Too bad I live so far on the other side of LA. I would be happy to volunteer to help clean up, set up, or do basic computer stuff to help out if I can. I know someone that has metal cnc shop, but they have a bit of an attitude... Apparently my family connection and interest in learning isn't enough. 
Either way, thanks for offering the diy community your services.
Either way, thanks for offering the diy community your services.
Quick Notes ...
... more later.
For some designs, the horn shape and component slices are not like you suppose.
You will always have steps, the question is how small (or large).
You can cut multiple steps into a material using multiple tool paths and depths.
Step design, can be arranged for either fill-in or abrade-down.
Once a design is set, and production runs are a given, then custom tooling becomes a viable option to reduce hand finishing.
Another option is to use the CNC router to produce routing templates for use with a hand router instead.
Does your machine have 3-axis control?
I use AutoCAD for my design work.
Regards,
WHG
... more later.
For some designs, the horn shape and component slices are not like you suppose.
You will always have steps, the question is how small (or large).
You can cut multiple steps into a material using multiple tool paths and depths.
Step design, can be arranged for either fill-in or abrade-down.
Once a design is set, and production runs are a given, then custom tooling becomes a viable option to reduce hand finishing.
Another option is to use the CNC router to produce routing templates for use with a hand router instead.
Does your machine have 3-axis control?
I use AutoCAD for my design work.
Regards,
WHG
I think I used stl files when I was importing 3D files into my cam software (haven't done it for a few years now). This should eliminate the problem of unjoined curves and edges. It looks like sketch up can do this if you install an extension. It is not the best way to go if you're just trying to make 2d shapes as everything is converted into triangles with a finite size (so curves are now a series of small straight lines). A native file format like dxf would be better in that case, and a real cad program would allow you to make good files.
Yes, I have that free plug in for Sketchup that can export both DXF and STL files and I've been able to import exported files into the trial editions of the Vectrix software. Getting it to do something with them is the hard part.
When you import STL you get a 3D image but when I tried to carve it, all I did was crash my computer. All I wanted was beveled edges for my horn flares. There apparently is a fair learning curve on CNC for doing 3D but cutting 2D shapes seems relatively easy.
Today I spent some time playing with importing SKP files directly and was amazed at how quickly and painlessly it went. I imported a sketchup cut sheet file onto which I had cut and pasted enough components to make two speakers. VcarvePro took all them in as 2D shapes in one go, placed them on 3 4x8 sheets of MDF, and allowed me to make a tool path for the first sheet, which is as much as I know how to do. ( 3 sheets was the best layout I could do manually).
The "real" tool path would require some work by someone that knew what he was doing but the import process was trivially easy.
Some of those components have a 45 degree beveled edge and I failed to find a way to get that info imported from Sketchup into VCarvePro/Aspire. (reading the manual didn't help) I thought I could that I could put all of those edges on a separate layer and then tell the tool to use a V-bit when tracing those edges but I think the bevelled edge layer got lost in translation. The vector selection filter method for designating what vectors to be followed in a tool path seems weak. I would certainly welcome suggestions as to how to do this.
Nevertheless, this was extremely encouraging.
Jack
When you import STL you get a 3D image but when I tried to carve it, all I did was crash my computer. All I wanted was beveled edges for my horn flares. There apparently is a fair learning curve on CNC for doing 3D but cutting 2D shapes seems relatively easy.
Today I spent some time playing with importing SKP files directly and was amazed at how quickly and painlessly it went. I imported a sketchup cut sheet file onto which I had cut and pasted enough components to make two speakers. VcarvePro took all them in as 2D shapes in one go, placed them on 3 4x8 sheets of MDF, and allowed me to make a tool path for the first sheet, which is as much as I know how to do. ( 3 sheets was the best layout I could do manually).
The "real" tool path would require some work by someone that knew what he was doing but the import process was trivially easy.
Some of those components have a 45 degree beveled edge and I failed to find a way to get that info imported from Sketchup into VCarvePro/Aspire. (reading the manual didn't help) I thought I could that I could put all of those edges on a separate layer and then tell the tool to use a V-bit when tracing those edges but I think the bevelled edge layer got lost in translation. The vector selection filter method for designating what vectors to be followed in a tool path seems weak. I would certainly welcome suggestions as to how to do this.
Nevertheless, this was extremely encouraging.
Jack
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