    • Remove the reusable dry filter (cloth) - leave foam sleeve in place - shake debris from dry filter into garbage bin. (Shake off cloth in the bin rather than from above it to reduce sawdust flying all over).
    • Place reusable dry filter back over foam sleeve, then set the filter ring back in place.
  • Emptying the vacuum tank:
    • Remove the vacuum hose. Check both ends for dust obstructions and, if hose is obstructed, shake out over garbage bin to clear.
    • Lift the tank out of the corner and dump the contents into the garbage bin.
    • Put the tank back in the corner and push the hose back in place.
• Design your project in Carbide Create
  • The basics of designing CNC projects in Carbide Create are included in the "Learn to Use a CNC Router" class.
  • Refresher tutorials and more in-depth usage tutorials can be found on the Carbide 3D Website under Resources - Design with Carbide Create.

Step 1: Secure Your Stock

To secure your stock:

1. Place your stock (as best you can) on the spoilboard so that there are available grid holes near the edges of your stock.
2. Set Step Clamps in place around your stock. Thread bolts through the center holes and hand tighten the clamps into place. The bolt should be threaded into an insert that is close to the stock for more stability.
3. Use a wrench to tighten the bolts into the threaded inserts until they are secure, but not over-tightened. You should be able to loosen the bolts with a bit of pressure with the wrench, but should not be able to loosen the bolts with your fingers.
4. Check that your stock is secure by trying to wiggle it. If the piece does not wiggle, it is secure. If it wiggles, work on your clamp placement until the stock no longer moves when you try to wiggle it.

Vocab

• Router Bit:
• End Mill:
• Collet:
• Stock: In CNC machining, stock is the piece of material that will be cut. Depending on the machine type and tools, your stock may be metal, wood, plastic, or (for pen plotters) paper.
• Spoilboard: A spoilboard is a disposable work area. This part of the machine often gets gouged or otherwise damaged - but don't worry, that's what it's there for! It takes the gouges so the CNC machine doesn't have to.
  • There are different types of spoilboard set ups. The small CNC machine uses a threaded insert grid spoilboard. It is made by drilling a grid into the spoilboard material and adding threaded inserts into the holes. Bolts are then inserted through a clamp and tightened into the threaded insert to apply downward pressure on the stock, securing it in place.
• Step Clamps: Step Clamps consist of three parts. The Clamp part is long, with one tapered, blunt end, and one angled, serrated end, with an oblong hole in the center. The Block part is a right triangle with a serrated hypotenuse . The Bolt is just that - a bolt - that is inserted into the hole in the clamp and threaded down into the threaded inserts in the spoilboard. The Clamp's tapered end sits on top of your stock, and its serrated end is supported by the serrated edge of the Block. The Bolt holds the Clamp in place, and causes the Clamp to exert downward pressure on the stock to keep it still. A video demonstration of how to use a Step Clamp in a Threaded Spoilboard is available from the Inventables channel on YouTube
• Threaded Inserts: Threaded inserts are inserted into an object to make a threaded hole.

Shapeoko 3 XXL

Operating steps for the larger Shapeoko are forthcoming.

Computer

AHA Login password/username or guest account.

Safety

• End Mills can Snap
• Spindles will pull your hair in
• Safety goggles are a must
• Toolpath - Test your paths before running live.
• Do not leave it alone when running.

Mounting your Material

Use the shorter studs go into nuts mounted in spoil board and ensure they do not go below the bottom of the nut or they can collide with the gantry.

If you plan to cut through or around your material, your material will move. You can use double sided table or the create tabs option in the VCarve software to prevent the work piece from moving after it is detached.

Changing End Mill

• Get appropriate end mill
• Get collet
• Put end mill in collet
• Put collet w/end mill into collet holder
• Tighten with adjustable wrenches to the spindle
  • Tight, but don't crank down on it
• You can raise / lower spindle holder Z height if your part is too high or too low using two screws on the mount of the spindle.

