Part 2: Box Top Design on Shapeoko

This is part 2 of 3 in my box making series for Shapeoko. This one focuses on finding SVG designs and getting them centered consistently on boxes.
Part 1 Basic Boxes is at • Box Making with Shapeoko
Part 3 Advanced Boxes is at • Part 3: Advanced Boxes...
Inkscape tutorial at: • How to trace a bitmap ...
Mr. Lizard can be found here: svgsilh.com/im...

[@PiercesPerfectPieces]

Love the thought process behind being able to find center every time!! Truly Sir your CNC skills & in depth tutorials are LITERALLY THE BEST THERE ARE. (Period) Truly thank you for showing/sharing this…. Very Informative!! 💯 🎯

[@tanialimacosta]

Best CNC working tips EVER!!! Thank you for your videos!!

[@overlycranked8674]

Great workflow this is ! The genius of the solution is it's simplicity. Thanks John for taking the time to do this video

[@santoorsudha]

Hi John: I just purchased my first CNC . Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I love the way you teach. Knowing is one thing but to make it easier for others to understand is something only a good teacher can do !. Yours is one of the best videos on KZbin.

[@johnearlclark]

Sunil Dixit thank you so much. I am so happy the videos are helpful.

[@Bellamotives]

Thank you for supporting artists!!! Another awesome video- thank you!!

[@joshuabray37]

Wow, that template tip is excellent! Thanks for that!

[@ryandetzel848]

What a great technique, I never thought to use the built in rapid positions!

[@millie19301]

This video opened my eyes to what is possible, loved it!!

[@weberwoodshop]

So many great tips. Loving these videos man!

[@ClintonCaraway]

One of my favorite KZbinrs commenting on another!!

[@everydaydad2618]

Really fantastic solution! Thanks for the video!

[@MakerTom2022]

Love this! Thanks for your centering method using the hogged out mdf. Now I know what to do with all the scrap mdf I have! Novice CNCer here, and a new subscriber.

[@johnearlclark]

Welcome! Scrap MDF is fantastic for jigs and such. It's also gotten really pricey lately.

[@sagoth72]

Great content, informative, and genius for the box tops.

[@mwevre1876]

Awesome! I use basically the same technique for inlays and pockets for epoxy in the top of my boxes. I just use a big MDF blank where I secure my pieces for cutting out the parts of the box, and have a pocket cut out for the box top in the same blank.

[@DADT12]

Very good video! You did a great job explaining the process!!

[@cadbikejake]

I like the Hank and John Green references that most people won't catch, like world suck and dooblidoo. Also great tutorial!

[@johnearlclark]

So glad someone caught that. :)

[@TetraCNC]

Awesome, thanks for sharing.

[@garyderksen8930]

Awesome John! You really make this look easy and feasible! I may just have to buy a shapeoko now!

[@johnearlclark]

It's a fun rabbit hole to tumble down.

[@garyderksen8930]

Trying to say swooshy bits!

[@alanbarnhill930]

Fantastic, great video. Lots of winter projects now!

[@vigilante004]

Best explained system I have seen yet. Thanks. I am subbed now.

[@garyderksen8930]

Me too !

[@harryragland7840]

I have some 2 sided work coming and I'm totally going to use your dowel locator idea to help with registration.

[@jenniferturton3120]

Awesome Job. Thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@Budkeywest]

Awesome! Great video!

[@davidmillerxxm]

Very smart idea, I can't wait to get my own cnc

[@wilbertpino8234]

Hi John! Excellent video. Wondering if someday you will show us how to go about making the cubes you have in the intro.

[@johnearlclark]

The cubes are definitely on my list. They are a fun build.

[@nellyb1106]

At 2:00 I freaked out and then at 3:08 I heard the message that I wanted. Art theft for profit is a real thing and it sucks. Thanks for supporting artists. :)

[@johnearlclark]

Always! As one of those poor people that can't draw to save his life, I am always amazed and impressed by actual artists. They deserve both respect and compensation for their work.

