A Breaking Bad cutting board, all steps with a big mess up

I like making cutting boards and I loved Breaking Bad so this was bound to happen (yeah! one more board in the kitchen...) Unfortunately I've messed up the CAM set-up and there were big problems with the inlay. This video is about my attempts to fix those. Spoiler: one way that works and one that doesn't work at all.
My CNC is a Euro Makers Aureux 3X, similar to a Shapeoko or X-Carve. CAD/CAM is made with Vectric Vcarve Desktop.
If you're interested in making deep inlays (especially with 'light' hobby CNCs), I have got several tutorials on my channel.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@jamesdean8864]

That’s an amazing piece of work, some proper thought went into that I could tell. A lot of effort. Well done

[@ScoobySnackOG]

This is my all time favorite cutting board

[@VARGVEUMxapek]

If this is a cutting board, then the hand will not turn on it to cook! My respect 👍🏻

[@stephanforseilles]

Thanks. That's the problem. I give those away to friends but only on the condition that they will actually use them. I'm happy when I see one well used when I visit them. :)

[@jasonazzopardi215]

I so love this, brilliant work my friend

[@joshuabray37]

OMG! That is awesome! I have to make this for my wife. She just finished watching breaking bad and loved it.

[@realsocrates5272]

Great workmanship, we do mistakes

[@malcolmtemporal6571]

I follow to a grate extent I have 9.5 aspire and some bits you do, I cannot but as taken me a long time but I may have it. Malcolm

[@kv7708]

Great execution and great video ❣

[@ramonrodriguez3126]

Brilliant! I am impressed with your work. Im just starting out but this is the direction I want to go. KOKO!!

[@vankoasztal]

interesting technology.

[@marekwaczynski3894]

Excellent Very inspiring.

[@Samcraftcom]

Great project with an awesome outcome!

[@user-bk2dj6lp2w]

AMAZING!!!

[@yoannbzh7396]

Salut. Super planche ! Il y a beaucoup de détails. Il falloir investir dans une tornado pour tout ce rabotage 😁

[@stephanforseilles]

J'ai plus de place! :D

[@Frenchgaulois]

Purée elle revient de loin celle-là...super boulot et super rattrapage 👌 Juste un truc qui me taraude... pourquoi tu commences par la fraise V et pas par la fraise « end » d’ébauche ? Je suis quasi tjs entre 6 et 8mm de profondeur en 2 passes avec un gap de 0,5 à 0,6mm pour la colle...et toi ?

[@stephanforseilles]

Oui j'avais plus rien à perdre sur celle-là. :) Parfois je fais le V d'abord car s'il y a des éléments trop fins et qu'on les coupe sans le support derrière ca fait plus de 'cheveux'. Mais je teste une autre façon de faire en découpant l'épaisseur de la colle avec un passage plutôt que de retirer cela de l' Start Depth de la partie femelle. Résultat dans la prochaine video. Pour la colle je laisse en général 1mm et j'en met bcp. Et surtout en hiver quand elle est moins liquide. Mais je pense que 0.7/0.8 serait la bonne valeur en fait.

[@hlopezho]

Great job! Do you plan or sand your wood stripes before glue up, or you go directly from the table saw? Thanks!

[@stephanforseilles]

Thanks! Everything always go through the planer before gluing, it's the only way to get no gaps. But you have to make things in the correct order or else you will have to plane end grain which I don't recommend at all.

[@danielsmullen3223]

I have had this exact same experience, and I wondered what the problem was. In my case, because I have a tool length sensor, when the 15 degree v bit gets worn and the tip turns flat it will create this imprecision. The trick is to monitor this and replace them early, or program in this tip in v-carve to account for the error. I have not yet figured out a way to totally ensure that the stock is square however. What do you recommend?

[@stephanforseilles]

Now I systematically do a flattening pass (1 to 2 mm) just to make sure everything is square with the CNC bed.

[@FamilyRoots]

Super vidéo ! et magnifique planche, le résultat est top et super bien rattrapé ;) Manquerait juste les essences de bois que tu à utilisé ... j'ai reconnue le Hêtre pour le plateau mais sur les insert je sèche un peu .. noyer ? et ?

[@stephanforseilles]

Merci! Noyer et Padauk.

Nice work, I like it. What parameters do you use for the inlay?

[@stephanforseilles]

Thanks. It's 6mm into the base (Start depth). Base is cut at 8mm (so 2mm glue gap but that's a bit too much).

@@stephanforseilles Congratulations, you have a great channel, I love your videos. a greeting

[@tbas7161]

well done! new sub

[@MotoRideswJohn]

Magnifique!

[@stephanforseilles]

Merci!

[@KJChaput]

Is there a reason you cut with the v-bit first and then follow with the clearing bit? Wouldn't it be less load on the more delicate v-bit if you clearanced first? Just trying to learn. Thanks for the great video and the board turned out fantastic!

[@stephanforseilles]

You're right about the load, but I remarked that small details tend to break when done with the v-bit. But if you do it BEFORE clearing, you do it while they're still supported on both sides so there seems to be less breakage.