Mach 3

• Power on CNC mill
• Start Mach3 and pick Fireball
  • If you receive an error that the SmoothStepper is not detected restart Mach and check the USB connections to the CNC machine. Try to toggle the control box.
• Reset button in Mach is triggered on start, enable movement by clocking it.
• Move the mill with the keyboard
  • Up moves towards the wall.
  • Down moves towards you.
  • Left moves it left
  • Right moves it right
  • Page up raises the Z Axis.
  • Page Down lowers the Z Axis.
  • Tab brings up the jog pain to switch speed.
• Set mill to what you like to be the zero point and press Zero button on each axis. You can use goto zero to return to this point later.

↵If you are moving and you have to estop

• Write down all the coordinates it is at
• Then move it out of the way
• Then move it back to the spot

If you ESTOP and reset:

• It thinks the spindle is still moving, you will have to manually start the spindle up
• Hit the Spindle Button to turn on / off

Feed rate controls:

• If the machine sounds like it is straining while cutting, you can reduce the feed rate by hitting + or -
• You can go beyond 100%, but that might not be safe
• When starting - Set feed rate at 50% and see how it sounds.

Cycle Start:

• Starts G Code

Cycle Stop:

• Stops machine run after execution of current instruction.

Load GCODE

• Loads a gcode file.
• Shows an example of what it will do in the top right
• You can rotate, zoom in / out

Red lines are where there is motion but NOT cutting. Blue lines are where it will cut

GCODE:

• Yellow line is where it is at

• If you stop, it stops immediately at that spot.
• If you start, it will start immediately at that spot
• If you want to restart, you haveto tell it to rewind

When first starting:↵It will raise the tool head, start the tool head, and wait for it to come up to speed. After it's dwelled for a few seconds it will lower and start cutting your work piece.

VCarve Pro = 2D Software

• File, New
• Size of job: Inches or Millimeters? Ideally stick with Millimeters. Vcarve will translate to mm if needed
  • We're doing 2" x 2" for example
  • Setting the Z or Zero, Setting it at the top, and center of workpiece. When we start the end mill will be at the center of our design
• You can draw your tool path
• You can create it in inkscape or illustrator.

Import Path:

• Export from inkscape as a DXF
• Vectors must be CLOSED
  • File: Import -> Vectors
    • DO NOT ASSUME THAT DIMENSIONS IN INKSCAPE WILL MATCH DIMENSIONS IN VCarve!

↵Import a Bitmap:

• Import Bitmap from file menu.
• Under edit select Trace Bitmap and the tool will create vectors from your imported file.

Creating Toolpaths

Types

• Profile cuts around the shape (can be set as outside, inside, on the line)
• Pocket will hollow out a shape
• Drilling (you would need a drill bit)
• Quick Engraving (letters, circuit boards)
• Fluting allows you to create a pocket that something fits into
• Inlay toolpath allows you
• Texturing toolpath: Runs the end mill into the wood to give a distressed look

Sample creation

• Click a vector
• Choose a Toolpath: Profile,
• Select tool: AHA Section has our tools: Using hardwood soft media, 2 flute 1/8th"
• Click okay on tool selection screen.
• Edit Passes: Set pass thickness
• Setting it to do 2 passes
• If you wanted to cut all the way out and wanted to add tabs, here you can do that
  • You can select where you want tabs on the shape and manually set how many tabs you want.
• Calculate

Multiple Paths, Multiple end mills

• If you have multiple paths with different end mills order your paths in VCarve as needed and then select them by clicking the check mark next to each.
• If you have two in a row that use the same end mill, export that as one path file.
• Export each path that doesn't follow that rule into different files. You will run each file and change mills as needed in between.

Exporting Tool Paths

Save tool paths:

• Select toolpaths
• Save toolpaths
• Output all toolpaths
  • Mach 2/3 Arcs, Millimeters
• Save toolpath
• Generates gcode text file!

Load into Mach 3

• Load the GCODE
• Safety Goggles on
• Press Rewind
• Estop Off and press reset in Mach if it's enabled.
• Move machine to Zero point (see CNC page for current key mappings)
• Zero each axis.
• Peform a test without your material or the spindle plugged in to see if things are working okay.
• Then with material in place and spindle zero-ed, run your work piece.

Generate file in inkscape

Save as Desktop Plotting (DXF) autocad↵➞Default settings

Cut 3D

Works like VCarve but allows import of 3D Models (.STL files) to generate tool paths for 3D Models and cuts with the CNC Router.