Saturn 2 4x4 - Nema 23

[GME]

Interesting use of dowels, Jack.

Gary

[PLJack]

Nicely done! I love good Rube Goldberg methodology and practice it often.
Which expensive woods will you be ripping and what will be the intended purpose?
David

Basically the plan is to make interesting things out of beautiful exotic woods. Ripping a 3' X 4" piece of wood with a table saw 4 times will cost you a 1/2" inch of material. Adds up. Especially if you rip it with the 4" side vertical. If that makes sense.
Up to now the shavings on my spoilboard have been pine or oak. A pile that big of east Indian rose wood would be a crime.
That's it really. Not that complicated.

Jack.

[PLJack]

Interesting use of dowels, Jack.
Gary

Thanks Gary.
Actually the project went south almost immediately. The scrap wood, not sure I mentioned that, was so warped and my jigs were so weak that I ended up surfacing the the table top diagonally. In other words I cut, at an angle, into the dowels. Exposing the dowels as a trapezoid of sorts. Really interesting effect.
I plan on doing that intentionally in the future.

Jack.

[difalkner]

Basically the plan is to make interesting things out of beautiful exotic woods. Ripping a 3' X 4" piece of wood with a table saw 4 times will cost you a 1/2" inch of material. Adds up. Especially if you rip it with the 4" side vertical. If that makes sense.
Up to now the shavings on my spoilboard have been pine or oak. A pile that big of east Indian rose wood would be a crime.
That's it really. Not that complicated.

Jack.

That's what I was asking - which exotic woods? I know about resawing, do it often. But I was just curious which woods. Pine and Oak aren't in that category so I wondered which exotic woods you're using and what you plan to build. We talk every day about the machines but not what we produce in our shops and I like to see and hear about what gets built.

David

[PLJack]

That's what I was asking - which exotic woods? I know about resawing, do it often. But I was just curious which woods. Pine and Oak aren't in that category so I wondered which exotic woods you're using and what you plan to build. We talk every day about the machines but not what we produce in our shops and I like to see and hear about what gets built.

David

Ahh, I see. I'm a big fan of Padauk, purple heart and dark oily woods. Like the east indian rosewood. Padauk mills like a dream. The dust looks like paprika.
Depends on the project. Like the YinYang tests I've been doing requires contrast. So Padauk and a dark wood will work. With an reddish base wood for the round encasement.
I have some ideas for small flat pack furniture. That would be made with some nice looking domestic hardwoods.

Whatever I can find really. Currently looking for good local sources for wood. I plan to visit these guys soon and see what is what:
https://www.highlandhardwoods.com/lumber/retail/
Specifically the Short Bin they mention.

Jack.

[difalkner]

Neat, thanks! I wish we had something like Highland close by. The only place we have in town charges 3 prices for their exotic woods because they are, well, the only game in town. I don't buy anything from them except an occasional piece of Maple or Sapele, which are normal prices, and I get my Baltic Birch ply there for the Longworth chucks I cut.

I love working with Padauk, Zebrawood, Rosewoods, Ebony, Canarywood, Tulipwood, Wenge, Bocote, Bubinga, Cocobolo, etc. - fun times in the shop, for sure!

David

[DDgitfiddle]

Ahh, I see. I'm a big fan of Padauk, purple heart and dark oily woods. Like the east indian rosewood. Padauk mills like a dream. The dust looks like paprika.
Depends on the project. Like the YinYang tests I've been doing requires contrast. So Padauk and a dark wood will work. With an reddish base wood for the round encasement.
I have some ideas for small flat pack furniture. That would be made with some nice looking domestic hardwoods.

Whatever I can find really. Currently looking for good local sources for wood. I plan to visit these guys soon and see what is what:
https://www.highlandhardwoods.com/lumber/retail/
Specifically the Short Bin they mention.

Jack.

These guys are up in my neck of the woods. I don't get there nearly enough, but they have a nice selection of domestic hardwoods and mahogany family woods in long pieces. The exotics tend to be much shorter lengths, but they often have the sorts of stuff you are mentioning.

