Race Car Bed

[jefferylackey]

Hey guys, i'm brand new to this and only just found cambam about 3 days ago. I work at a cabinet shop and we have a 5X12 router for cutting out our cabinets. some of the cabinets have flaws in them that require custom finishing before they're built. problems that could be fixed if the cad/cam guy would take the time to fix them. after 8 months of submitting request to him to fix the problems i have taken it on my own to fix them. i started out learning how to read the g-code and i can edit the cabinets that way but it's a slow way to do it. unfortunatelly it's probably how i'll be doing the cabinets anyhow seeing how he'll likely not share the dfx files for the cabinets with me. anyhow.. i'm trying to learn this cad/cam stuff and came along cambam, so far i love it. i'm doing a race car bed for my boy right now, i'm almost done with it and would be willing to upload the files once they're done if anyone would be interested. i'm designing it to cut from 2 sheets of 5X9 and a sheet of 4X8. i'm wanting the bed to be 3 dimensional so it's taking me a little longer. anyhow, just thought i'd say hi. my first post.

[jefferylackey]

HERE'S THE DFX OF THE CAR BED. I didn't know if you guys would need the gcode or not. figured you could do more if you had the dfx file and can cut in anyway you want. i guess you could just use 1 sheet and just pocket most of the stuff. it would be a shallower and lighter bed. i set it up to cut 3 sheets. the main body outline.. the side panel.. then the tires and fenders. they'll be layered 3 deep so the end product will be 2 inches thick. i'll router the edges roundover and paint the thing any color my boy wants. don't have the front end and head board done yet.. front end is a toybox. about 10 inches deep. the fin is a shelf. i've worked on this about 6 hours now and i hope someone else can use it as well. i'll post pics when i'm done with it.

[P.Passuello]

Hi Jeffery,

I came across the following Thread on the CNCZone. It has a link to a program that converts GCode to a DXF File. It may allow you to convert your cabinet files with the errors in it and then you can use CamBam to recreate your Gcode files. With luck it might fix your problems easier. You shouldn't have to wait 8 months to get something fixed.

Nice looking Bed. I wonder if my Wife will let me upgrade our one?

Better than posting a Gcode file which is only any good to people with the same hardware the .CB file would be better. This will allow people to use your tool paths but with their post processor files and change the tools in the tool paths to reflect the cutters they have available.

I look forward to seeing your finished car bed.

Cheers
Peter

[10bulls]

That's great Jeffrey, thank you for sharing.

.CB files are good in that if you wanted to, you can always do File - Export - To DXF.

Also regarding reverse-engineering g-code files:  You can load g-code files into CamBam to backplot.  You can then right-click the gcode machining operation and select Toolpath - Geometry.
This should convert the g-code toolpaths to polylines which you can then base other machining operations on.
If you use an engraving machine operation on these converted drawing objects, it will create a toolpath following the lines so you can re-export them back to gcode.

[jefferylackey]

thanks guys, going to try the back plotting thingy today sometime. going to try and get the front end/toy box for the car done today... july 4th is busy day here in america. taking kids to motorcross show at fairgrounds. they've got 6 bands playing, all the freestyle motorcross we can stand and then fireworks. going to let the kids sleep in cause we're going to be out late... anyhow.. will keep you guys up to date... later

[jefferylackey]

just an update.. got the car cut out today.. the center line of the car is a little wavy and it shows up on drawing... guess i'll need to fix that.. i cut the car out today.. it did good except for one thing.. I forgot to set the machine up for 3/4 inch material.. had it set up for 1/2 inch material... well, i cut into the table 1/4 inch... was no biggie thank god.. top was needing to be replaced anyway.. was supposed to be 3/4 inch thick and was down to 1/4 inch from all the milling done... so that took a lot of my day...anyhow.. i got the car cut out and plan on getting it together the rest of this week... and will try to post pics by the end of the week... i cut the car in 3 parts.. the overall cutout.. then the sides... then the fenders... well, the overall and sides are 3/4 inch material.. the wheels/fenders are 1/2 inch material.. the 2 pieces of 3/4 material is really too much... will be heavy... but will be tough.. if i had it to do over again i'd have made the sides out of 1/2 inch material... but beggers can't be choosers... and 3/4 was all we had.... later guys

[jefferylackey]

ok, got the car cut out... but need to leave it at work till i get a 1/4 round over bit.. all the edges need to be rounded over.. i got the toybox cut out today.. and together... not the best pic but here it is.. it still needs a bumper on it which i didn't get to today... will tomorrow maybe..

[jefferylackey]

ok guys.. here's the race car bed side put together.. spackled in the nail holes.. just needs painting...

[jefferylackey]

and, here's the toybox finished.. still need to put the bumper on but the box is done...i've also got the rest of the car painted blue.. just don't have the accents finished.. will work on it this week and hope to post the finished product before the end of the week...

[jefferylackey]

another update pic... lookin good

[jefferylackey]

Finally Finished... here's the thing finally put together... still needs some touch up... but i'm tired... this thing is heavy... heavy.. if i had to estimate,, it would be at least 300 lbs... all of it 3/4 mdf... except the toy box, it's 1/2 inch mdf... the boards under the matress are 3/4 inch and are the heaviest part... later guys..

[CamBamBam]

Hi Folks
I tried to have the gcode for this project by going to Cam--create code file and it didnt work

[10bulls]

The CamBam file posted at the top of this thread contains all the drawing elements for this groovy bed, but doesn't contain any machining operations.  So basically you would need to tell CamBam how you want to machine the shapes.
It may involve a combination of pockets, profiles and engraving operations for the inner details, and a profile to 'cut out' the shape.
You could even machine sub-parts from it such as wheels and attach them later.

If a CamBam file does  not contain any machining operations under the Machining folder, it will not generate much useful g-code.

[CamBamBam]

Hi 10bulls!
Thanks for you reply.
As a new user of Cadbam and pressed for time I am trying to learn this as fast as I can.
Sorry for any questions that may be trivial

pockets, profiles and engraving operations for the inner details, and a profile to 'cut out' the shape

I guess to do this I would have to spend some time doing the tutorials

[10bulls]

...I guess to do this I would have to spend some time doing the tutorials

I'm afraid so.

I would recomend at the least going over the 'Getting Started' and 'Simple Example' sections of the users documentaion at...
http://www.cambam.info/doc/plus/
..or from Help Contents in CamBam plus.

The docs are geared up for CamBam plus which can be rather different to the free version in places.  If you are in a rush, I would suggest installing the plus version, learn the key concepts then go back to the free version if you want.

The introduction video also might be useful.

http://www.cambam.info/vids/

Sorry for any questions that may be trivial

No problems at all...you gotta start somewhere!