Train Part 3

It is so great to have the beast up and running agin. I took the down time to improve a couple of things on it.. The nuts and bolts vibrate off over time so it was time to tighten them back up again. Went to Ace Hardware to get lock tight and cut down on that chore. I got the train table off and started painting. The next couple of steps are to put table legs on and some scenery...

Reprograming

When you lose a hard drive you can get it all back however it takes time, and work and effort.
It would be easer if I kept a backup of the files I need.. The installation video said to back up your files.. They said it more than once.. Did I listen, No.. I will this time.. in a bit, it is on the list of things to do. I just noticed that it is on the list from the first time I installed this Whoops.

New Hard Drive

Ok I got a new hard-drive and got it installed hopefully this will fix my little problem.. Now there was some dust in the computer but not as much as I thought there would be. It takes a long time to install windows, but now I got to put all the numbers back. This is where I ran into trouble the first time when I couldn't get this beast to live... The fun just doesn't stop.

I got the train table primed and it is starting to look like a train table...

Dust and Disaster

Ok things haven't gone so well.. The used computer died.. Well the hard drive did and now all the settings are gone. So there it sits on the table not moving until I get the thing fixed.. Argh..

Train Part 2

Step three Design. Lay out and measuring is the key The little round balls at the end of the track were a challenge but I got it done.

Step 4 Cutting. I had to put this on hold.. My machine would only cut smallish things at first because of the track and the wiring and the other gremlins in the works. So it is off to killing gremlins I go.

Step 5 Cutting. Gremlins Dead I got the board strapped down to the table now and I am ready to start cutting.. This beast is going to take 4 bit changes and has 19 steps. I hope I got every thing right..

Toy Train

Now it is time for the biggest thing I have ever cut.. My boys train table He loves toy wood trains. I don't know many two year olds that don't. So I set out to make him a toy train table.

Step one research. I looked at all the toy train tables out there... Not that I had much choice because he dragged me to every one.

Step two Size. The car is small and I can fit a 2' by 4' sheet of ply in there so there you are.

Toy Giraffe

I wanted to do something for my boy.. After all he is my son.. He also likes the Giraffes at the Zoo.. It is a bit of a hike they are all the way in the back and I end up carring him a lot of the way.. So I was going to make him a wood one..

I started with a simple photo that I took then I traced it using Illustrator.. (a great program) I then took it over to the "other computer" and worked out all the layers I would need to make it 3d..

It took me 2 tries but I am inspired now I can see how I am going to do a full sized wood horse..

The bad news is the tail is to fragile for him to play with.. The next thing I carve will be for him.

The Cross

My Father got a request from one of the people at the church to do a conformation cross. She needed it the next day... So dad called me up and asked what I could do.. I went down to the hardware store picked up some Cherry and started cutting.. He had a photo of the cross behind the alter and I just matched that..

I learned that thin slivers of wood don't work so well I will have to change that in the future.. But I got it done..

Up to full Speed

Now it was time to ramp things up and go into production.. If you can call 4 boards production..

There was still a lot of work to do with the cutting and sanding and painting and making sure everything was all lined up.

It is easer than using a chisel and cutting everything out by hand. I think they look nicer than wood burning the work in too but it still takes time and I found my self with one ear open all the time waiting for it to stop so I could load the next one..

My wife is still upset about all the sawdust I was making..

What I learned

I learned a lot from the sample.

First My depth of cut was going to be a problem on wood.
Second Simpler logo.
Third I would have to make a "Shoe" to fit the boards in to keep them in there place and lined up from one sample to the other..

Even with all of that I ended up blowing a few of her cheese boards before I got it right.

So What Should I try Next

A good friend owns the Bavarian Haus in Mt Angle Oregon. She needed some Bar Ware.. Tasting Boards to be exact.. She knew what she wanted and had some cheese boards all ready to be repurposed.. So I went to work.. Step one cut out a sample.

Why is there a hole

I know you are looking at the hole and wondering what it is for.. Well a gun that small isn't much good for Bear so why not tell time with it as well.. 8$ later I had a small clock that popped right in.. Now you know how long you were at the card table.. Might keep Dangerous Dan Mcgrew from making off with your lady Right? With a watch like that right? What time is it well....... heehehe

Ok now the second project

The second project was a gun handle for a small pistol a friend of mine has..
I worked and reworked the file learning the whole time. I got some scrap wood and cut out a test cut.. I changed bits twice, and got something useable. The only problem I ran off the end of the board, could be worse.. When I was done cutting it was really fuzzy.. I took some fine grit sandpaper and wow! it look much better..

It's Alive

Frankenstein couldn't have had a better day.. It moved and worked now all I had to do was make something to cut.. This is a huge learning curve.. I had all kinds of experience with other programs and that got in my way more than anything else, but I got the first cut done and I was disappointed...

I learned a lot.. I got the setting tighter I looked at the instructional videos again,, and then I tried again..

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Troubles and Problems

I am not one who likes to complain but this is more than a Little Difficult.

A few of the problmes I went throgh are..

Missing Parts.. Patrick is a great guy and nice as can be but these are made in his house.. and not all the parts get into the package.

Second Computers are a pain. I needed 2 more, I have 2 macs all ready but 2 pc would be the work horses of this project and so I went the cheep route.. I got them used from friends and family.. When you get used computers there is always something wrong or they won't give them to you this added a month to the whole build and i have two more dead computers that the parts were taken from to make the two I have work.

Third is poor instructions.. I had a problem where I didn't know if it was wiring computer hook up or program that wasn't making it move.. that took me a week to solve.. Argh.....

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The Next Phase

I under estimated building a Cnc... There wasn't one step that was hard however there are a lot of steps.. There are also a lot of disciplines coming to play..

Computers

Wood working

Design

Wiring

Metal working

and a strong dose of Ikia logic.. (you know tab a into slot b kind of thing)

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Well Here I am

Ok this is the first post... I guess I should tell you how I got started...

I started making signs at Kinkos., before they were fedx kinkos.. I enjoyed it a lot. That got the ball rolling. When I was working at Centerpoint (now out of business due to no fault of my own) I fell in love with a paper cutting machine and I wanted to get one of my own..

I looked at the Criket but that wasn't flexible, so I looked at buying used but then started looking into the Cnc wood Routers and fell in love again.. (Yes I am a passionate guy..)

To save cost I purchased a kit and started putting it together January of 2010

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