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Sean Anderson, owner and creator behind CNC Sawdust and active member of the XCarve Users FB Community blogging here, the tips and tricks that have been picked up alonge the way. I am trying to build this article in a format which follows my journey of buying, building and using the XCarve machine and would note that I am not endorsed, sponsored nor paid in any way for this information and would also make you aware that this information is from my findings, research and is not without fault; I would highly recommend that you do your own research. If you have any specific information, or would like to contribute to this article, please feel free to drop me an email.
This article is aimed more at a "beginner" hobbyist and and will hopefully answer many of the "common questions"; I would dare say that people with 'some' experience will already know most of this. |
Contents
- Chosing a CNC Machine
- Chosing the XCarve
- Building a Workbench for your Machine
- Building the XCarve
- Calibrating the Machine
- Beginners Material Selection
Chosing a CNC Machine
I regularly see the question posed in an XCarve community, of which is better ... XCarve, Shapeko, etc., I personally have no experience away from the XCarve and I would advise caution of asking that question in a specific community. There are community members who own (or have owned) both; if you truly want a comparison, hunt those people out. From what I have read, the Shapeko is a more solid machine, but not as easy to modify as the XCarve; both are similarly priced.
Chosing your XCarve
The first question has to be the one of size, the x-carve comes in 500, 750 and 1000mm versions; I chose the larger, 1000mm version which was a decision that I had based on my experience buying and using a dedicated laser cutter/engraver, where I was on a very tight budget and started out with the smaller of the versions that was available, with about a 12x12" work area. Although I had a clear idea of what I wanted the machine for, I soon found the work area to be limiting and had regrets of not buying a bigger model, a mistake that I wouldn't repeat with the x-carve. Having read many posts in the Facebook community, the 1000mm is certainly a popular choice with many members modifying their machines to make them even bigger than the stock 1000mm.
Having purchased the 1000mm XCarve, from here, please understand that is the machine which I am referring to.
When reviewing the listing on the XCarve site (and subsequently, the UK Reseller) I found that there are quite a few optional extras, above the "base" machine; I added the sideboard, a bunch of bit packs and did not add the dust collection. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and my advise on the initial purachse would be to skip the sideboard and bit pack, but definitely include dust collection (perhaps as an aftermarket addition from another seller) and here's why...
The sideboard is little more than a piece of 18mm MDF that is bolted to some extra extrusions, for the controller to sit on ... any half decent hobbyist could make their own for a considerable saving and I have seen a number of users who have gone the extra step of designing their workbench with the controller mounted underneath the worksurface, keeping it away from the dust.
If you pick a couple of the Inventables "Starter Packs" of bits, you may be buying them at a discount, but (as a beginner) you're going to find quite a few duplicate bits and a number of bits that aren't that well suited to your arsenal. Even though they're not at the top of the price bracket for CNC bits, it's also very disappointing to break them (and I have a small graveyard of broken bits). My advice would be to pick and chose a few of each of the following Inventable bits (below) and then shop around for some suitable additions.
Dust, yeah, lots of that ... I really wish that I had added dust collection from outset and have since cobbled together my own, using a cheap shop vac, a Chinese cyclone, blue barrel and some anti-static hosing (refer to Badger Workshop on YouTube, which is where I took the idea from). I will soon be adding an after market dust boot.
The sideboard is little more than a piece of 18mm MDF that is bolted to some extra extrusions, for the controller to sit on ... any half decent hobbyist could make their own for a considerable saving and I have seen a number of users who have gone the extra step of designing their workbench with the controller mounted underneath the worksurface, keeping it away from the dust.
If you pick a couple of the Inventables "Starter Packs" of bits, you may be buying them at a discount, but (as a beginner) you're going to find quite a few duplicate bits and a number of bits that aren't that well suited to your arsenal. Even though they're not at the top of the price bracket for CNC bits, it's also very disappointing to break them (and I have a small graveyard of broken bits). My advice would be to pick and chose a few of each of the following Inventable bits (below) and then shop around for some suitable additions.
