For the plug, I use the ‘Start Depth’ technique to define the penetration depth of the plug (generally 7.5mm so I have a 0.5mm ‘glue gap’) and set a 2 or 3mm flat depth that defines what part of the plug will ‘stick out’ of the inlay and will be removed later.Īs my CNC is a light aluminum frame, I cannot carve 10 or 11mm at once so I create “pre-passes” toolpaths, as V-Carve will not do that automatically above the Start Depth (yet?). A 2mm inlay is okay for a jewelry box but for a cutting board that will be attacked with kitchen knives and soaked in soapy water every day, you need something stronger. If the design permits, I will make the pocket with an 8mm flat depth, so the inlay is deep enough to be resistant. I mostly use the VCarving/Engraving tool path, of course. Using the Curve tool and Node Editing, I can do just about anything I want faster than in Illustrator now.įor those of us who regularly make VCarve inlay projects, we all have settings and tools that we swear by so let’s find out what Stephan's go-to setup is… For example: are there parts of my design that are narrow enough to prevent the carving from ‘bottoming out’ to the flat depth? In my latest projects, even though I had SVGs to start with, I re-designed everything in VCarve. But I have learned that it is worth spending more time in the design phase to make sure it is well adapted to the inlay process. In the past, I would just try to find an SVG or trace a bitmap in VCarve and start with the tool paths. But I need to find something that is challenging enough and will make me learn something but is still doable without tens of hours of carving. The last one I made was for a Star Trek fan.
VECTRIC VCARVE PRO INLAY SOFTWARE
Stephan certainly has an eye for detail but what challenges is Stephan faced with when starting a project and how does our software help to make this process easier…įor me, the most difficult part is the original idea! It is easier if I intend to make a gift as I personalize them based on what I know about the people who will get them. Maybe I will later when I am good enough at it. I try to personalize the design for them, and I think they are great gifts because they are useful and personal. When my wife told me that 5 or 6 cutting boards were enough for one kitchen, I started offering them to friends. That is what gave me the idea to share my experiments on YouTube, so others could go faster, and we could share our tricks and tips. I am still learning a lot with every project!
VECTRIC VCARVE PRO INLAY TRIAL
It is a long path of trial and error as every project can take weeks to complete if you are only working on it in the evenings and weekends. So, I started creating large quantities of inlaid firewood… but I got better at every try. There are few good tutorials on those techniques, especially if you want to make deep inlays with lots of intricate details. I was fascinated by the inlays I saw on YouTube channels like “Brother in Wood” and “mtmwood” but I was struggling to get good results.
VECTRIC VCARVE PRO INLAY UPGRADE
But after some time, I felt the need for an upgrade and I went for a larger CNC (1000x1000mm) but still a ‘hobby’ model that I got in a kit and had to assemble myself too.īehind every creative project there is a beginning, so what was it that inspired Stephan to learn all about the art of the v-carved inlay to then go on to teach others? It was small and slow, but I learned the basics by assembling it myself and making my first projects. I started with a small Chinese 3018 CNC worth around $200. But when you love woodworking and programming, you end up wanting a CNC. I picked up woodworking about 2 or 3 years ago. My education was programming computers but over time I migrated to management and consultancy (I am 50 now).
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