[@42icee]

Thanks for these!!!!

[@JeffMarhenke]

Great tutorial, thank you.

[@rbwoodwork1890]

Nice tutorial video enjoyed it, informative. Just a thought, have you considered on the round holders cutting them in half then clamping together the halves on the box? Little extra work but once you made the jig wouldn’t take any longer.

[@johnearlclark]

It might be worth a shot. The big trick is centering as much as anything else.

[@JANDLWOODWORKING]

All I can say is WOW!! your Good!

[@garyderksen8930]

I also am into swoosh’s bits....of the scroll saw variety....

[@poweredbyintel]

Great video. I picked up a lot of great tips. How do you get the boxes out of the jig you made? It seems you pressed it in pretty tight there.

[@johnearlclark]

if they seem like they will be too tight to lift out easily, I run a length of thin christmas ribbon under then before I press them in place. It adds a tiny bit of snugness but gives me something to lift with.

[@poweredbyintel]

@@johnearlclark oh that’s clever, like popping batteries out. Thanks for the help!

[@jaywelz9217]

You Make great vids man...Please keep em coming!

[@johnearlclark]

Thanks so much!

[@caluman69]

Your videos are awesome! I didn't get a shapeoko yet but I downloaded carbide create and have been playing in it. I only have 1 question if you don't mind. Will this work the same if exporting the tool path to a c2d file? I don't have carbide create pro and that's the only way to save a g code.

[@johnearlclark]

If you are using Carbide Motion to control the machine, it will use the c2d file just as if it was g-code. All Carbide create is doing is putting the gCode into the CC design file. I think it may have been a way to keep people from using Carbide Create's g-code on other machines and then calling into support with problems. As long as it stays "in the family" it works just fine. Does that help?

[@caluman69]

@@johnearlclark yes sir thank you very much! I'm currently binge watching your channel to learn. Thank you again!

[@robkowalski6567]

Great video!

[@DANNFIGDESIGNS]

Thank you.

[@fournierluc2205]

Thank you for the clear video tutorial. I just found your channel. How much material is left in the cover after the V-Carve? Aren't you afraid of going through? For the round box cover, you could use the painter's tape with super glue trick to hold the cover in place.

[@johnearlclark]

I usually leave the top about .25 to .3 inches thick if I am going to V-Carve. If I feel like the design has a lot of wider open spaces, I use my 90 degree V-Bit so it doesn't go as deep. If it's a lot of small delicate spaces, I use a 60 degree bit to get a little more definition. As a general rule, the wider the space being v-carved, the deeper the bit goes. After a while you get a good feel for which designs will give you problems. I have used the painter's tape with super glue trick a few times, but it tends to tear up the centering jigs after a while. These days I find that if I wrap the edges of the top in 2 or 3 layers of painters tape, I get a really good friction fit. Glad you enjoyed the videos

[@ronaldhoppus9015]

Thanks for your vids and inspiration John. Where did you find that Lions head medallion?

[@johnearlclark]

That one came from Shutterstock: www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/polynesian-lion-tribal-612230198 They have a free one month trial membership.

[@ronaldhoppus9015]

Thank you for the quick reply John. Now I like your channel even more :-)

[@MaudVesta]

😲😲

[@Whiteboyinc-]

Thank you!

[@SkipEvansx]

Great video. Using you example, I cut a small lidded box. All worked great except for one..The top would not slip over the bottom. Not surprised since each part had the same dimension. Do you sand one lip so the other will fit, or do you cut one lip a few thousandths off to make the fit go easier?

[@johnearlclark]

Usually, I will make one a few thousandths off. Sometimes I still have to sand. Glad the video helped.

[@bjpasco]

So would I be correct in saying that there is no need to set depth of V bit in carve path as the depth will be dictated by the space between the shapes of the image. However one might want to set depth to the stock bottom in case the bit dia is smaller than some of the image lines and could possibly punch through?