- 1/8" two flute straight bit
- 1/8" spiral upcut
- 1/16" spiral downcut
- 90' vBit
- 60' vBit
Dust, yeah, lots of that ... I really wish that I had added dust collection from outset and have since cobbled together my own, using a cheap shop vac, a Chinese cyclone, blue barrel and some anti-static hosing (refer to Badger Workshop on YouTube, which is where I took the idea from). I will soon be adding an after market dust boot.
Building a Workbench for your Machine
If like me, you have the 1000mm machine with the sideboard, then your "machine size" (and minimum workbench area) is going to be 1000x1250mm; there are many designs for a workbench out there and you can spend hours on YouTube or Facebook looking at many splendid designs, so let's look at a few basics to consider...
You will need a practical working height of around 800mm for standing, which will give you room underneath for a couple of good size shelves, some drawers, material storage, etc., It's worth making the height a little lower than what you feel as a comfortable working height, so that there's room to reach over and around the machine.
The layout of my shop determined how I placed my machine; for understanding (until I get a photo added) as I stand at my machine the controller is on the left side and the gantry is perpendicular to the wall. Having the machine oriented this way, has a definite advantage of being able to 'hang' longer material out of the back of the machine. I buy a lot of sheet goods and get my local DIY store to rip an 8x4 sheet in two, giving me two 8x2 sheets. If your orientation means that the machine is in a better layout with the gantry running parallel to a wall, then I would highly recommend adding locking castors so that you can move it, which is also handy for cleaning up.
Make sure the workbench surface is nice and solid, as any "sagging" will eventually transfer to your machine and cause issues with the calibration. It's worth noting that the surface does not need to be super-accurately-level.
My workbench is a modest item, built with simple 2x4, an 18mm OSB sheet for a shelf and the top is 2x 18mm OSB sheets (well supported underneath).
Some overhead lighting is a must, but you'll also find the benefit of having a good light source aimed at the point where the bit contacts the material; for alignment and probing.
You will need a practical working height of around 800mm for standing, which will give you room underneath for a couple of good size shelves, some drawers, material storage, etc., It's worth making the height a little lower than what you feel as a comfortable working height, so that there's room to reach over and around the machine.
The layout of my shop determined how I placed my machine; for understanding (until I get a photo added) as I stand at my machine the controller is on the left side and the gantry is perpendicular to the wall. Having the machine oriented this way, has a definite advantage of being able to 'hang' longer material out of the back of the machine. I buy a lot of sheet goods and get my local DIY store to rip an 8x4 sheet in two, giving me two 8x2 sheets. If your orientation means that the machine is in a better layout with the gantry running parallel to a wall, then I would highly recommend adding locking castors so that you can move it, which is also handy for cleaning up.
Make sure the workbench surface is nice and solid, as any "sagging" will eventually transfer to your machine and cause issues with the calibration. It's worth noting that the surface does not need to be super-accurately-level.
My workbench is a modest item, built with simple 2x4, an 18mm OSB sheet for a shelf and the top is 2x 18mm OSB sheets (well supported underneath).
Some overhead lighting is a must, but you'll also find the benefit of having a good light source aimed at the point where the bit contacts the material; for alignment and probing.
Building the XCarve
The day comes when the courier arrives with a dozen boxes, full of little bags and you realise that there are a LOT of parts, considerably more than you previously imagines. You rummage through the boxes and realise there are no instructions. In this modern, digital age it shouldn't come as a surprise that you need to switch on a computer and here's a few of those useful links to bookmark:
Before you start unpacking every little screw, check that you have all the parts, not only will you have the peace of mind that you have everything, but it means that you can contact support for any missing parts now, rather than when you have a half-built machine. It's also the start of you learning what the parts are called and familiarising yourself with what they look like.
Having space (separate to where you will be building) to organise and spread out the parts is very helpful. I split my build up, across a few days, but would estimate that it was roughly a 20hr build, so be prepared for that, especially if there's a chance that "little hands" might do some exploring.
When you're building, check and double check the instructions, take your time and trust your instinct ... if a part doesn't feel like it fits right, check again. There are numerous posts on the community, where the builder has put something on backwards, wired a motor the wrong way or otherwise missed something in the instructions.