[@scottfarndell2434]

Love your work! Been following you since your Star Wars board and you’re an inspiration. I’ve just built an MPCNC and am keen to try my hand at making one of these for myself - are you willing to share/sell your carving files?

[@stephanforseilles]

Thanks. No problem to share the VCarve files but watch out for the cut parameters, as they might not suit your machine. :)

[@opitk90nico]

Hi Stefan, I follow you very carefully, can you explain the problem of the Gap inlay better please because sometimes it happens to me too, thanks.

[@bogas78]

Does your spinde have an manual RPM control or it is controlled by CNC control board ?

[@stephanforseilles]

It's a manual control.

[@triskel653]

Super instructif ! Pourquoi utiliser une fraise à compression @26:30?

[@triskel653]

OK, j'ai trouvé la réponse sur ta chaine;

[@stephanforseilles]

Merci. C'est la seule que j'ai en 6mm qui soit Fishtail, le fini est meilleur pour la dernière passe que l'autre fraise (qui est en fait faite pour le metal)..

[@michka238]

Bonjour Stephan, toutes vos vidéos/tuto sont GENIALS. J'avoue que j'ai pompé intégralement celle de Star-War et YODA 😞. juste augmenté le nombre de passe pour les plugs (pas simple a assimiler au départ ces histoires de SD et FD). J'ai juste un blême au final, comme sur la vidéo a 23'50 un petit décalage (

[@stephanforseilles]

Merci! Elles sont là pour ça. :) J'ai trouvé d'où venait ce problème! C'est la configuration de la fraise en V! Le problème disparaît si on la configure comme une fraise 'engraving' avec un méplat de 0.5 ou 0.25mm (attention que pour ces fraises l'angle est par face, donc la moitié). Ainsi Vcarve tient compte du fait que la fraise n'est pas une pointe de scalpel. Il faut aussi s'assurer de na pas avoir de ligne plus petite que au moins 2x à 4x la taille du nez de la fraise. Parfois ça fait beaucoup de travail à la main sur les vecteurs...

[@michka238]

@@stephanforseilles Merci pour ces conseils. J'ai fait comme dans la vidéo pour le logo KZbin, a 11'23 , j'ai collé ma fraise de 10° dans la catégorie "V-Bits". L'erreur vient peut-être de la ? Encore merci.

[@stephanforseilles]

@@michka238 Oui probablement. Essaye de la mettre en 'Engraving' avec méplat de 0.256 ou 0.5mm. Attention qu'en engraving c'est degrés par face, donc la moitié. :)

[@InTheLab3d]

Do you recommend cutting with the V bit first to avoid the larger bits chipping in to those sections?

[@stephanforseilles]

My theory is that it will lead to better cuts if the finest part is done when the wood is still "supported" from behind, that's why I often do the V before the cleaning. But to be honest I haven't noticed any difference when I made the opposite. :)

[@toutikini]

Bonjour, et bravo pour tes réalisation. J'ai cru comprendre que tu maitrisais l'anglais, le Français et la cnc de la même façon .. je m'en vais donc te solliciter en Français !! Tu te sert en fraise chez Fraises CNC, moi aussi et j'attends avec impatience de retrouver dans leur catalogue celle développé personnellement pour toi pour le carving. A l'occasion, te serait il possible de faire un tuto (en francais?) sur une de tes réalisation, plus particulièrement sur la partie programmation (Prof de passe, calcul des différentes zones, ébauche, finition, ...) Sauf erreur de ma part, tes tutos sont tous en anglais et pour ma part j'utilise Fusion 360 alors, si le cœur t'en dit .... Encore bravo et au plaisir !!

[@stephanforseilles]

Hello. Merci pour le feedback. On travaille encore sur le profil de la fraise, ce n'est pas évident d'en créer une 'de zéro'. :) Je vois bcp de gens qui utilisent Fusion mais j''ai switché vers VCarve car je vais 10x plus vite pour créer ce genre de projets. Fusion est très puissant mais... trop parfois. :D J'ai fait un tuto en Français qui se concentre sur la partie programmation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmLRk3ygoaeMfZY Dans le dernier projet (la planche 'Braking Bad') j'ai aussi inclus toute la partie CAD/CAM en capture d'écran: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpuyd2x-prhsoqc ca permet de voir les différentes passes, l'ordre des opérations etc.

[@toutikini]

@@stephanforseilles Merci pour ta réponse aussi rapide ;-) .. j'avais vu ton tuto en Français effectivement !! oupss j'avais oublié que c'était toi l'auteur .. A propos de vcarve, tu utilise une version gratuite ?

[@stephanforseilles]

@@toutikini J'ai investi dans la version desktop.

[@GuyTechLab]

Bonjour, j'aimerais savoir comment vous trouvez vos différentes essences de bois ?. Pour moi c'est un vrai problème. Vos tutos sont formidables mais en français ce serait encore mieux.

[@stephanforseilles]

Bonjour Guy. Je vais dans une scierie de la région. Ca les embête un peu de vendre en petites quantités mais ils font avec. ;)

[@PSS_1]

Do you know of any species of wood similar in color to blue?

