# Inspector General Badge, Walnut



## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

This was not a difficult project but the Walnut is so pretty I figured I'd show y'all. Originally they wanted me to cut all the detail in the IG Badge but it was over 19,000 nodes and it brought Fusion 360 and my computer, which ain't too shabby a computer, to its knees. Each time I would make a slight change in the file to clean up a jagged edge or something it took my computer and F360 about 15 minutes to refresh and hand control back to me. Ultimately we settled on the trophy shop doing the detail on the laser and I would just cut the outline and add the block on the bottom for a brass plate.

This has a couple of coats of Nitrocellulose sanding sealer and gloss lacquer and it's about 14" tall x 9 1/2" wide. The knot and cracks look far more pronounced in the photo than in reality and are very smooth. There will be so much laser burning in this area that I don't think it will be noticed anyway. When I talked to them a couple of days ago they indicated they'll probably want 10 to 12 of these.

Here's the graphic - 








Front view - 








Close up - 








Back side - 








Like I said, not difficult or really worth of a thread but I just love the Walnut so y'all get to see it. :wink:

David


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

difalkner said:


> This was not a difficult project but the Walnut is so pretty I figured I'd show y'all. Originally they wanted me to cut all the detail in the IG Badge but it was over 19k nodes and it brought Fusion 360 and my computer, which ain't too shabby a computer, to its knees. Each time I would make a slight change in the file to clean up a jagged edge or something it took my computer and F360 about 15 minutes to refresh and hand control back to me. Ultimately we settled on the trophy shop doing the detail on the laser and I would just cut the outline and add the block on the bottom for a brass plate.
> 
> This has a couple of coats of Nitrocellulose sanding sealer and gloss lacquer and it's about 14" tall x 9 1/2" wide. The knot and cracks look far more pronounced in the photo than in reality and are very smooth. There will be so much laser burning in this area that I don't think it will be noticed anyway. When I talked to them a couple of days ago they indicated they'll probably want 10 to 12 of these.
> 
> ...


That is fantastic grain,David, I agree with you. I just hope the engraving and laser burning do'nt Mess it up. Beautiful.
Herb


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

@difalkner 
After the laser and engraving, do you then put a final finish on the plaque?

Herb


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## Pro4824 (Oct 17, 2015)

Hey David, could you do just the eagle, then the border...


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Herb Stoops said:


> @difalkner
> After the laser and engraving, do you then put a final finish on the plaque?
> 
> Herb


No sir, they'll cut through the lacquer into the Walnut and that will be the final step.



Pro4824 said:


> Hey David, could you do just the eagle, then the border...


I could, Joe, but it was taking a looooonnnggg time to do anything with the file. I cleaned it up in CorelDraw and deleted a lot but it still left over 19,000 nodes. And there were so many lines that were tied together it became very tedious and time consuming. And creating separate files for each section would still mean many hours that I was not really going to recoup on the job. The big problem is that Fusion 360 isn't designed for this many nodes and it is just very slow in processing. The Vectric line of software probably handles this better but I don't have any Vectric software.

David


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

I’m a huge fan of Walnet now


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## woodworker47 (Dec 19, 2008)

I have always been a fan of Walnut. Who else would make a wagon out of walnut. See my previous posts.

Frank


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## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

Beautiful piece of Walnut


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

difalkner said:


> No sir, they'll cut through the lacquer into the Walnut and that will be the final step.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Maybe it's time to consider Vectric's software, David. Here's how your artwork was easily converted in V Carve Pro. I imported your bitmap, auto traced it to produce vectors (a less than one minute task), and set up a v-carve toolpath using a 45º v bit. I will say however, that the laser is a quicker, and perhaps better, solution for this artwork. Carving time would around an hour on this file.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Ollie's right. Time to upgrade to Vectric. You can still keep your title of computer wizard and Mr El Cheapo. We won't tell!

These were made off a internet pic using the bitmap tracing tool -- no node editing at all.


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## beltramidave (Jan 6, 2016)

Gaffboat said:


> Maybe it's time to consider Vectric's software, David. Here's how your artwork was easily converted in V Carve Pro. I imported your bitmap, auto traced it to produce vectors (a less than one minute task), and set up a v-carve toolpath using a 45º v bit. I will say however, that the laser is a quicker, and perhaps better, solution for this artwork. Carving time would around an hour on this file.