Do not be afraid to seek help; I have found the XCarve Users FB community to be an invaluable source of information and yes, occasionally you may get trolled by someone, but don't rise to it, the vast majority of users are very helpful.
- Inventables 1000mm XCarve Step-by-Step Instructions and on the first page, you will find a complete list of the parts
- The New Brit Workshop on YouTube has a whole bunch of videos which take you through the assembly of the 750mm machine
Before you start unpacking every little screw, check that you have all the parts, not only will you have the peace of mind that you have everything, but it means that you can contact support for any missing parts now, rather than when you have a half-built machine. It's also the start of you learning what the parts are called and familiarising yourself with what they look like.
Having space (separate to where you will be building) to organise and spread out the parts is very helpful. I split my build up, across a few days, but would estimate that it was roughly a 20hr build, so be prepared for that, especially if there's a chance that "little hands" might do some exploring.
When you're building, check and double check the instructions, take your time and trust your instinct ... if a part doesn't feel like it fits right, check again. There are numerous posts on the community, where the builder has put something on backwards, wired a motor the wrong way or otherwise missed something in the instructions.
Do not be afraid to seek help; I have found the XCarve Users FB community to be an invaluable source of information and yes, occasionally you may get trolled by someone, but don't rise to it, the vast majority of users are very helpful.
Calibrating the Machine
So, built the machine and ready to carve ... this is the point where most people start carving and I was one of those people ... until you run into another common question that we see ... "why does my XCarve cut deeper on one side?" ... well, that's because you didn't calibrate it.
Okay, so you want everything to be fairly "level" but the calibration does not require a spirit level, like ever. It's far more important to have elements of the machine square and parallel to each other. I'll describe my "calibration" process and will link a few resources for taking things further. The main calibration processes include five main areas and (my opinion is that) they should be checked and addressed in the order I have written them, here:
Square
PROBLEM: The gantry rail is not square with the two Y rails
Using a square (the bigger, the better) check the rails and bring them into square; I would start by making the left hand Y rail square to the wasteboard, then make the gantry square to the left Y rail, make the right Y rail square to the gantry, which should also make it square to the right hand side of the waste board. You can loosen the screws at the four corners and those which hold down the wasteboard to adjust the Y rails and you can adjust the belts to affect the gantry.
Parallel from LEFT-RIGHT and/or FRONT-BACK
PROBLEM: As the router travels from the LEFT edge to the RIGHT edge, the distance between the router and the workpiece changes.
Turn the router off move it to the position 0,0 and put in a bit, lower the router so that it's about 10mm of the wasteboard; jog the router from one side to the other, taking note of the gap between the bit/board, looking for any spots where the gap closes.
TO BE CONTINUED
Dealing with high/low spots
The Z-Axis being exactly 90' to the work piece; known as the "Tram"
The Step Ratio
Okay, so you want everything to be fairly "level" but the calibration does not require a spirit level, like ever. It's far more important to have elements of the machine square and parallel to each other. I'll describe my "calibration" process and will link a few resources for taking things further. The main calibration processes include five main areas and (my opinion is that) they should be checked and addressed in the order I have written them, here:
Square
PROBLEM: The gantry rail is not square with the two Y rails
Using a square (the bigger, the better) check the rails and bring them into square; I would start by making the left hand Y rail square to the wasteboard, then make the gantry square to the left Y rail, make the right Y rail square to the gantry, which should also make it square to the right hand side of the waste board. You can loosen the screws at the four corners and those which hold down the wasteboard to adjust the Y rails and you can adjust the belts to affect the gantry.
Parallel from LEFT-RIGHT and/or FRONT-BACK
PROBLEM: As the router travels from the LEFT edge to the RIGHT edge, the distance between the router and the workpiece changes.
Turn the router off move it to the position 0,0 and put in a bit, lower the router so that it's about 10mm of the wasteboard; jog the router from one side to the other, taking note of the gap between the bit/board, looking for any spots where the gap closes.
TO BE CONTINUED
Dealing with high/low spots
The Z-Axis being exactly 90' to the work piece; known as the "Tram"
The Step Ratio