[@johnearlclark]

Yes, that is correct. Older versions of Carbide Create didn't have a max depth for v-carve (I think they may have stopped at the length of the cutter). However, being able to set a max depth also lets you come back after the v-carve with a regular end mill and clean out the bigger sections.

[@eddiekelly8201]

Thank you so much help. Love your videos. Do you have a video on how you made the box jig?

[@johnearlclark]

If you mean the centering jig, that is covered in the video about 9 minutes in. Is that what you mean?

[@zeyeam]

John, thanks so much for the videos. They are great for me as I will get my first cnc machine, a Shapeoko XXL in a couple days. After I make the threaded wasteboard and some holddowns I am planning on making the rectangular box. I have a question on the lizard carving, what determines the depth the v-bit goes too? We will only have about 1/4" to play with.

[@zeyeam]

Think I answered my own question by reading more of the comments below. Sorry for doubling up. If I understand correctly the v-bit will go as deep as it needs to to reach each side of a single component of the drawing. Glad I checked as the lizard drawing I downloaded does not have the line down the center of the lizards tail so the carve would have been full width on the tail and I would have carved right through the top. Thanks again for all the information you and others are providing here.

[@johnearlclark]

@@zeyeam I am working on a V-carving deep dive video right now. The short answer is the distance between the two line determines how deep things go. If you use a 90 degree V-bit, then geometry says that the depth is going to be half the width between the lines. So any lines that are less than 1/2 inch apart should work on your 1/4 thick material. It might make more sense once I finish the video, but short answer is that the lizard "should" work as long as the tail is less than a half inch wide.

[@zeyeam]

Thanks for the reply John. I have now ordered the 90 degree bit and it should be here by the time I can be ready for it.

[@JimIah66]

I have one question. When I set the bit to the center and start my job, it does not stay in the center. I have a 10 x 10 plate with the opening for the box top and it always starts at the lower left side of the 10" square and not in the 6" circle where my top is. When you set the Z on your video, you say that it knows the x and y, but you do not show how that is done. I have a bit setter and even used it for the 10 inch base and it still does not start in the 6" circle. I am using carbide create v 714. Am I missing something?

[@juliebrennan4805]

John, just received a newSahapeoko XL and have watchd sall your ideo multiple times. Can you please tell me your source for the blank boxes. Have looked all over and having a difficult time, Love your videos and really looking forward to creating and learning more,

[@johnearlclark]

I am not sure what you mean by blank boxes. All the boxes are made on the machine. See part 1 for details: kzbin.info/www/bejne/goKsiGOLmp5_pK8

[@juliebrennan4805]

@@johnearlclark so sorry John, I missed that one .Thank you for all you do and explain in layman terms, the more i watch the more i realize what I need to learn- excited.

[@johnearlclark]

@@juliebrennan4805 No worries at all. It's a lot to take in at first. The box videos are a good place to start. Once you get a few made they start to become familiar and you can start making your own designs. Please feel free to ask questions. I will try to respond when I can.

[@ricardobranco1500]

Great tutorial...tks

[@msjesiel26]

Great video, beautiful boxes. Thinking of getting a Shapeoko 3 myself, would you recommend it?

[@johnearlclark]

I love mine. There is so much you can do with it.

[@DANNFIGDESIGNS]

I'm having a sitdown with the girlfriend tonight. lol. I have to get in her head and let her know how cool this is. Wait... not just cool, but a money maker. :P

[@TomMcGraw-c3m]

You managed to cut that center out of your template without tabs?

[@johnearlclark]

Yeah. I was a bit more adventurous back then. These days I just go with a pocket or the painters tape method if I am just cutting straight through.

[@bentebrunsvelt319]

Great video i like

[@karlriley1314]

OK, I'm new to all this stuff so can you show how you got that to go to the center? Did you program it or is it set up all ready? If you had to program it how did you do it.

[@johnearlclark]

If you are using carbide Motion, the Jog section has a button called "Rapid Position" which can take the machine to 9 specific spots on the board (four corners, front, back, left, right and center. It's extremely helpful for getting a consistent starting point.

