Spoilboard Surfacing - Two ways

Layne shows how to create a spoilboard file using Aspire or V-Carve Pro while Mitz uses Carveco Maker and a slightly different strategy to surface a spoilboard for the Onefinity CNC.
For the CNC newbie, this will be one of the first jobs run on the Onefinity.
Creating Spoilboard file with Aspire & V-Carve Pro 0:32
Creating Spoilboard file with Carveco Maker 13:02
Preparing to Surface Spoilboard 17:52
Surfacing teh Spoilboard 24:31

[@alixquinlan1486]

Thanks for the video!! Just got my Onefinity on Friday and I've been overwhelmed with new software but these step by steps guides are perfect!

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

That’s awesome Alix! Congrats! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

[@BalancedToons]

Thanks so much for the video. I've owned a Journeyman for several months and started with surfacing the spoil board using different methods a couple of times and was very disappointed with the results. Mitz...If followed your method step-by-step (adjusting for the longer x-travel for the journeyman) and I'm very satisfied and ready to get rolling now with a lot more confidence.

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Glad it worked out for you. This is an older video before I upgraded to the journeyman but same principles apply.

[@badpdxdrivers]

Woot thank you! This walk through helped me learn allot about V Carve Pro. I would love to see more walk throughs like this.

[@jagoehring]

What a great reference tool for all of us! Thanks guys, for taking the time to make this video. Been using my 1F for awhile now, it's time to re-surface my spoil board again...wasn't sure anymore how to go about it. LOL! Super glad to find this information on here from you fine gentlemen! :D

[@Excavator99]

Great Tutorial! I like how you show both software procedures. Keep them coming!

[@grantpeckford2035]

Thankyou this is very helpful! This program worked perfectly

[@sifirid]

Fantastic video both of you! Thank you very much!

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Thanks

[@cschebel]

Much appreciated. Very well explained. Thank you.

[@nwrasch]

These videos on how to get started are great; please keep making them! Ordered my CNC and looking forward to putting all this into practice. :)

[@ronaldhoppus9015]

That's the one I was wating for! Thanks guys. Also would love to see your take on traming..... :-)

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Should be next on the list

[@wagsman9999]

Thank you. Very helpful.

[@johnmeachen1548]

You fellows are making it harder than it needs to be. I was surprised to find that Vectric don't include a facing toolpath option. I would avoid all the node editing stuff by drawing a rectangle that covers the entire work area plus a little to include all the corners. Then use the same tool in pocketing mode to create a very shallow pocket. That seems much simpler.

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

We’re showing two different ways which can be done in both programs. If you go to the section where Carveco Make is being used, you’ll see that the surfacing design is exactly as you described.

[@ToddFlorence]

Great job! Love all the knowledge you both bring to the forum, Facebook page and here… You guys are rockstars… thank you!

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Thanks Todd

[@bobwittstein]

Great video. Really helpful!

[@Kal-zo5ym]

Excellent video! Thanks

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Thanks Kal

[@A2ZGeek]

Love to see a version for those of us on the journeyman. Beyond the creation of the file I’m lost when centering the bit because I’m not sure what math you did to arrive at the center point.

[@satgod]

I love that enclosure

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Thank you. The link to the build document is in the description of the part 2 video

[@randyhuffine8430]

Thanks Guys, I designed the file you explained to surface my 1F. It ran beautifully. I can't believe how far out it was. .027 between high and low. I am going to need to shim my router from front to back a few thousandths. Any help you may be able to suggest will be well received. My finish is wavy front to back with the front being slightly higher. Left to right looks good.

[@davelethaby1279]

Good job, guys!

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Thanks Dave

[@omm2745]

This is super helpful.... Is it my correct understanding that you should surface first, then tram (if necessary).... BUT I'm using the Vcarve software... should I design the surfacing file more like the Carveco example so I can see if I need "tramming"? If I'm thinking of "tramming" correctly I would need to go through the "pocket" type tooling so I can "see" all sides of how the router is set up which the Carveco file seems to do as opposed to a straight back and forth of the VCarve version.... Please be gentle ha ha... very new at all this.... Thanks for a great video and willingness to share your expertise.... It is people like you that make this journey easier and more fun!!!

