aztec calendar

[stan kern]

lasering an aztec calendar ,quite complicated diagram but worked out ok ,took a few attempts

http://youtu.be/bRq9O87ZhFE
I have never done something so complex before and it was hard with a few messed up attempts

[David Rust]

Nice work Stan,

What is the diameter?

[Scott Shepherd]

Looks nice Stan! Any reason you didn't raster engrave it? Curious as to why you vector marked it all. No right or wrong, just curious.

[Keith Outten]

Stan,

Nice work on the calendar and I noticed that you must have over a hundred videos on You Tube. Lots of CNC and Laser Engraving videos that are very informative, thanks for all the work you put into these and for sharing them.
.

[stan kern]

you are welcome ,i have a hugh passion for the 2 cnc machines and i am retired and have the time to dedicate to learning and showing
I'm always experimenting

[stan kern]

its 10 in dia.
I did find the file hard to handle (*.dxf),i downloaded it and when i loaded it into laser cut and did a simulation to check on just how much time it would take it
would take I saw these strikes or tool paths way off to the x or y diestion outside the bounds of the work piece.Sure enough into the cut or burn 7 min
the laser takes off and hits a y limit hard enough that upon return the diagram is now off ,tried this a few more times and it kept doing it (y or x runing my work piece)
I then got a newer copy of the file ran it through corel (reducing the nodes)(resizing it ) and trying it again.Once i even had runouit of laser memory and it would not load.
This was the toughtest project i have taken on.
And i am not sure why yet,would like to try it 20 in x 20 in but i might be pressing my luck

[stan kern]

I prefer what i call a scribe cut ,i cut it just enough to really mark it ,looks like black ink not a burn
I should try a raster engrave ,vut i seem to really go for the scribe or light burn cut.

[stan kern]

everyone:
I had quite a time with this file ,seems like one can hit the limit to what the laser memory can hold as i bumped into that a few times .
Secondy the file was hugh and i found the lasercut really paused at it.One file i ran the simulator and it showed the head going out of bounds
so on a 16 in run the head was hit the stops ,my table is 24x36.I do not know what generated the path but i soon got rid that file
This project took a lot of time seems i was pushing everything on the laser settings,but i like it

[Ray Mighells]

I did that on 12x12 marble and granite, also did one on Black Cherry 19" dia on my 12x24 epilog. did it in halves and glued them together. Posted pics a few yrs ago, I think they are in my Picture Trail albums if you care to look. Someone on the forum did a big one with a CNC router back then too. Mine were all raster, have done lots of coasters and trivets. Put 6 of those 3.85" dia on one file and they take a long time to load.

[Dennis Watson]

I did this file yesterday and the only problem I had was a few circles would not burn. The laser went thru the motions, but wasn't firing.
I am sure that if I re-drawed all of those circles it would work, but good grief.

[Chuck Stone]

When I did it, I rastered it in Corian and made a silicone mold of it.
Then poured black resin with powdered bronze in it. Buffed it out
with steel wool, so it looks like a bronze plaque. Can't tell from this
pic, which had the plaque laying on the scanner, but the bronze can
come up with a high luster if you use 0000 steel wool.
Fun project.. don't think I'd do another one though..

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

Beautiful work Chuck. While you mentioned it fit on the scanner, what size was that project?

[Vicki Rivrud]

wow, Chuck, that looks great. I'll have to try your technique! Vicki

[Chuck Stone]

Beautiful work Chuck. While you mentioned it fit on the scanner, what size was that project?

I think I did it at 12" .. had to scan twice and stitch it together