Help me make a logo

[Mini Beast]

I'm going to build a Taig CNC mill. I'm still in the planning phase and going to start ordering parts in the next couple of weeks. One thing I thought would be really cool was to give the machine a name and nameplate with logo (yes, I am a dork).

Anyway, I'm calling the machine "Mini Beast", and I wanted to carve the name and some sort of beast-like shape into a plate of aluminum to fix on the outside of the machine's enclosure. The plan was to have a friend sketch out the logo, then I would just do a 2D outline cut under the name text. Then, I stumbled across the vector art stuff and found this:

http://www.vectorart3d.com/store/ind...rgoyle&x=0&y=0

It looks like a perfect logo for Mini Beast, and it's 3D! The way I understand it, I can buy this model, then use their free software and carve the piece out of an aluminum plate. I know it's not an original logo, but it's 3D and ready to go for $25, which sounds great to me.

I'd like to use Style A, and have it raised off from a flat background that will be machined down a bit. I'm thinking of making the gargoyle about 2 or 3 inches tall. Then, have the text above or below him. If the text needs to be done with a separate program, that's no big deal.

Is what I'm trying to do sound reasonable, or am I missing something? Also, does anyone know what types of endmills I will need? I figured I would need 2 or 3 different sizes of ball endmills for roughing then finishing.

[jalessi]

Rough it out with whatever large cutters you have and finish with a .010 ball mill if you want really nice detail.

http://www.shars.com/products/view/6..._Nose_End_Mill

Jeff...

[jalessi]

http://www.bitsbits.net/index.php?ma...ex&cPath=58_39

[Mini Beast]

Thanks jalessi. That endmill is so tiny! I'll bet this is going to require quite a bit of machining time to get the detail nice. I'm guessing it's a BUNCH of passes and the feedrate has to be pretty slow?

Also, does anyone know if this free software from Vector Art will allow me to do the text, or will I have to make that a separate program?

[swain]

The vector art free program is a scaled back program from vectric called
cut3d. As cut3d does NOT have text, I would assume the free version doesn't. I think it only lets you do the 3d models.

If you are talking about just an easy one liner of text, pm me and i will model it and send you the code. Anything to help you get your machine alive and kicking. You have a ton of choices tho on how the lettering should be.
I was feeling the same as you one day...and decided to brand my golf cart
that I rebuilt to run 30 miles an hour...here is what I ended up with.

Good luck with the build...

[Mini Beast]

Thanks, swain. pm sent. That part looks really smooth!

[Mini Beast]

Ok, so I'm going to order some wax for practice and some aluminum for the final part. I'm getting a 3/8" plate (5x12), which I think will give me plenty of room to work with. I'm aiming for 2.5" for the height of the gargoyle. Does anyone else have recommendations for the cutters I should use? I have a .125 and .060 ball nose on my buy list, I'm wondering if I need to go smaller for a piece that big.

[jalessi]

MB,

Does The software you are using allow you to see a preview of your toolpath with the cutters you are proposing.

That is the easy way of determining if you are using the correct cutter.


Jeff...

[Mini Beast]

I think I would have to use their free software to cut the model I buy from them. I don't know if it has a preview to it or not. That makes sense though. We have Mastercam at work, and it has the animation showing the cutter make the part. I've only used it a couple of times, I didn't think of using that to determine what cutter to use.

Thanks!

[jalessi]

MB,

When designing a model measure the distance between the smallest points or the tightest radius, that helps determine the finish pass cutter size.

Jeff...

[Mini Beast]

Ok, I think I get it. If there's a place the cutter won't fit, I'll figure it out by watching the animation, right?

[jalessi]

If the cutter is to big it wont cut the fine detail.