Unofficial CNC + CAD/CAM Discussion Thread

General Discussion
21

Reverb:

With magic boards there are alway’s variations:

Lets say the magic board for AI at Backdoor has 2 5/8" tail rocker - the same magic board for Mexico with an adjustment to the tail rocker (1.75").

The length, width, thickness and nose rocker the same only the tail rocker has changed. This was done on a computer. Same Magic Board a little tweak in the tail rocker.

The formula worked. He won that contest somewhere in Mex this was a couple of years ago. I held the board in my hands after he won and put a rocker stick on it to see what made it different from his Hawaii boards. The Magic board in a Thumbtail. The same board in a Squash. The Magic board adjusted into a gun. Most of this is done with a cad program. It is an art form to be able to design on the computer. The Art of Cad is how you use science. Hydrodyamics in our case. (Lord Linsey)

Anytime you want to come over and check out our shop you are more than welcome.

You may or may not agree to my approch and thats OK! We are all made up differently.

I’m not looking to recruit customers we have plenty, however I would like to share in our technology.

I can show you how the whole process works. Our shop is small but core.

We can all handshape. If the machine is cutting a batch order and we need to get a board out?

Bust out the Skill 100 or the Hitachi and mow out a raw blank no big deal.

As Bob Hurley once told me, “Shaping surfboards is like digging ditches!”

Bob is an outstanding shaper if you did not already know that?

A landscaper is putting in a sprinkler system for a tract of homes.

Does he break out the shovels or the ditchwitch?

If he’s got one home to do he may just break out the shovel?

You seem to enjoy what you do and shaping from scratch is your gig.

That’s cool! The science of CNC is a whole different way of doing things.

Hardware: Router Motor, Vacuum Cups, Air, Servo Motors, Controller Cards, Fixtures, Gantry / Software: WinCnc = G-code, Rhino, Shape 3D, Solid Works, Surf Cam.

VERSES

Hand Tools: Draw Knife, Electric Planer, Hand Saw, Sureform, Freddy, Templates, Pencils.

Hand shaping is not going away it’s too addicting. At our shop we have young kids 17 - 19 years old learning how to shape all the time.

These kids do it because they love it! Not for the money! In time as they progress in a few years they to will need the aid of cnc milling

to keep up with their orders so they can have a life besides the 4 walls of a shaping bay.

We call it balance!

22

Would it be safe to say Rhino is a “do it all” software CAD/CAM program? I was looking at BobCAD/CAM and thought that was pretty reasonable.

Where do I find a good router bit for the machine I have to play with? It’s a Thermwood. Not sure where to find the right router bits for foam applications.

Thanks guys, all real thoughtful well said posts.

Tyson

23

You must have many free hours to write your own programs?

24

Not that I want to spend hours writing programs, but I would do it just for the sake of being able to.

25

Not that I want to spend hours writing programs, but I would do it just for the sake of being able to.

To have that kind of ability is a gift.

You must of went to MIT?

That’s out of my league I just use what’s easiest.

26

…Surfding,

thank you for your offer

-in my first comment I tried to say kind of what you are talking in this comment

I mean, many situations to monitoring or spend big bucks or complicated stuff to obtain that 1mm or so of difference

I m not tried to say that is worst only a complicated way for a non rocket science stuff

I see your point about that tail rocker change

but in my opinion, my guess is that not the only point to the change in the final performance-like

surfer: what happened that day with mind, strength, focus, stance position, pressure, etc

waves: surface, election and selection of the waves, wind, etc

27

I guess there is a misunderstanding. When you talk about writing your own program, that literally means to me, making my own templates from scratch in a cad/cam package that isn’t specifically for surfboards. Not designing my own software. Although, to write a software program for surfboards wouldn’t take a degree from MIT to do so. :stuck_out_tongue:

28

I worked with a group of guys from MIT on some scanning software.

You seem to be in the same league?

I think it’s cool that you are so talented.

Don’t get me wrong?

I just do not have the time or the money to do what you do.

29

How about when you scan something bad and have to fix it? :slight_smile:

30

There goes meanshapes…starting trouble again :wink:

31

About time Mike chimes in. Hahaha. Can’t believe it took this long. I had to start this thread after his got banned, to help me with all my newbie cnc questions. Trying to retrofit my Thermwood at work seems like it might be more trouble than it’s worth. Also the software CAD/CAM end of things… that leaves another challenge.

