Help with APS 3000 in Northern Beaches Sydney

General Discussion
1

Hi all,

I’m looking for some help in learning to use the APS 3000 shaping machine.

I am currently in the Manly area visting my family and old stomping grounds, and would like to learn more about how to use the machine before I head back to the East Coast USA where I now live.

I currently use the software to design and print templates back home and hand shape from there, but would like to be able to have my blanks machined in the future. There is a machine some distance from me in the US that is close enough to pick up a bunch of shaped blanks from, but not really close enough to go sit in and watch what goes on with designing on the computer.

If any shaper has any interest in helping a very low volumne part timer from OS, I can repay with buying you lunch, cleaning up around the place or maybe with a slab of VB. (or maybe a little cash if neccesary)

Any way I am 45 and know how to keep quiet not be too annoying.

Paul

2

Your post is a bit confusing from a wordsmith perspective.

You dont want ‘machine’ training?? Your looking for board design software training?

Some cutters provide that service and charge accordingly.

Also, if your looking to get involved with milled boards expect to chunk off quite a few blanks.

If you cant afford lessons, then it would appear that this endeavor is a bit out of range for you,

as you wouldnt be able to afford to trash quite a few

blanks that are going to be part of your learning process. In addition, you should be aware

that even though your are going to be using a APS3000 machine you are not tied into

using APS3000 board designing software. You can use BoardCad or Shape3d to design

your board exclusively, then pass the board file into APS3000 software(AKUShaper) and

email it to the board cutter. Alternatively, the APS3000 board cutter could take your file

from whatever program and be quite capable of easily handling it. Once you’ve learned how to

succesfully create your designs in one board software, those skills are totally transferrable to another

program. I would think you should

be looking to get a start or helping hand on whatever board designing software is out there.

The toughest part of board designing software is not the software but gathering together a new appropriate measuring toolset

and being able to make precise repeatable measurements of a board you are trying to design.

This is nearly impossible for a first timer and comes over time, patience and painstaking attention to detail over

several or more boards. …If you ‘get it’!

I’d advise getting one of the free and available Shape3d or AKUShaper files off of their respective websites,

get the file cut into a blank. Then start measuring the cut blank and start making comparisons between

the cut blank and the board file…Best way to learn, you dont need anyone, and its the best shortcut I can

think of. After making these comparsions, buying more measuring tools to assist achieving precision, and getting 100% comfortable

and wrapping your mind about all this over a time period of 1-3 months, then you’ll be ready to replicate your own board.

3

… repeat post, cant delete …??

Help Mr Swaylocks, we need an older feature back!

4

I think I need to start writing my posts in notepad and then transferring.

5

OTIS:

Your post is fine!

Pretty right on. As a power user of Shape 3D and owning my own CNC Machine I’ve seen some pretty gnarly files. The shaper may think his designs are over the top best in the world? You cut them and they are horrible. Then he blames you for the bad cut? I fix a lot of files. Designing in a cad program is more that just an outline. Foil thickness and rail profile transitions, Tangents and so on. In all fairness I was guilty of many failures when I started in this dimention. However it takes more than 3 months to get it down. I burned through about $7,000 in blanks. I had a few operators that had a difficult time learning how it all worked. After 3 years and 4 operators later it’s very rare that a blank gets wasted. I check every file before we cut it. If the shaper let’s me fix it then we can cut it. If his ego is to large to let us fix it then he can take it some were else to cut it. I still think it’s awsome to make killer boards that work insane and repeat it over and over. Why do you think Merrick, Rusty, Lost, Patterson, Bill Johnson, Doc, Stretch all have good track records? Repeatablity of their best models! That’s the benefit which is priceless.

If someone wants to get into the CNC world remember it’s a whole new ball game. It’s also more creative than most people think and the skill level required is not to be taken lightly!

6

Surfding,

Thanks for the PM.

I would love to take you up on your offer and will be in touch about that.

Earlier this week, I sat in with my friend Doug Bell and designed a new shorty for me that will be cut on the John Gillis machine using DAT software, which was fun and I have done this with him a few times over the years and watched a few be machined on that machine, but I don’t have access to that machine 9 months of the year.

Conversley, with the arse being torn out of the local industry none of the other guys that I know personally are using APS 3000 / AKU shaper, too busy mowing lawns I guess (poor attempt at humor). So I’m a degree or two of seperation from anyone locally designing for that machine.

And while I’m happy with my hand shapes, I would like to shorten the learning curve in transferring my designs to the software 'cause it sure looks like a whole new skill set is required and really there is only so many blanks you want to waste to do the small no.s I do.

Thanks

Paul

PS So I am still interested if anyone has the opportunity in the near future to show me a trick or two in Manly Warringah area or I’ll have to try the friend of a friend route as well as take surfding up on his generouse offer/correspondence course