The shorts bins tend to be full of domestic woods, and rarely exotics, but I have found some really nice pieces for small projects from time to time. For example, I found a few 4 ft x 10/4 pieces of nice straight African mahogany that I plan to use for guitar necks, a nice flat 18" x 5/4 x 4' piece of African mahogany, a 4' piece of curly (tiger stripe) maple wide enough to "fake" book match for an electric guitar top, and several pieces of 10/4 maple and cherry that I have been using to carve bowls.

Another place worth checking out if you are in the area is Goose Bay Lumber (https://goosebaylumber.net). They have a smaller warehouse, but they cater to wood turners and carvers, so they have a nice selection of exotics.

[PLJack]

These guys are up in my neck of the woods. I don't get there nearly enough, but they have a nice selection of domestic hardwoods and mahogany family woods in long pieces. The exotics tend to be much shorter lengths, but they often have the sorts of stuff you are mentioning.
The shorts bins tend to be full of domestic woods, and rarely exotics, but I have found some really nice pieces for small projects from time to time. For example, I found a few 4 ft x 10/4 pieces of nice straight African mahogany that I plan to use for guitar necks, a nice flat 18" x 5/4 x 4' piece of African mahogany, a 4' piece of curly (tiger stripe) maple wide enough to "fake" book match for an electric guitar top, and several pieces of 10/4 maple and cherry that I have been using to carve bowls.
Another place worth checking out if you are in the area is Goose Bay Lumber (https://goosebaylumber.net). They have a smaller warehouse, but they cater to wood turners and carvers, so they have a nice selection of exotics.

Thank you sir! That is only about 50 minutes from here. Will definitely check them out.
P.S. good to know there is another Saturn nearby.

Jack.

[PLJack]

Video here if anyone wants to watch a ridiculous amount of work to build a simple table.
I have since ordered a 3/4" surfacing bit.



Jack.

[difalkner]

Nice video, Jack. And the table construction is interesting, I like that it's different in the joinery. Do you have a table saw? All that milling prep work would have been but a few minutes on a table saw, unless you just wanted to do it on the CNC.

David

[PLJack]

Nice video, Jack. And the table construction is interesting, I like that it's different in the joinery. Do you have a table saw? All that milling prep work would have been but a few minutes on a table saw, unless you just wanted to do it on the CNC.
David

I do have a table saw. Believe me I thought about it while doing all that milling. But, like I said, I forged ahead. Although I did make a table in the end it really turned into a jig making exercise. I didn't mind that part. I like jigs.
All that machine use also exposed the motor issue I brought up a week ago. But ya, next time I will cut off the bevels and use the surfacing bit.
This was supposed to be a "small" job to learn a few techniques so that I can make a larger version of that type of construction for a 3'x5' work bench to keep next to the CNC.

Jack.

[PLJack]

First shot a a business card.
Polystyrene sheet with graphics pocketed. Then filled with resin/colorant. Even with a heat gun it was too cold in the shop for the epoxy. As you can see with the air pockets and the dot on the "i" not filled in.
Next time I will do that part in a warm room.

BTW: a 0.4mm end mill looks redonkulas on this machine. I think I'm facing there with a 3mm in the picture..
If it came out right the plan was to face the back down a bit and mill a phone number using the same technique.






Jack.

[difalkner]

Nice! I haven't tried that but it's on my list of things to try out.

David

[wmgeorge]

First shot a a business card.
Polystyrene sheet with graphics pocketed. Then filled with resin/colorant. Even with a heat gun it was too cold in the shop for the epoxy. As you can see with the air pockets and the dot on the "i" not filled in.
Next time I will do that part in a warm room.

BTW: a 0.4mm end mill looks redonkulas on this machine. I think I'm facing there with a 3mm in the picture..
If it came out right the plan was to face the back down a bit and mill a phone number using the same technique.






Jack.

You have talent, I wish I was as creative as that!