[@sharmstr]

Another great video. To account for the flat tip, you'd enter in as a engraving bit, right? If so, what would be your stepover settings since its now calculating stepover based on tip size instead of shank size.

[@stephanforseilles]

Thanks. Indeed as an engraving bit (watch out for the 1/2 angle). I use the flat tip width or even a bit larger for the stepover. We don't need a perfect surface finish under the inlay.

[@sharmstr]

@@stephanforseilles Got it. It adds a ton more time if you're not carful. Any thoughts on still using it as a vbit but offseting the Z height to account for the missing "tip"?

[@stephanforseilles]

@@sharmstr Well theoretically you could calculate the missing length with a bit of trigonometry. If your bit is 5°/side and the tip is 0.25mm the 'missing' length would be (1/2*5)/tan(5) = 1.43mm if I remember my maths. :) So you'd have to start with Z0 1.43mm above the material. To be tested! (And verified by someone better at maths).

[@sharmstr]

@@stephanforseilles Well, I cheated and did it in Fusion 360, so I know for my particular bit is .019". I can easily set up that offset in my probe settings. Just wondering if there's any advantage over using an engraving bit setting. I'll test it. And thank you again. You've helped me more on this subject than the 1000 posts I read over on the vectric forum :)

[@stephanforseilles]

@@sharmstr Thanks, it's great to see that the time invested in the videos is worth it!

[@holgerturck6718]

Great Video! Can you tell me where you have brought the D6 15° Bit? I am looking for such a carving bit for some time.

[@stephanforseilles]

Thanks! I'm not sure it's on sale yet: it's a prototype that www.cncfraises.fr made for me. They intend to put it in their shop soon anyway! You can inquire directly on their website (tell them you're looking for the "Forseilles prototype" ;) ).

[@hansolo.72]

hi stefan,since 2 years i make cuttingboards..now i bought a stepcraft cnc to make cuttingboards with inlays...your cuttingboards are amazing🙂do you sell your files for vcarve?thx

[@stephanforseilles]

Hi. I don't sell them and I couldn't even give that one free as there is a Etsy design in it that I don't have the rights to distribute. But I can pass on some other ones.

[@hansolo.72]

@@stephanforseilles how deep is your inlay?

[@hlopezho]

Man thats great video!! Im having trouble with gaps as well...why did you mean by x and y wasnt square?? How do you fix it?

[@stephanforseilles]

Hi. Thanks. I meant that X and/or Y are not to the right scale: if you machine a design of 100x100, it could ben for example, be 99x101 when machined. In GRBL those are set through the $10x parameters which sets the steps/mm for the motors.

[@stephanforseilles]

And it I also meant the the machine is not square (X not exactly perpendicular to Y).

[@hlopezho]

I get it, thanks for your answer! Fantastic work!!

[@alwinbok]

Nice work. How do you deal with the smaller details, ie there you will not get the cut depth of 8mm and an inlay of 6mm? Is that correct?

[@stephanforseilles]

Ideally you must make sure all carvings 'bottom out' or else you might get fitting problems... So sometimes I would make some of the carvings/inlays at 8/7mm, or 5/4mm even sometimes 3/2.5mm. I'm preparing a new video on that. :) I found out (with this one) that 2mm is too large as a glue gap

[@alwinbok]

@@stephanforseilles Thanks Stephan. Yes I can see the point that ideally you want the carving to bottom out. I am not a designer so I have been experimenting with some images from the internet like most people I imagine. Lots if images available but most of those need to be adapted for inlays. For example, if using 8mm for the pocket and using a 15 degree V-bit, with the V-bit on bottom the width of cut is 2.1mm. So any vectors that do not have at least 2.1mm of width in between them, cause the V-bit to go less deep. So how do you deal with that? So far I am reviewing the image and try to adjust the vectors in order to create enough spacing. Rather laborious.Thanks.

[@stephanforseilles]

@@alwinbok There is no easy way... I'd split the design in parts and use different depths of inlay, typically 8mm for the 'large' parts and 5 to 3 for the 'details'. Anything less that means your inly will be really too tiny. Then I'd make separated plugs for the different parts and glue/clean/glue/clean...

[@juggernaut_]

Very nice! What kind of wood are using?

[@stephanforseilles]

Thanks. Base is beech, main inlay is walnut and the rest (orange) is padauk.

[@juggernaut_]

Thx

[@anthonyferreira5233]

This came out really nice. Would you sell the svg files for this? Would like to try this from Africa. Thanks.

[@stephanforseilles]

Hello I found the Walter White on Google Images and I did the text directly in V-Carve.

[@anthonyferreira5233]

@@stephanforseilles Thanks for the reply, I did find an image and managed to get the image and text right. Looking forward to trying one when I go on break.

[@LYHTSPD]

I have a friend that would love one of these boards. Do you sell your vcarve files?

[@stephanforseilles]

I don't sell them. But I can give them away. ;)

[@LYHTSPD]

@@stephanforseilles how can I contact you?

[@PSS_1]

where to find interesting projects on the internet?

[@stephanforseilles]

I generally get designs on ETSY or I do them myself. For the rest I watch similar channels like mtmwood or broinwood.