Drawing, Cutting, Carving & Engraving
strong use cases:
- drawing on any substrate or etching a plate with many repetitive lines or dots, precise lines & dimensions, and/or significant repetition
- cutting intricate paths and/or drilling precise patterns
- carving complex or randomized patterns
- fabricating precise, matching components, for example in furniture making
- carving sculpture, using stacked boards
- making wood blow molds for glass, using stacked boards
- carving letterpress type/ signage, for functional or conceptual use
not useful if:
- cutting paths are easily machinable on the table saw or other wood shop tools
- design cannot be cut/ carved using a bit that is 1/8″ or wider (consider using a laser cutter instead)
- scale exceeds cnc bed size
Drawing Shapeoko 3 XXL
machining area:
83.8 w x 83.8 d cm;
33″w x 33″d
location: nodelab, 6411
materials: any substrate for drawing, copper and acrylic substrates for etching plates
Experiment with sample pens and scribe, or bring your own felt-tip or ball-point pens.
Carving Shapeoko 3 XXL
with Z-Plus Upgrade
machining area:
83.8 w x 83.8 d x 7.6 h cm;
33″w x 33″d x 3″h
location: cnc lab 6411A
materials: wood, and acrylic and some metals with consultation from nodelab faculty or staff
Available carving bits include: 60 degree V-bit, 90 degree V-bit, 1/4″ ballnose bit, 1/4″ endmill
Software
Design projects for the Shapeokos in Adobe Illustrator or Carbide Create. Create tool-paths and g-code in VCarve or Carbide Motion, both available on nodelab and 3DDRL computers, or download Carbide Motion for free to your own machine.