[PLJack]

Thanks guys.
Meant to mention the text was milled with the wonky collet I mentioned. I could see the bit wobble so it was more like an eccentric 0.8mm endmill.
The new one ger21 turned me onto has arrived. Looking forward to trying it again with the new collet.

Jack.

[GME]

Very nice business card, Jack. I've read about the colored epoxy fill technique, but haven't tried yet. Some folks use it for inlay type work. You cut out the female part of the inlay, but instead of cutting the mating piece, you use colored epoxy fill. Conceptually, what you did is the same thing. Very cool. I wonder what a V-carve sign would look like with an epoxy fill?? Won't know until I try it, or maybe you try it and post photos or video of the project.

Just curious, but what did you use for CAD/CAM? Vectric V Carve and Aspire are made for this type of work. Layouts are super fast, once you get used to the programs. I also use Fusion 360, but it wasn't designed for signs and that sort thing, and it may still not be possible to do v-carving. I have Aspire, which excels at v-carving, so I stopped my unsuccessful attempts to get Fusion to v carve.

Did you find clip art for the light bulb, or did you draw it yourself? Either way, it looks great.

Very nice work. I look forward to seeing more of it.

Gary

[PLJack]

Just curious, but what did you use for CAD/CAM? Vectric V Carve and Aspire are made for this type of work. Gary

Depends on the job. In this case where "graphic arts" are involved it goes like this for me:
CorelDraw -> DXF.
DXF -> CamBam.
CamBam -> Cleanup.
CamBam -> Pockets, Profile, etc.
CamBam -> Gcode.
GCode -> Mach3.

For simple stuff, like the YinYang test, it's all done in CamBam.
I've had several fits and stops in Fusion360. The only 3D application that I've ever naturally clicked with is Rhino3D. We seem to think alike but it's way to expensive.
In the comments on an AVE video someone mentioned the free Titans of CNC fusion360 lessons. I've been going through those lately so I'm back into Fusion360 a few times a week now.

I have Aspire, which excels at v-carving, so I stopped my unsuccessful attempts to get Fusion to v carve Gary

Not worth the effort from what I see. If you are going to design something in Fusion360 then have it produce the GCode. That is my plan for me. Once I get the modeling muscle memory going I plan to have it produce the entire job. The classes I mentioned above go into that a lot.

Did you find clip art for the light bulb, or did you draw it yourself? Either way, it looks great

Gary

Clip art for inspiration. All custom made. Never drop another persons clipart into a logo.

That logo is very old. It's been through quite a view revisions.







Jack.

[PLJack]

OK DDgitfiddle, I'm blaming this one you.

Rainy day so I thought I would go check out Goosebay Lumber. What a selection! All in a large wood building with a muddy parking lot.
Just the way I like it. I had to get out of there before I went broke.

I would be interested in opinions on cost. Here is what I bought.

Right to left.
1 - Purple Heart.
2 - Red Heart.
3 - Osage Orange
4 - Ambrosia Maple
5 - Curly Maple
6 - Padauk
7 - Cocobolo
8 - Chakte Viga (big block)
9 - Red Heart
10- Chakte Viga
11- Che Chen
11- Indian Ebony (small turning)
12- Black Palm (Small turning)








Kinda pissed that I lost the receipt already so I can't list prices.
Pretty happy about the Purple Heart. 9' board for something like $30.

Whole lot for $250. So, how did I do cost wise?
Jack.

[difalkner]

You did great, actually. The only place in town here that has Purpleheart charges around $12 per board foot, sometimes more. I've never bought woods like that from them because they're so high. So to me, $250 seems like a good price for all of this.

What will you build/cut/make out of these pieces?

David

[PLJack]

You did great, actually. The only place in town here that has Purpleheart charges around $12 per board foot, sometimes more. I've never bought woods like that from them because they're so high. So to me, $250 seems like a good price for all of this.
What will you build/cut/make out of these pieces?
David

Don't know yet. I need to mill a little of each to see what the results are.
First thought is that the Curly Maple, Padauk and Cocobolo will make for some sweet looking YinYang items. Need to get back to that model and dial it in.

Jack.