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Yes, you should surface before tramming otherwise you don’t have a point of reference. I prefer to use the offset cut like the one shown for Carveco to determine whether you need to tram front to back and side to side. The pocket type is the best way to do this in my opinion. You can reach out to Layne or myself - we’re both on the Onefinity Facebook forum and messaging. Feel free to reach out anytime for help

[@omm2745]

@@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz Very kind invitation.. thank you ... I'll give it a go first (the struggle can be a good teacher !!)... appreciate your time thanks...

[@williamyoung9821]

A real great presentation for clear understanding. Just a quick question, is it advisable to have the spoil board a couple inches larger than the cutting area? Thanks.....Bill

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

It really doesn’t matter as long as your bit can reach the edge of the material. I wind up putting a grid that’s 32 x 32 or whatever my cutting area is which will define the cutting area.

[@laurac4562]

how do you load something to thumb drive and then to machine? I just got my foreman set up( first cnc) and did elite test cut but cannot figure out how to add something else. Any help, please.

[@CiaranWhelan]

What is the software you are using to drive the CNC? I have just finished building a 1000x750 Queenbee Pro, and wish I knew about the Onefinity a few months ago. I would have been very happy to have got one of these instead. I lovbe that it is running on 50mm hollow rods and real ballscrews.

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Im using Carveco Maker to create the design and generate the gcode necessary that machine can read and cut. Layne uses Vectric VCarve Pro. Both are great design softeware programs. I'd suggest getting trial versions of both to play around with and find which one suits you best.

[@CiaranWhelan]

@@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz i have vectric vcarve, however I meant the software on your 10inch touch screen driving your cnc.

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

All I know is that the controller is built off of Buildbotics technology

[@CiaranWhelan]

@@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz thank you very much for advising, this looks like a solid product. Question, does this allow for a touch screen interface for controlling lie a touch screen jog?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Yes it does allow for touchscreen interface and touchscreen jogging. You can also attach a joystick controller to jog and move the router

[@davidrowe1254]

Thank you sir

[@BigHWorks]

Great video - thanks. Layne, the vectors that are unconnected cause a pause and the Z bobs up and then back down. How do you eliminating the up and down bobbing?

[@JCraftvfx]

For VCarve, couldnt you just make a square covering the whole board and treat it as a pocket tool path instead of manually making a tool path?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Yes you can. In the section using Carveco, that’s precisely what we did. You can do the same in VCarve also.

[@boundarywaterz]

I am new to this and I am asking a newbie question: I have VCarve pro and I am following your instruction but In my window when you are laying out the spoilboard path at around 1:48 you are typing IN values....I do not have any option to do this, it is blank. I see the X:32.125 Y:9 but NO value. Where do I find the preference for this?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Reach out to me in FB Messenger and I’ll help you sort it out. (Search for Mitz Pellicciotta in the Onefinity FB group)

[@Tammy-L-S]

Does this work in Carveco for the journeyman? The size is 48x32. So it is rectangular and not square. Thank you.

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Yes it will work in Carveco for the Journeyman. Reach out to me (Mitz Pellicciotta in Messenger) as I have the files already created for spoilboard surfacing and 2” grid.

[@JONJBRO]

quick question: I saved on carveco, same file type (.ngc) , in the same manner you did here and when I go to open the file again it only shows under 'all files' not under 'all supported files' and gives me an error when i attempt to open. 'carveco does not support this file format (.ngc) , will it not open the .ngc even though it saves it?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Hi John. It’s hard to diagnose without actually seeing how and what was saved. Give me a shout on messenger and I’ll try to walk you through it.

[@patruddiman4228]

I copied your process exactly on VCarve pro. Copied the files on to a flash drive. Ran the file on my Next Wave Shark HD510 and on each pass it is at a different height on one side. What did I do wrong. This is a brand new machine with a green horn running it.

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Hi Pat, did you select the correct post processor for your machine when you saved the toolpaths? Not sure what else might be causing it to carve at different heights. If it’s not the PP, then reach out to me in FB messenger and I will try to help

[@Golfexpertbelieveme]

Wont it not let you do it cause the bit will run outside the parameters? It gives the fit error

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Not sure what step you’re at to give you fit error. Send me a note in messenger and I can help determine what the issue is

[@jimbunde8884]

just got my 1fin assembled,getting message when I try to load a file----"UNSUPPORTED FILE TYPE-TXT" DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA WHAT I AM DOING WRONG,OR JUST NOT DOING?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Hey Jim. When you saved the file, did you select the correct post processor? Send me a message through FB Messenger.