I tried this too, but you ended up with a better looking trace, especially on the text.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Gaffboat said:


> Maybe it's time to consider Vectric's software, David. Here's how your artwork was easily converted in V Carve Pro. I imported your bitmap, auto traced it to produce vectors (a less than one minute task), and set up a v-carve toolpath using a 45º v bit. I will say however, that the laser is a quicker, and perhaps better, solution for this artwork. Carving time would around an hour on this file.


I figured it would be that easy, Oliver. Fusion 360 is powerful software but not suited for this type of work where Vectric has targeted that area. The laser will take a long time to engrave this, as well, btw.



honesttjohn said:


> Ollie's right. Time to upgrade to Vectric. You can still keep your title of computer wizard and Mr El Cheapo. We won't tell!
> 
> These were made off a internet pic using the bitmap tracing tool -- no node editing at all.


Haha! I would not consider any Vectric product an upgrade, sorry... But it does do certain tasks very well and it is well suited for doing what it does. And yes, El Cheapo fits! LOL! :nerd:

Does Vectric allow you to generate G-code to feed to a controller program like Mach4? When I first started with CNC a couple of years ago I talked with a guy who had V Carve Pro and he said it wouldn't generate G-code, that it created proprietary code. That never made sense to me but since I had no interest in Vectric I didn't pursue that any further. Just curious...

David


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

difalkner said:


> :
> 
> Does Vectric allow you to generate G-code to feed to a controller program like Mach4? When I first started with CNC a couple of years ago I talked with a guy who had V Carve Pro and he said it wouldn't generate G-code, that it created proprietary code. That never made sense to me but since I had no interest in Vectric I didn't pursue that any further. Just curious...
> 
> David


I feed Mach 3 to my new CNCRP controller, just like the Probotix. All you have to do is select the Mach Post Processor.


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## BalloonEngineer (Mar 27, 2009)

Hold out a little longer. ArtCAM is coming back! It was the first program specifically to do more “artistic” type designs and generate g-code for routers. Some of the people left and started Vectric. Meanwhile Delcam sold ArtCAM to Autodesk, who updated it many times, but only sold it for a few years before pulling it off market. I have a license for the last Autodesk version, it was cheaper than VCarve Pro, and with many of the features found only in Aspire (like 2 rail sweeps and importing/creating multiple reliefs).

Now some of the original developers have got it back from Autodesk, and are getting ready to release a new version 
https://carveco.com/

In communications I have had with them they are promising some special introductory pricing. Not sure if they intend on keeping ArtCAM name. 

I also use Fusion, and have bought VCarve Pro and ArtCAM and I’m more of a cheapskate than David! The CNC specific software is very worth it for signs, inlays and more “organic” types of pieces.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

The laser shop did the engraving on the IG Badge and while I would love to have done it all on the CNC, I think it probably looks better engraved on the laser. What do y'all think?









David


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## beltramidave (Jan 6, 2016)

Looks great! Think it is time to add a laser to the tool arsenal, I wish...


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## UglySign (Nov 17, 2015)

Perfecto! Mr. Walnut


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## MoHawk (Dec 8, 2013)

Very nice work! That would make a great looking guitar body.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

I’m impressed . I’m thinking the laser was the way to go now . I’m hoping to get mine working again when I get my shop going


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## Pro4824 (Oct 17, 2015)

That turned out great David! Good choice to laser the pattern. And even the stand looks great!!


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## Scottart (Jan 8, 2015)

what pretty wood,. always hard to touch that kind of pretty stuff.


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

BalloonEngineer said:


> Hold out a little longer. ArtCAM is coming back! It was the first program specifically to do more “artistic” type designs and generate g-code for routers. Some of the people left and started Vectric. Meanwhile Delcam sold ArtCAM to Autodesk, who updated it many times, but only sold it for a few years before pulling it off market. I have a license for the last Autodesk version, it was cheaper than VCarve Pro, and with many of the features found only in Aspire (like 2 rail sweeps and importing/creating multiple reliefs).
> 
> Now some of the original developers have got it back from Autodesk, and are getting ready to release a new version
> https://carveco.com/
> ...


They are re-branding with the Carveco name. I'm sure that was part of the requirement when they bought the rights to the program or a requirement of the newly formed company to distance themselves from the publicity of the old company closing and software becoming obsolete. They will try to make it backward compatible with older ArtCam files so that is a plus for older users of ArtCam.


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

Walnut takes for ever to cut but results are among the best, good work


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Thanks! I don't find it difficult or time consuming to cut. Cuts like most other hardwoods, at least it does on my gear.

David


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