Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Woodworking => Topic started by: holdennut on September 26, 2006, 01:03:26 am
-
Hey guys, I've just finished my lowboy cab and have had a lot of requests from mates to build them one :banghead:
I've got all my measurements down on paper and thought if I could convert them to CAD or something I could use a CNC router to to most of the hard work for me.
Unfortunately I can't get my head around AutoCAD, it's like a whole new language!
So the BIG question! Can anyone help me convert these plans to something I can use on a CNC router? And if so what sort of dollars are we talking?
http://users.on.net/~holdennut/Lowboy_Cabinet_Plans_v3.pdf
Cheers
-
You'll never be able to get it to a stage where you can just hand your drawing file over to a CNC operator and he'll be able to machine it- each machine has its own toolset and preferred language and each operator does things differently too. Your best bet would be to make it as easy for the CNC programmer to set up as possible to minimize their time (my boss charges US$90 an hour for me to do CNC work for people).
Each CNC shop could ask you to supply the file in a different format too, so it's best to find out from the start what kind of file they'd like. I take AutoCAD files from customers, but they need a lot of setup on my part to get machineable. If a customer is giving me a 2D file I prefer Illustrator files with each part as a solid closed path, Illustrator files have bezier paths so curves always come out nice and smooth. Having them as solid objects means straight away I'll know if its machineable or not. But then that's just me.
Anyways, yep I'll do it for you. Hows $90 per hour sound? (kidding)
I'll do it for whatever you see as reasonable. Call your CNC place and find out what format they'd like the artwork provided and if there's any limitations of their machines you should be aware of and I'll tailor it as best I can for them. Also, what size sheets of material will you be using?