Can anyone help me create 3 surfboard cad files I can send to cnc machinist ? If it makes it easier Im looking at 3 board designs from shape3d library. ,which just need to be tweaked in thickness to allow for some wood skins. Or I can send all relevant measurements.
I don’t mind paying some $ for the files
Thanks
It would be easier to you to download the free version of this program and to it yourself, there is a tool in it which you can resize the thickness of the whole board at once (in a “proportional” way).
Shape 3d is pretty simple and intuitive
Yes I have done that , but it wont let me export the file to my cnc machinist .
Bwana, when you say ‘CNC machinist’ do you mean a surfboard cutting machine and operator or an industrial CNC machine and operator?
Have you tried BoardCAD? It is free and can output to a few different file formats.
Well, as far I know your “cnc machinist” must have a certain version of shape3d to send the file to the cnc, but you can check here the list of ppl who have that version and work with it:
https://www.shape3d.com/CNC%20SCAN/CncScanTheShape3dUser.asp
My cnc machinist is Perth Western Australia and is just a foam cutting service and dont have any surfboard programs. No one else I know in WA offers a cnc cutting service and its top expensive to ship from anywhere else. Yes I have tried boardcad as well but it wont let me export either. I only want to do 3 surfboards and I cant afford any surfboard cad programs that allow to export cad files.
Chances are if they are industrial foam cutters then they would be capable of a sled cut blank and not a milled surfboard shape.
This can be done by exporting the profile as DXF from BoardCAD.
Are these the guys? Profile Cutting Foam Projects - Foam Sales
Jrandy, these are the foam guys https://foamshapers.com.au/.
what do you think ? they say they can cut a surfboard to shape as long as I provide the cad file in dxf . I will check again with them though so I don’t end up with just a sled as you mentioned.
Im new to anything to do with cad but I will try again exporting as you have highlighted. Have you successfully exported from boardcad before ?
thanks for your input
Bwana, I have successfully exported from BoardCAD. If you look at the above pictures, the bottom one is the same DXF from BoardCAD read into another software called Draftsight.
Mostly I do CNC cut rocker and outline templates for cutting with hot wire. I have take a couple boards all the way to a 3-axis CNC machine but the machine is not large enough for a full size board.
Yes, check with them as to what they can do. I would take one of the example boards in BoardCAD, render the NURBS model, and make some exports for them to try.
Another option is to find someone who has purchased the export package fro Shape3D and compensate them for resizing and converting your files.
A third option is to take some sections/slices from BoardCAD and use them to rebuild the board in a parametric modelling system. Lots of work but would give you a model that could be exported to most every CAD/CAM system.
Jrandy , ok thanks I will try your suggestions
I cut my first boards at a commercial service from dxf files out of S3D. The operator opened the filed in Rhino and tut tutted while he cleaned up the loose ends. This was a few years ago. S3D has changed a bit since then so entire dxf might no longer be available.
The service used to cut full sized styrene cars on a 5 axis machine, so boards from billets were not an issue as long as we cut 5 at a time!
How will you know if your file will fit the blank?
You mean a surfboard blank? The cnc machinist will start with a block of foam.
Go to this site and you have a lot of templates and files
www.surfdesign.eu
Regards