Mike, does your machine come with software licenses? :slight_smile:

I really do see the advantage of CNC’s even for the backyard shaper. 3 to 4 shaped blanks an hour, compared to what… whatever it is you think you can do by hand from scratch on a good day. But to apply this to being able to mill out your stock boards (boards for the surf shop shelves) with a lot less hand finishing, and be able to continue doing hand shapes for your customs adds up to a whole hell of a lot production on even a one to two man scale.

Ya… need to do a small biz loan. Any takers on a co singer? :slight_smile:

32

http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=241994;search_string=clark%20letter;#241994

33

We use Shape3d now which is really good. Check stroke on z … Ask Mike O if its cool cuz if you make a mistake it could be a nightmare… PM us we will try to help…

34

How about when you scan something bad and have to fix it? :slight_smile:

The thing that is bad about scanning is that the actual board will be more precise that the actual shaper. Foil, Thickness flow, concaves flawless.

If there is a blemish you can fix it in Rhino or Shape 3D. You can make a beginner shaper look better than he really is. So that part is kind of crazy!

As far as recording really good models of master shapers it’s a must and those scaned files are the best created files to date. There is hardly any editing of the file on cleanly shaped boards. To expand on your original question: bad boards can be made to look better however it takes a little surgery.

Some shapers only shape one half of the board and scan one side then mirror it. The result is a amasing. It’s really endless were you can go with all of it.

35

check out this site:

http://www.shapers.com.au/category18_1.htm

kirk

36

Dam if you have to do all that you might as well put your label on the board.

37

No kidding. The Wiz of Oz behind the curtains.

38

So if a monkey like me was to try and design a board using boardcad or aku where is a good place to start.

Are the sample files from aku like the standard 6’2 design a good start?

So far that has been my approach. just start there and tweak the outline and rocker to get what looks good for me.

I would like to get one cut but dont want to waste anyones time if they have to fix it up.

For example would the attached .brd file be good enuff to send out to be cut?

39

a cut blank is a start, not a finish.

read the archives.

40

I looked the file over and put it in G-Code. Looked ok to cut. However the shape is really basic and nothing really special to make it magic. I’m sure it will work fine?

It will cut and you can make a decent board. Find a cutting house near by and have it cut. Make sure you send the deck rocker to have the blank glued up to match your file.

I put it in Shape 3D so you can go to a cutting house that has APS3000, 3DM machine, KKL or PROCAMM. I’m not selfish and can careless who you cut with?

Dave Gomez Oceanside - Matt Ambrose Santa Cruz - Chris Russell SD - Pat Ryan South Bay - ASI Costa Mesa - Barry V. South Huntington - PROCAMM North Huntington - PlusOne - Mitch’s Solana Beach - KKL Oceanside - EYEshapes Ventura - Brad Bashman San Clemente = Their are many others as well. I know that all of these guy’s use Shape 3D. Tom Nezzy has a really good machine however I’m not sure if he’s still in the game? MIA! He was in Oceanside. I hope he’s still alive?

I’m sure their are many others: Rough House, Dave Pearson, Meanshapes. As you can see there are no shortages of machines on the west coast!

If you go to a cutting house that is full they may not receive you well? One off’s can be annoying for some. As long as you have the right deck rocker in your blank for the file most experienced cutting houses will blow it out with any difficulties. Beware of 2nd’s? Check them with a deck rocker stick to make sure the blank will work with your file?

I attached the PDF file for you deck rocker that you can send to your blank supplier for the glue up.

Also note that I converted the file into Shape 3D and compressed the file so that I could post it for you.

I like my rails to be almost finished when I run one of my files. The file you have is ok however not refined.

You still would have a lot of rail work after the cut. It would still be easier than starting from raw blanks if you

haven’t spent much time in the bay. That’s the part that is crazy? Having said that if you know how to shape and design well

from scratch and have good hand skills plus good with a CAD program, “Your Rocking”!

Hydrodynamics is an important science to have as well.

https://swaylocks7stage.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/1030548_nev.zip