Previously I made a Jewelry Box for my daughter using the bandsaw. It was a fancy bandsaw box. I thought it would be fun to challenge myself to make one with my Inventables X-Carve CNC Machine. I designed a more modern box with shallow drawers and more compartments for separating the jewelry. I think it turned out pretty awesome! Check out my video of this project below.
I designed this project using the Inventables free EASEL online software. The project workspace has 4 tabs at the bottom. Tabs 1-3 are used to actually cut the parts from 3/4" maple and cherry boards. The 4th tab contains my original design drawings so anyone can customize the design to fit their needs. Click here to open my EASEL project to see how it's designed and make one yourself.
It took about 4 hours of machine time to cut all of the parts using the default settings, which are very conservative. That's ok, because I got a lot of other stuff done while the machine was hard at work.
I purchased some 1/4" aluminum rod from the home center and cut six pieces that are 3/4" long for the drawer pulls. I used the drill to spin them while I smoothed them out with sandpaper and gave them a brushed look. These look great and were super cheap.
The design contained alignment holes and I used some pieces of bamboo skewers as pins to keep the boards from sliding around during glue up.
I applied my favorite finish which is Deft Clear Wood Finish Satin Spray Lacquer and the box came out great. Thanks for checking out my project!
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Funko Pops are pop culture action figures made from vinyl. I collect the Funko Pop Rocks series that features members of awesome rock bands, like KISS and Metallica. I thought it would be cool to make a concert stage set to display them on, so check out my video below, then read on for more information about this fun project.
The stage set features a large main stage with a groove in the back to hold a record album cover as a backdrop.
It also has three elevated platforms, four guitar amps, and an overhead lighting truss with an LED Light Strip. The only other additions were three pieces of 1/2" dowel rod to raise the platforms and a little paint. (I did not paint the surfaces that would touch the vinyl figures, as some finishes may deteriorate vinyl.)
Some of the drummer figures come with a small drum set, but some do not. My EASEL design includes a bass drum and a pair of toms that can be glued together and painted for those ill-equipped drummers.
I have Metallica, KISS, Guns n Roses, and Rush. Angus Young and Animal are sitting in for the missing original GNR members. I also have The Police and Wayne's World figures in my collection (not pictured). Thanks for checking out my project!
Back in 1988, I won an autographed Van Halen CD from the Rockline radio show. It's hard to believe that was over 30 years ago! I think it's past time to build a display frame for it. I put my Inventables X-Carve CNC Machine to work to make a cool Van Halen striped frame out of cherry and maple. Watch the video below, then read further for more details and pictures.
This is a CD single for the song Black and Blue from Van Halen's OU812 album. It is signed by Eddie, Alex, Michael, and Sammy. Van Halen is my favorite rock band, so this is a cool thing to have.
I kept the letter that Rockline sent with the CD to prove the authenticity of the autographs. It has a sketch of an old phone plugged into a boombox to represent calling into a radio show, which looks dated but kinda cool.
I had to be really careful when preparing the blank for this project. The X-Carve is very accurate, so my frame had to be perfectly square so that the CNC could carve the stripes in the correct place and centered around the frame border.
The frame looks great in the EVH corner of my office. I should have framed this CD 30 years ago! Oh well, better late than never. I hope this project gives you some ideas for framing autographs or other memorabilia. If you would like to check out this project in the Inventables Easel software, click here to open my project. You can even carve one yourself if you have an X-Carve.
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Dave Gatton is hosting the 2018 Gatton CNC Christmas Challenge. I collect drum Christmas ornaments, but I don't have one made of wood, so I made one. Watch my project video below, then click here to view the other entries and subscribe to Dave's channel. Thanks to Dave and the sponsors for the challenge!
This Drum Christmas Ornament is made from poplar and red cedar. I designed the project in the Inventables Easel Software and cut it with the X-Carve CNC Machine. Click here to open my Easel project. I sprayed it with Satin Deft Clear Wood Finish Lacquer, then used three strands of gold thread in an X pattern around the drum (because the thread was so thin). I really like how it turned out. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!
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My wife works for the local fire department and I thought it would be fun to make a wooden toy fire engine that she could display on her desk. In this video, I used an X-Carve CNC Machine made by Inventables to cut seven sections of wood that get glued together to make up the body of the fire engine. Check it out and read further for more details.
I used Microsoft Visio to design one side of the fire engine based on a picture of one at our local fire department. I copied this drawing and simply flipped it horizontally to create the right side. Then I designed five more sections that would be sandwiched in between. It was a fun challenge to see what details I could add by changing the outline of the cut. I added lights, axles, a back panel, and a mount for the water canon.
