I would like input on: To engrave text on the CNC machine. I live in an area where there are few Laser engravers. Just mostly Trophy folks. Many without a laser. I would like input on: To engrave text on the CNC machine. I live in an area where there are few Laser engravers. Just mostly Trophy folks. Many without a laser. Dave, I have had good success with: 60 degree 1/8 shank” v-bit depth of 0.012” feed speed of 200mm/min I have a spindle which I can slow down quite a bit versus a trim router which will run faster. Dave, I have had good success with: 60 degree 1/8 shank” v-bit depth of 0.012” feed speed of 200mm/min I have a spindle which I can slow down quite a bit versus a trim router which will run faster. You got it. I use vector text, or an outline font. You essentially do a pocket operation on the text. You got it. I use vector text, or an outline font. You essentially do a pocket operation on the text. Hi Simmers, Hi Simmers, Dave, Text is the hardest thing to do on a CNC. yes you need to use a 30/60 degree v-but for this. I would let the paint dry for at least a couple of hours if not more before engraving. The issue you described is because the paint is still not fully cured and just peels up around the tool edge. As for the type of text, I suggest using a closed curve text font. You can do a pocketing operation on the CNC to remove paint inside the characters. Additionally you will have to make sure your CNC bed is perfectly flat so that you don’t end up with some parts of the text under engraved and other over engraved. This takes some trial and error to get right, but nothing will replace the quality you get from a good “old fashioned” laser engraver. Pro panels are made using several different kinds of paint. They use a white under coat then an acrylic layer over the top. They use a YaG laser to only burn off the top layer (the white layer is impervious to that wavelength). All of the buttons in your car are done the same way. Alas YaG lasers are extremely expensive so we are stick with C02 which will cut completely through our panels so you have to adjust the pulse duration and power to get the right results. Hope this helps. Jason Dave, Text is the hardest thing to do on a CNC. yes you need to use a 30/60 degree v-but for this. I would let the paint dry for at least a couple of hours if not more before engraving. The issue you described is because the paint is still not fully cured and just peels up around the tool edge. As for the type of text, I suggest using a closed curve text font. You can do a pocketing operation on the CNC to remove paint inside the characters. Additionally you will have to make sure your CNC bed is perfectly flat so that you don’t end up with some parts of the text under engraved and other over engraved. This takes some trial and error to get right, but nothing will replace the quality you get from a good “old fashioned” laser engraver. Pro panels are made using several different kinds of paint. They use a white under coat then an acrylic layer over the top. They use a YaG laser to only burn off the top layer (the white layer is impervious to that wavelength). All of the buttons in your car are done the same way. Alas YaG lasers are extremely expensive so we are stick with C02 which will cut completely through our panels so you have to adjust the pulse duration and power to get the right results. Hope this helps. Jason Hey Dave, Jason is spot on with all those points. I will say that the CO2 laser at our local laser shop had to be precisely tuned and settings saved so that it was strong enough to burn through the paint and into the white cast plastic but not so strong that it burned completely through the plastic. With the way we are forced to make backlit panels, the front panel is pocketed so that the actual front face of the panel in about .04" thick, plus or minus .005". As you can see, these tolerances are very tight and no room for error. Jason mentioned making sure the spoil bed is completely flat. The best way to insure this is to "mow the grass". Take the widest bit you have, in my case it is a .5" endmill and drop it into your spoil board about .05" or so. Then run it back and forth like you are mowing the grass. The end result is a perfectly flat working surface to mount your parts onto. You may know this trick but I will put it out there just in case someone else can learn from this. The paint we use for the front panels is Testors Model Masters Gunship Gray #1923. It is a little expensive but is nearly perfect. In the past there were several bad batches of it but I think all those cans have worked there way out of circulation. (The paint never seemed to dry) You can find this at hobby stores, Hobby Lobby has it also. Engraving with a CNC is tough. But if I were going to do it, I would use a 30 degree V bit. Some folks suggest using a ball end bit. But I think because the stuff we are engraving is so small, we have no choice but to use a V bit. This like all CNC work will require some trial and error. But it does help when you have some helpful tips to get started. Hey Dave, Jason is spot on with all those points. I will say that the CO2 laser at our local laser shop had to be precisely tuned and settings saved so that it was strong enough to burn through the paint and into the white cast plastic but not so strong that it burned completely through the plastic. With the way we are forced to make backlit panels, the front panel is pocketed so that the actual front face of the panel in about .04" thick, plus or minus .005". As you can see, these tolerances are very tight and no room for error. Jason mentioned making sure the spoil bed is completely flat. The best way to insure this is to "mow the grass". Take the widest bit you have, in my case it is a .5" endmill and drop it into your spoil board about .05" or so. Then run it back and forth like you are mowing the grass. The end result is a perfectly flat working surface to mount your parts onto. You may know this trick but I will put it out there just in case someone else can learn from this. The paint we use for the front panels is Testors Model Masters Gunship Gray #1923. It is a little expensive but is nearly perfect. In the past there were several bad batches of it but I think all those cans have worked there way out of circulation. (The paint never seemed to dry) You can find this at hobby stores, Hobby Lobby has it also. Engraving with a CNC is tough. But if I were going to do it, I would use a 30 degree V bit. Some folks suggest using a ball end bit. But I think because the stuff we are engraving is so small, we have no choice but to use a V bit. This like all CNC work will require some trial and error. But it does help when you have some helpful tips to get started. I have been researching many ways to add text to the panels. I found a laser engraver here (original search didn't show). Asked for a quote. However, as Jason mentioned burning the top layer and I found that aircraft manufacturers use silk screening for detail, I found this. Seems pretty straight forward. Has anyone tried it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hwHpkq_Vwc I have been researching many ways to add text to the panels. I found a laser engraver here (original search didn't show). Asked for a quote. However, as Jason mentioned burning the top layer and I found that aircraft manufacturers use silk screening for detail, I found this. Seems pretty straight forward. Has anyone tried it. That's great Dave. I guess you are not concerned about back lighting? Because this method will not get you there. If this is your goal, non backlit panels, using stencils is a great way to go. That's great Dave. I guess you are not concerned about back lighting? Because this method will not get you there. If this is your goal, non backlit panels, using stencils is a great way to go.Engraving Text
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