[@davidrowe1254]

Thank you - invaluable for someone new to CNC like me. Mitz what monitor is that, can't deal with the small one that came with Onefinity?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Hi David! The monitor is a Dell2314T. I picked it up at a relatively good price as a used monitor on a marketplace type website

[@keithparker9380]

A nice video can you tell me how the 1.6 was reached in the Array tool? Thanks

[@JustinTimeRM450]

I tried to follow your steps very closely when using the carveco maker software but I get lost around the time you are trying to probe for Z and actually run the program created from Carveco. Im able to use the g00x16.063y16.063 and it takes me to the center. But once I probe for Z and try to run the program it comes up with an error for Z for the maximum soft limit. Any idea on how to fox this?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Text or call me. 816-536-1398

[@user-cv6un7dj7b]

@@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz Having the same problem but mine says: "X axis position -10.16mm is less than minimum soft limit 0mm While executing GCode block:X-0.4 Y0.4 G1 At: ./upload/Surface 1 inch bit AGAIN3X.ngc:10 Caused by: X axis position -10.16mm is less than minimum soft limit 0mm". I'm very new to this, but I thought i was following along well.

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

V - give me a call or text me.

[@coleslaw2004]

@@user-cv6un7dj7b I just ran into this, but once I set the x/y midpoint as 0,0 *after* moving to the midpoint of 16.063,16.063 machine was happy

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Once the machine is moved with the mdi command to the center point, you need to set x and y to zero. If you get a soft limit error on Z, you can either lower the bit out of the router a little way or lower the z slider to the lowest position

[@RABWOODSHOPSTUDIO]

Just installed it on the qcw from underneath and even by lowering the gantry to the bottom holes, my bit is 1/2 inch above the material?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

It shouldn’t be…what surfacing bit are you using? I have mine on the QCW frame also and the z slider in the middle position and my 1” Whiteside surfacing bit still reaches the spoilboard.

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Send me a message through FB messenger and I’ll try to help you

[@dasfreakster]

Hmmm. I keep getting an error when probing with my Whiteside 1" surfacing bit.

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Call me 816/536-1398

[@st0mper121]

thank you. You must have seen my waste board and figured it was time:) The question i have is when i made a grid pattern. I was told to make it a single line. (Im new in this world) so the constant brakes in the line confuses me? or is it because your using a 1" bit? or i was told/read/remembering wrong?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

The grid does not have to be joined. you just need the start points controlled, so that when you select 2 lines, that the end of one is the start of another. on the vcarve part of this video, you can see that i did the same. a series of vectors that i control the start point of. in vcarve, you can enter node edit mode by hitting N key, and then right click on the end you want to start and make start. it will be the green node. if you get this wrong, it willl still cut fine, it just may jump around more doing it. since i made mine with segments already a the start point before copying, they continue to copy the nodes that way.

[@Tony66M]

Thanks Layne and Mitz. I am number 15667 and waiting for mine thinking mid July? Just wondering Mitz, I see you use Carveco Maker. What does Carveco Maker Plus give you additionally for what a person would want to do?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Right now, maker does everything I want to do. Maker + allows you to edit 3D files whereas Maker won’t. I’ll eventually upgrade to Maker Plus but I still haven’t reached the limitations of Maker.

[@kennywatzke1416]

How are you manually entering those values?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Use the MDI tab shown below the jog screen

[@jaynelapudi1916]

Hi Mitz can we use the same strategy using the VCarve instead Carveco Maker?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Yes. Create pocket, run offset strategy etc

[@MrJauxT]

quick question. i will be setting mine up soon but it's for the Elite Foreman. Will these settings and steps work with this version? Right now I followed your steps for the toolpath file but obviously I adjusted to the size of the cutting area I will have (48 x 48) and I'm using a Amana #45526 1-1/2 in surfacing bit. Get back to me when you can. thanks.

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

As long as you’ve adjusted for size you should be good. I would actually set size to 49”x49”…with 1-1/2” bit, the centerline of the bit would only need to travel 47-1/2”, well inside the cutting area.

