Big Bamboo - New Machine Project Started

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Originally Posted by JerryBurks

I use IronCAD. This is a 3D-design solution similar to Solidworks, SolidEdge or ProE/CREO. Unfortunately similarly expensive but I have it already for a long time.

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You do inspiring work! I am always getting great ideas from what you share on this forum.

I recently changed to Ironcad Inovate "only one module of Ironcad suite" to replace an older version of AutoCAD with limited 3d that was to costly to maintain. I was also reluctant to change because of decades of AutoCAD experience. It was still expensive but I wish I had done this years ago. While learning the program I created a solid model assembly in less then one day that would have taken a week to do in my older version of AutoCAD. I understood my cad tools were dated but I had no idea how much :) . With a software plug in I can now also move cad models into cam software and in position with one click. Before this took a number of steps to get down to setting up tool paths.

Thanks guys! For me the projects with practical applications are the most fun.

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Originally Posted by 1Jumper10

Nice Job! Love the Vacuum clamp.

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Honestly I have split feelings about the vacuum. It works quite well, but it adds some complexity and cost and I am not sure if that is really worthwhile. My next version or modification will actually lose the vacuum and the height adjusting spindles with the chain and use pulleys for a larger height adjustment range.

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Originally Posted by pippin88

.......Minor suggestions:
Horizontal locking lever usable without bending down / under the sheet.
In built clamp storage
Locking mechanism for wheels when tilting up sheet

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Thanks Pippin, good ideas. I noticed already that the lever accessibility can be improved, either to make it longer longer or with a rope pull or maybe some kind of "tiller extension".
Clamp storage or holder would be good, need to think about that.
A set of locking casters would be useful but these were the ones I had. Actually while tilting it is better not locked so that the cart and sheet can be jogged into proper position. But when rolling on and off it can help, especially if the ground is not even.

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Originally Posted by mountaindew

.........I recently changed to Ironcad Inovate "only one module of Ironcad suite" to replace an older version of AutoCAD with limited 3d that was to costly to maintain. I was also reluctant to change because of decades of AutoCAD experience. It was still expensive but I wish I had done this years ago..........

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I have used IronCAD (and the predecessor TriSpectives) since 1997 and I am still very happy about it. I never read a manual or watched a tutorial. It is just very easy to use and flexible. So far that was on behalf of my day job and the company paid for the annual maintenance. Now I am retired and while I was allowed to keep the license, I am wondering if I should also stay with the maintenance contract that provides the annual apdates/upgrades. At $1500/year that is rather steep.

My latest project...I had posted that on the Vectric Aspire forum but I guess not everyone here is on there. So here it goes...

I had a glued up maple box sitting on my shelf for years from a finger joint experiment but the 3/4" wall was way too thick for its size and not usable. Now I pulled it out to reduce the wall thickness to 3/8" on the CNC. That allowed me also to give all edges a generous bevel and make the box look less "boxy". The lid is embellished with a v-carved guilloche pattern inlay and monogram and hinged with maple barrels on a 2mm steel rod. The guilloche pattern is generated with an external program and imported into Aspire for the v-carve inlay method and cut from padauk for good contrast with the maple lid.

Some pictures along the process in the following posts:

Shaping the outside of the box (held in place on the disposable board with vacuum). This is my longest reach 6" ballnose bit but it barely made it:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/XW...w1600-h1067-no


Shaping the inside:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9p...w1600-h1382-no

Inlay male and female are cut. It did not carve that cleanly, maybe my bit was dull or cut too fast. But it did not affect the result much:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f...w1600-h1524-no

Inlay glued and sanded, hinge groove prepared:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lb...w1600-h1220-no

To be continued...

Continued pictures...

Cutting the hinge barrels (end grain):
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Pw...w1600-h1194-no

Barrels threaded on hinge pin with release film, glued and clamped:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/dx...w1600-h1289-no

Hinge is glued in place. After this the pins are pulled out, lid lifted off, release film removed and protruding tabs sawed off.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VT...w1600-h1168-no

All surfaces including hinge are now sanded flush, finished with unpigmented oil stain, waxed and hinge pin installed.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mQ...w1600-h1067-no

To be continued...

Continued pictures...

Inside:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Yd...w1596-h1600-no

And finished outside. It has some minor flaws from the original glue joints but I think it looks good enough for a gift.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/__...w1600-h1248-no

Sweet!

My latest project using the BigBamboo machine is a traditional bowsaw:
For most of my curved cuts I do use a band saw but sometimes such a bowsaw can come handy.
I got the inspiration (and some dimensions) from Willard Anderson's article in 3/2016 Popular Woodworking who recreated a 19th century Howarth bowsaw. I modified the design to be made 100% on a CNC machine and avoid the hand mortising and drilling of parts. Since the 3d-models are anyway created from scratch I tried to give them a more streamlined design. The blade length ended up 16" long and is a piece of 3/16" bandsaw blade. But the design can be scaled to accommodate the more common 12" or 24" blades as well.

The entire saw weighs only 12 ounces (340 grams) and while looking delicate it is quite solid. But maybe could be made a little beefier.

Complete saw, finished and assembled:
Attachment 403848


3D Models in Aspire. The cheecks (upright arms) and the handles are made as 2 halves to be glued together, the cheecks also doweled to prevent splitting:
Attachment 403850

Attachment 403852


Cutting the parts:
Attachment 403854

Some detail pictures.
All parts are made from a 3/4" remnant board of birdseye maple.

Rear handle. The pins are partially threaded 3"x5/16" (75x8mm) brass bolts, head cut off and epoxied with the threaded part into the handle halves:
Attachment 403856


Front handle and cheek. The stretcher sits with a swiveling tenon in the cheeks:
Attachment 403858


The windlass toggle locks with a button into a groove of the stretcher. I used a piece of hemp twine as a bow string:
Attachment 403860


Attachment 403862

Just noticed the 10-year anniversary of my CNC machine build is coming up and I have not posted for the last couple of years. The machine is still going strong and is used frequently. I did buy some THK style linear rails to replace the round supported ones at some point and closed loop servos to replace the steppers. But so far I did not get around to install. It would be a major machine tear down and I hate to take it out of duty.

Anyway, following a few pictures of the projects that I did since last post.

And, FWIW, most of the software that I sold until 2019 (for the machining of finger joints, mazes, guilloche patterns and (new) puzzles) is now available as freeware under the URL in my signature.

This is a kinetic art table with CNC controlled steel ball traces in a sand bed:

Continued....more project pictures

Building a mini conga drum with cnc machined and then steam-bent staves

Continued...more project pictures.

Carbine shoulder stock for an air pistol and the rudder assembly for an inflatable catameran.

Continued...more project pictures

An experiment for a carved multicolor epoxy inlay, kind of a solid material lithophane (not translucent but reflecting)