Looking for Mlticam Lab Rats

So we are nearing the time to begin onboarding existing, well qualified Multicam users. What does well qualified mean? This means people who have taken the initiative to learn VCarve 11. It means users who were a power user prior to the great reset. These members could probably have taught the machine given the opportunity. These members have probably ran twenty or more jobs. They most likely own their own tooling, and maybe spoil boards.

Unfortunately, this power user group doesn’t include members who were dog paddling along hoping that they wouldn’t crash the machine. Also, this group doesn’t include people who routinely cut into the spoil boards. If you were a spoil board abuser hold tight, you time is fast approaching. Don’t rush this process, it will cost you real money and might even result in a ban if you destroy the machine bed. The days of harming the machine without consequences are long gone.

If you fit the first group. please reach out via PM. If you are in the second group, please stay patient for the refresh class. We want everyone to be wildly successful moving forward, without them worrying about crashing the machine.

As recently as yesterday we were still discovering issues that could result in a very bad situation. We want to find more of these edge cases to include in the training programs. This is all about helping the general membership learn how to exploit this machine.

As far as slabs go, the current clearance with a 3/4" spoil board is under 3-1/4" total. If you cut thicker slabs or cookies. you might need to employ a different process prior to employing the MultiCam.

Ona side note: If anyone has developed in LUA and has an appetite for more coding abuse, please reach out. We are desiring to create multiple VCarve extensions that will help our membership enjoy machine capabilities that might normally be out of their reach. For those wondering what this means… VCarve uses the LUA language Lua Getting Started as a way to extend the capabilities of VCarve and the MultiCam without people having to design complex CAD-CAM operations. One such operation is being able to cut juice grooves in cutting boards just by entering the size of the board in inches and how far in you want the ring to be from the edge. Another might be the ability to cut a corn hole board without and CAD/CAM. What about a cut to order Easter Bunny, or Santa Clause yard art sign?

Please keep in mind that you should never stack anything in the machine bed. Every scratch or indentation in the bed reduces the vacuum potential in that zone. Feel free to educate others if you see someone using the machine as a table.

Thank you for all of your supportive comments and patience in this matter.

Team Multicam

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I’m certified, but haven’t run any jobs other than for the certification process.

However, I’ve had some brief experience with LUA and I’d be interested in helping with the creation of some custom extensions. It might be ideal to have at least one or two others involved with the extensions to improve the bus factor.

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Was this a PM I missed? You are a Lab Rat Series 2, but if you are willing to be flogged by some LUA code, we might be a round up some private tutoring to help you move along the path bit quicker.

This how it works folks. Step up and help other members and nice things will flow you way.

So I’m starting to get back involved with DMS after needing some time off this spring/summer. Should we have jobs we currently want to run to take the onboarding? I definitely fall into the group you’re talking about. I don’t mind waiting until I have an actual job to run.

I know something I desperately want to make, but need to have it created in 2.5D first so it can be attached to a wall. I’m not an expert in Blender or other 3D/CAD software, so I’m trying to learn enough to actually make what I want from a picture. If anyone is good at that and wants to help, let me know! [hint] [hint] :wink:

Haven’t used the Multicam in a long time, I have my own CNC. I do how ever have a great deal of experience with Aspire, use it on a regular basis.

To answer your question. You will be beast served by designing a couple of simplistic jobs in the beginning. Probably something you don’t even want to keep. Like learning any new complex skill, keep your focus on the fundamentals. Complexity comes after you have mastered the basics. You work up to the point where you are running the machine, instead of the machine running you. The later has been why we had all of the problems in the past. Members were a tad bit too comfortable in their abilities and the machine bit them.

As we move forward there will many different opportunities to become involved. Our goal is not just have one level of training, but also project specific training. Fir instance, we want a bank of projects already designed, but allowing for individual customization. We really don’t want to clear people for use and then just toss them to the CNC wolves to be eaten along with the surface boards.

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Any chance you will consider helping develop an intermediate class using VCarve to teach how to carve a basic shape. If you are a heavy inlay user, all the better. That should well within your design grasp since VCarve is almost the same, although limited version of Aspire. We will have the basic syllabus template and will be more than happy to help develop the class with you. As we develop a bank of classes, we expect more people to become involved teaching. We want people to enjoy teaching, not be trudging through class development issues.

Please learn the basics VCarve first if you don’t already know them. You will most likely require it in order to CAM your job for production.

Grab a copy from the link below.

https://talk.dallasmakerspace.org/t/vacrve-pro-11-getting-started/84360/3

I’d be interested in teaching/coaching others. I don’t do much inlay work, but I understand how to use it and could work on improving my own skills.

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