[@MrJauxT]

@@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz that’s exactly how I entered my numbers when I created the file. Thanks for getting back to me quickly. I’ll let you know if I have any issues. Cheers 🍻

[@MrJauxT]

@@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz Hello again, so I'm having an issue finding the center of my spoil board. i tried using the same method you used by using the MDI Command line and I entered X and Y using the G00 command but it only took me to the center of my Y but then took me to the far right of my X axis. I tried entering the commands one by one but it would not move from that position. I re-homed it and tried again but with the same result. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

What machine do you have?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Home your machine first, then touch x and y on your screen to zero those axis. Then enter the mdi command G00X24.015Y24.187 and run. Should move to the center of both x and y. If you’re still having problems, send me a note through FB Messenger. You can easily fine me on the Onefinity Official FB group

[@Wegowing]

Question guys, I’m using VCarve Pro 10.512. When I’m saving the toolpaths, when I go to “Post Processor”, it does not give me a choice of OneFinity. What am I to choose? “G Code ATC(inch) (*.tap) ? This is the first file I’ve ever tried to run. Total noob...

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Go to the Onefinity forum page forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/post-processor-in-vcarve/2179 And search for Vectric post processor. Instructions and files are there. Too lengthy to paste here.

[@ajgros5248]

Thanks Onefinity. Got it installed.

[@davidrowe1254]

Mitz would it be possible to do a tutorial sometime on converting a ready to run file created in another software program to Carveco Maker?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

David, you can’t take a ready to run gcode file created in any software and import it into carveco maker or maker plus

[@davidrowe1254]

@@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz ok sorry still learning this whole CNC world

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

No worries. I had to confirm with Carveco myself!

[@curtbrooks7495]

What speed do you set your router 1-5, do you have a tramming video

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

I normally have my router set at 3 on the Dial. Here’s the link to the tramming video kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYfTomxsgKuZrM0

[@williamyoung9821]

Again, newbe need help. I see you check the continuity but where do I find the screen on the masso elite to see that. It appears you're using a computer monitor.

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

This was on the original machine (x35 and x50). On the Masso, if you go to the F1 screen, in the center column, scroll down to the touch probe input. When you touch the probe to the bit (magnet on collet), you will see the input change from low/green to red/high. This indicates to have good continuity

[@williamyoung9821]

Thanks for that. Now, Problem, the makita came with a plastic collet. @@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz

[@williamyoung9821]

Yes thanks. I have no continuity from probe to tool or from magnet to aluminum pad. Have continuity from plug on probe wire to aluminum pad using ohm meter.@@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Reach out to me in messenger. Will try to help

[@eherby]

What are you supposed to do if your using vertic desktop?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Desktop limits you to 24” x 24”. Sending you a message

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Ed- there are several with your name...can you send me an email? [e-mail]

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Hi Ed - send me an email or message. I might be able to assist you

[@trumpetflowerII]

It was too quick for me; my retention of this demo was about 10%. I want to learn and would like to benefit from your experience, but I have not.

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Sorry to hear that. Sometimes trying to cover a lot of info in a short time is hard to do. Reach out in Messenger and would be glad to cover anything in more detail

[@jasminaibojantodorovic566]

Why drawing a tool path, and not use pocketing toolpath, raster? It doesn't make sense...

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

There are 2 ways to do the spoilboard surfacing on this video, one using Aspire, the other using Carveco Maker. Not sure which one doesn’t make sense to you…the Carveco Maker one is a pocket toolpath, but uses an offset strategy for carving rather than a raster cut. The reason for this strategy is I can tell which way I need to tilt my router in the event I need to tram the machine.

[@michaeljensen7146]

why not just run a pocket toolpath?

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Not sure which method you are referencing but for the Carveco design, an area clear is like a pocket cut

[@fredscott413]

sell me a copy of the file so I dont have to go through all this.

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

What software are you using?

[@ionbuilds]

Getting this error, X axis position 825.137mm is greater than maximum soft limit 816mm While executing GCode block:G1 X16.4227 At: ./upload/Pocket SpoilBoard.ngc:12 Caused by: X axis position 825.137mm is greater than maximum soft limit 816mm It says While executing GCode block:G1 X16.4227, but I am at 16.063 not sure why. I tried both ways.

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

Send me a message through Messenger or text me at [phone]

[@onefinity-trainingtipswithMitz]

I’d like to help but would like to chat about this further to resolve error message. Please contact me

[@rosswells4090]

Really great info. Thanks.