I saved the designs as SVG files and imported them into EASEL. Did you know you can create a free EASEL account and open my Fire Engine project to see how it is designed? Click here to open my EASEL Fire Engine Project.
The accuracy of the X-Carve CNC Machine really shines on a project like this. Each piece was precisely cut and lined up perfectly with the others. I used brad nails to help keep them aligned during assembly. Very little sanding was required to smooth out the joints.
I purchased 1/4" and 3/8" Furniture Buttons from the hobby store to use for gauges. I planned ahead of time and included the correct size holes for these in the design.
I also purchased 11/32" Axle Pegs from the hobby store to hold on the wheels. The correct size holes for these are in the axel design where the wheels are attached. The wheels have a slightly larger hole in them so they will spin freely. A washer is used as a spacer between the wheels and the fire engine.
I used Metallic Silver, Gloss Apple Red, and Gloss Black spray paint to paint the larger sections of the fire engine. Acrylic paints from the art store were brushed on for the details. It took several coats of paint to cover the base colors. This is a great project for practicing painting.
My wife really likes the fire engine. I wonder what the other people at the fire department will think of it. Perhaps they will enjoy the Atomic Fireballs that are stuffed in the back compartment! Thank you to all of the Fire Department Personnel out there who have committed their lives to helping people every day!
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It's been 8 months since my last shop update, so I have a lot to catch up on. In this video, I talk about my latest project videos, some new products I like, and what's going on in the shop. I need to start posting these updates more regularly than every 8 months, LOL.
Below are links to the different sites and products I mentioned in the video. Check them out!
Inventables is hosting an Easel Power Hour Challenge contest during the month of June 2018. They are giving away gift cards and an X-Carve CNC Machine. In this video, I make a Headphone Stand as an example of a project that can be designed in their Easel software and carved in less than an hour. Watch my video, then visit the Easel Power Hour Challenge page on the Inventables website for the contest rules. Good luck!
The headphone cord inserts perfectly into an oblong hole on the stand to keep it nice and tidy. Plus, even the 1/4" adapter plug has a home.
It is in the shape of a music note and it's cut from some really nice walnut for a classy look. Now it's time for me to go listen to some music! Later, Steve...
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My wife requested that I make her a large Serving Tray to put on the ottoman of our new living room furniture. This was a perfect project for the Inventables X-Carve CNC Machine. Watch my video showing how I designed the project in the free Easel software and carved it on the X-Carve.
Anyone can create a FREE Easel account and design CNC projects, even if you don't have a CNC machine! CLICK HERE to create your account and begin designing. If you design a project, I would love to see it. In Easel, click the File menu and choose Share, then click the Shared With Link option. Copy the link and Save, then email the link to me at thecarmichaelworkshop@gmail.com. I will review all projects submitted by June 6, 2018 and pick a few to carve out and ship back to the designers. This is gonna be fun!
Inventables, the maker of the X-Carve CNC Machine, contacted me and asked if I would like a free 2017 X-Carve with upgrades so that I can compare it to the previous 2015 model. They wanted my honest opinion about the improved assembly process and upgrades, so that's what I gave them in my video review below.
To learn more about Inventables and their products, please click the affiliate links below so they know I sent you.
My first project on the new X-Carve is this picture frame. It's a one-sided carve and the picture is held in place by bending a piece of clear acrylic and wedging it between two frames. The frame can be customized for any theme by changing the words. I was going to leave the letters plain, but my wife decided I should paint them...she was right as usual! Click here to view and copy my Easel project.
Overall, I really like the new X-Carve and the upgrades that they've made. The assembly seemed easier this time although it still took me about 10 hours over the course of a week. I made a new table for the X-Carve that is 40"x52" and it fits nicely. I am donating my old X-Carve to my local woodworking club, the Gwinnett Woodworkers Association, so more people can learn how to use a CNC machine.
Here's what I like about the new 2017 X-Carve:
The holes in the ends of the extrusions come pre-tapped with threads. That was 3-4 hours of torture on the old X-Carve that has been eliminated. Thank you Inventables!
The Dust Collection Kit is awesome and works incredibly well. It's my favorite upgrade.
It's good to see the Dewalt DW611 is the stock spindle now. Upgrading an older X-Carve spindle with this DW611 Mount is easy.
The X-Controller has more power which will help drive the machine through a variety of materials better, especially with the added weight of the Dewalt router and dust boot. I really like the pause/play controls and the e-stop button that are on it and the sideboard is a nice addition.
The gantry rail is now a solid square extrusion, which is much sturdier than the pair of thin maker slides that were on the old X-Carve.
The drag chain and cable management features are much improved.
The eccentric spacers that are held on by nylon lock nuts will eliminate the issue of the eccentric nuts coming loose on the old X-Carve.
