here is a nice tutorial provided by Vectric on importing a 3d model and cutting it.
VECTRIC VIDEO
If you actually want to create your own model, we’ll need ASPIRE for that. Speaking of which, here is a nice model for an embossing plates I made for some wallet backs. Pinky was done in Aspire but can be cut using VCPro
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Lol, Nick, are you telling me there is ANOTHER computer design program I have to learn to use…EEK! 
Yeah, Pinky turned out really nice! Looking at your stitch holes…did you lace it together or? and did you wet mold it in the big arbor press or just clamp it?
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It is unlaced at this point. That is just an old Tandy wallet back (hence the round holes) I used to test the plates with. In this particular case I pressed it in my 12 ton shop press. HOWEVER, it doesn’t require that much pressure. I routinely do these things for customers and I test it on my 1 ton arbor press since not everyone has a shop press. You just have to press it in sections but it WILL work - I’ve pressed an 8x11 plate by doing it in sections.
As for the software, Aspire is just an extension of VCP. You can create a 3d model (STL FILE) in a lot of other programs. Certainly in whatever people are using to create models for the 3d printer. The real trick is in flattening the model without losing detail With leather you’ve only got about 0.125 (1/8" of embossing you can get. Most STL models are say 1" thick, so flatteing it automatically to 1/8 will look kind of the way Brain does (that was not made by me). I will probably redo the Brain so I can get more detail. In short, Aspire has the tools needed to flatten it and do tricks but VCP does not. How else would they get you to upgrade?
Cheers!
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incidentally, if DMS ever does upgrade to Aspire, I’d be happy to teach class on it.
Milled the Domino on the HAAS tonight! There have been many of these made here, but this one is mine 
I thoroughly loved Bryan’s class, and look forward to future projects on the HAAS. I definitely recommend anybody take the class. It’s very rewarding.
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I made a 5lb d20 out of a combination of frustration and boredom. Plasma cut a flat version I could manhandle into shape and then welded the four connecting corners.
Here’s working in the primitive second dimension.
The more comfortable third dimension.
Shiny summoned.
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Is it stupid to ask, how well does it roll?
I am curious how he differentiates 9 from 11 
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No ones ever been brave enough to ask in front of the d20 itself.
As for how it rolls? It dents the floor in the workshop.
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Context.
Align the eyes.
ok, so the last brain model was universally disliked. So I redid it myself rather than rely on an internet model. this is an embossing plate for leather wallet backs.
It certainly has more of that Orsen Wells look we all expect. Cheers! I’m off to…
TAKE OVER THE WORLD
.
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Since there is an auto theme going. Texas will no longer approve tinted tail lights for vehicle inspections.
Solution, sand off old school tinted spray.
Repolish with plastics repair kit.
Compare.
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Nice work Lamp! looks great.
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If anyone needs to do a sand/polish let me know they kit can do about 3-4 sets. Mucho better than the wipe on stuff.
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A set of gradient skeins I spun on the spinning wheel in C.A. The fiber is a really floofy Targhee. I don’t have a solid plan for this yet, but I’ll proaly be cadting on a knitted something with it soon.
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I made two marble automata this month, based on a popular scrollsaw project design.
I learned a great deal making the first one because there were design challenges in miniature that weren’t obvious. Tolerances of a few thousands of inches made the difference between marbles going up the run on the pistons, or not. Consequently, so did the size of the “marbles”. V1 uses small glass “no hole” beads; V2 uses #12 snake shot.
Here’s a video of the machines working.
For V2, I improved the V1 design, but I also tried an S-curved return ramp. I naively thought I could use the Shakeoko to make that ramp. Well, not so fast, Kemosabe. The ramp design required using two different bits and this reminded me that the Shapeoko doesn’t retain alignment during bit changes - at least not with the tolerance that I needed.
I resorted to routing just the internal channel with the Shapeoko. With a lot of hand shaping, and then cutting with a jeweler’s saw, I got a ramp that I could use. And in all fairness, I don’t think I could have routed the channel by hand. Ain’t CNC great?
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