Build on what you’ve learned from Basic CNC Training and dive into this fun and useful Bluebird House project. Create one birdhouse alongside Bill Young and then take a stab at modifying the design to make the next one uniquely yours.
In the future we will be hosting live Zoom Q&A Sessions run by Bill Young. When you filled out the form to access the project, you were automatically put on the notification list for these upcoming sessions.
In the meantime, if you have any problems or have any questions, please contact us.
Bill briefly shares what we are doing and what to expect. Get an overview to how we’ve laid out and how to get you cutting with your ShopBot CNC tool.
For a limited time we’re giving away a select number of kits to use for this project. The kit includes the materials and bits needed to make and cut two (2) bluebird houses on your ShopBot Desktop or larger ShopBot tool. Entering to win is as simple as sharing this page to one of your social media accounts and tagging @shopbottools and #goShopBot.
When you want to make a project where do you start? Your local library or online is a great place to research your project idea. After having a general idea for this project, Bill worked with an app created by Jonathan Ward, long-time friend of ShopBot, to get the size and shape created. He exports the file as a DXF and brings it into VCarve Pro for some design customization.
Learn about the original designTake a look at the ShopBot file created in VCarve Pro for making the Bluebird House. Bill shares layering and naming best practices for making files easy to read and to keep things organized.
Bill walks us through creating the toolpath for the project in VCarve Pro. The toolpath is the set of instructions that tell your ShopBot how to cut your parts.
Continue working with toolpaths from the previous step, select the post processor, and save/name the toolpaths. This step prepares the VCarve Pro file to be read by the ShopBot Control Software (SB3).
Material position and hold down are essential to successful CNC cutting. Bill talks about material placement, basic hold down, and running the first of the part files created.
Continue cutting, including a bit change and machining of the second set of part files.
Tabs keep pieces of your project attached to the material while on the machine, they can help prevent large pieces from unexpectedly flying off the tool. Bill shows several techniques for how to remove the tabs and cut parts from the sheet of material.
It’s time to sand! Get those parts and pieces nice and smooth. Paint the inside if you’d like and then dry assemble.
Now it’s time to get creative. Take what you’ve learned from copying and repeating the steps we’ve laid out and change it up - modify your birdhouse to be uniquely yours, then share your creation with us!! You have the opportunity to inspire others!
Share your success with us on social media by tagging it with #goShopBot
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