[@karlriley1314]

@@johnearlclark I have Candle

[@resorter66]

New Here watched your first video It was great and easy to follow. I see in the start of this video a Heart shaped box did you do a video on making it ,if so where could I find it. Thanks a fellow Shapeoko owner Jeff

[@johnearlclark]

Hi Jeff, I have not done anything specifically on the heart shaped box, but I will try to in the near future. However, the basic principles are the same as what I am doing in the basic box video for part one of this series at kzbin.info/www/bejne/goKsiGOLmp5_pK8 If you can create the outer shape of the box, you can use the offset option in Carbide Create to define the inner pocket and the lip (like the video shows). Take a peek at that one and let me know if you have questions. I am happy to help.

[@micmike]

hi john, thanks for sharing your knowledge, appreciate the tutorials. had a question if you don't mind, how long did it take the router to carve that lizard into the box top?

[@johnearlclark]

Hi Mike. It was probably about 15 minutes or less. I do tend to bump the feed rate and plunge rate for V-carving if I am not going really deep. I also set the retract height to about 2mm (as long as the work surface is flat). The defaults are a little slow to me.

[@jaredp.8065]

Its not only polite, its the law.

[@edjackson2047]

What bit did you use on the 2 round boxes? It doesn't seem like a V bit would work.

[@johnearlclark]

The v-bit is only for carving the top. I use a 1/8 and a 1/4 for cutting the box itself.

[@thegreenman4898]

well explained, subbed ;0)

[@erplanefixer]

For round box tops why don’t you leave the tabs on and use a holder that has the tab negatives. That would keep them from rotating...

[@johnearlclark]

Not a bad idea!

[@donaldhall7576]

What's the depth setting you use for your v carve

[@johnearlclark]

At the time this was made, I don't think depth was an option. I tend to set the max depth to a little less than the width of the widest part of my v-bit. I also check the simulation to get a feel for what it looks like. Always keep in mind that the depth of the bit is based on the distance between the lines. For example, a 90 degree vBit will always go half as deep as the distance between the lines. A 60 degree will go slightly deeper. Does that help?

[@Willcustomlaserengraving]

Is there a place for a newbie such as myself to download your templates?

[@johnearlclark]

Sure: The lizard box is here: www.dropbox.com/s/783ut9gzlp6s7u1/Lizard%20Box.zip?dl=0 and the round box is here: www.dropbox.com/s/a4jracouoqntxaf/4_point_2_inch_round_box.c2d.zip?dl=0 and the dice box is here: www.dropbox.com/s/zvimrmou5fc6ay4/DiceBox.c2d.zip?dl=0 Feel free to ask questions.

[@ericromeis6252]

silly question John, when i right click on the svg file in google images, it only lets me save a .png file... any suggestions?

[@johnearlclark]

Sometimes I have to go to the website for the image and download it there. I find that a lot with the WikiCommens website. Google picks up the fact there there is an SVG available on the site but it links the png. You should see a “go to website” option for the image in the search result.

[@ericromeis6252]

@@johnearlclark I really appreciate the heads up. I went to a website called Convert PNG to SVG and there you can easily do the conversions for free. thanks again.

[@johnearlclark]

@@ericromeis6252 Cool. I will check them out.

[@cliffart7398]

not center off the edge but from the old measurement

[@mariomorenoperez3647]

hola excelentes videos que programa usa para hecar los vectore.

[@johnearlclark]

Hi Mario, I usually use Inkscape for working with vectors inkscape.org/ Forgive me if I misunderstand the question, my Spanish is very rusty. I am glad you like the video. Thank you.

[@KodayW94]

I would recommend open clipart and inkscape before ever buy a image. A small amount of work for free images

[@garyderksen8930]

Swoosh’s

[@cliffaddy]

Buying the design for products you sell isn't just nice, it's the legal way to do it. An artist's work is owned by them, just taking it is theft.

[@mathboy1212]

You must watch AVE. Dodilido

[@johnearlclark]

Bob Pinta The Vlog Brothers 😀