The Z-Probe is cool and eliminates the need to used a slip of paper to set the bit height.
The new Belt Sleeves are a better solution than tape for keeping belts from slipping..
The 60 Piece Clamp Set makes clamping materials up to 1.75" thick much easier. You could not do that with the old wooden clamp set.
These are the areas that I think still need some improvement:
Belt tension causes problems for lots of people. A different method of driving the router around could be more user friendly, but I suppose it would increase the price.
I found some discrepancies in the assembly instructions and pictures. I submitted my notes to Inventables so they can make corrections to help future customers.
The DeWalt router comes very close to the Z axis plate as it nears the homing switch. More clearance would be nice.
The kit contains the exact amount of most parts. I had a few leftovers that must be extras, but I still wonder if I missed something.
There is a small packet of lubricant in the kit, but no mention of it in the instructions. I found a user forum post that explained it was for the threaded rod. I didn't use the lubricant because I thought sawdust might stick to the rod and gunk it up. Others recommended dry lube.
A storage rack for the clamps, wrenches, z-probe, etc would be nice. I found several rack designs by other users in the Inventables projects, so that will be my second project.
Thanks for checking out my review of the new 2017 Inventables X-Carve! If you have any questions about it, message me on my Contact Page or visit Inventables and check out their User Forum. There are lots of people there willing to help! Stay dusty my friends!
I have spent the last seven days building, testing, and using my new Shapeoko2 CNC milling machine. Inventables.com asked me if I would like to have one of their CNC machines at no cost to use in my shop and give them my review/feedback. Yes please! Watch my video of the build and my first CNC project below.
When the package arrived, the first thing I noticed was how heavy it was. I put the box in the shop where it sat for a few days until I had a good chunk of time on the weekend to dig into it.
My first impression of the contents was that it was made from quality materials and there sure were a lot of parts to assemble...and I mean A LOT! I had heard that it can take 12 hours to assemble, which sounded intimidating, but I've always loved putting together Erector Sets and Lego kits so I was looking forward to it.
The first step was to assemble 20 wheels and 6 idlers. This involved pressing bearings and washers into some plastic wheels and it was a breeze.
The next step was to attach the wheels and idlers to four carriage plates. They were all basically the same, except one did not have the idlers attached. Motors were attached to three of them.
The instructions warned that the Z-Axis assembly is complex and requires patience. That did not scare me and it was actually pretty straight-forward, considering the parts lists and exploded diagrams in the documentation were extremely helpful. Note: The instructions mention brass standoffs, but these are not brass anymore, so look for nickel the nickel ones shown in my video.
Be prepared to tap 18 holes in the ends of the aluminum extruded MakerSlides. Go slow and use WD-40 as a lubricant. Make a quarter-turn cut forward then two quarter-turns back and repeat until you get to the end of the threads on the tap. Take your time!
Up until this point, the build was a bunch of sub-assemblies that did not resemble a CNC machine at all. Finally in this step, I could see the machine starting to come together by assembling the Gantry, Y-Axis assembly, and the base work area.
Connecting the wiring was really easy with the provided terminal blocks. The wires were connected with screws, which made it easy to correct any mistakes. Plus, I liked this option because it would be easy to disconnect them if I wanted to make a change or do an upgrade, as opposed to soldering the connections.
To complete the electronics, I pressed together the G-Shield and Arduino, then connected the X/Y/Z cables, as well as the power supply and USB.
I used the Universal G-Code Sender App to test the direction of each axis movement. I had never even heard of this app before, but if I can do it, anyone can! After making a few adjustments, I was ready to try the "Hello, World" job with a Sharpie.
In my video, you see my successful attempt which was actually my third attempt after two fails. On my first attempt, the sharpie was raised into the air and began writing above the paper. On my second attempt, the Sharpie was driven into the paper really hard and the tip was pressed into the pen. After replacing the Sharpie and making a couple of directional adjustments, IT WORKED!
I decided my first attempt at carving would be my logo. I thought it would be neat to include it at the end of my video with my usual ending phrase "Thanks for watching!". My first wood carving turned out great and required very little sanding to remove a few fuzzies.
Thanks to Inventables.com for sending me the Shapeoko 2 CNC machine! I really appreciate having it and I plan to pay it forward by making things for people to put smiles on their faces. After getting familiar with it this week, I still don't think I fully understand everything this machine can do, but I sure do plan to have fun exploring the possibilities!
Oh, and one more thing, this machine is a great way to get kids into the workshop and interested in woodworking! My 12-year-old daughter designed this herself with Inventables' EASEL web application and sent it to the machine to carve it out. She's awesome!
