MultiCAM Training/Authorization In the Times of COVID-19

No. There’s no one to give the class. Using the software is the easy part though, for me anyway. I messaged Ian about trying to find a different path to move forward on this since the instructor isn’t available to do the class. Hopefully that will come to a good resolution.

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Who are the power users? Can you post a list? Can I get the training to teach? I willing to do the classes… this keeps getting pushed out and is very frustrating for all those looking to get trained…

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Hello, I am very interested as well. The CNC is one of the main reasons I joined Makerspace and I have a rather unusual and large scale project coming up that will need a 4 ft by 8 ft cnc. Incidentally the “changes” @IanLee mentioned doesn’t happen to be expanding the z axis does it? :wink:
In case not - Any one know what the maximum Z that can be cut currently?

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As simple as this looks to use the MultiCam, it has a lot of edge cases. I have experienced that most users who sit through the class are still very hesitant to take the practical exam. Prior to COVID I actually gave a mock exam to users as a way to prep for the proficiency test with @cghaly. It was more of a morale booster, but it signified how people felt about their knowledge base after the great class Chris provided, but prior to the actual test. If someone is already proficient with CAD, CAM, and has operated a machine tool in the past that is under CNC control, then they might have a reasonable time of it. If you have only mastered the LASER, or maybe the Shapeoko, then there is so much more to know. If you haven’t mastered the LASER then you are in for a beating. Seasoned hobby users routinely find themselves boxed in. The fact that the spoil boards are constantly destroyed attests to this fact. No one ever sets out to cut into the spoil boards, but it happens routinely. This is so far from 3D printing and the LASERs it isn’t funny. The only machine DMS owns that exceeds the MultiCam’s knowledge required to operate is the HASS. There are a handful of power users that are truly such. Offhand, not to slight anyone, I am aware of six top tier users - @AlexRhodes, Brian Davis,@chhaly (Current Instructor), @fedakkee(Kee), @nicksilva, and our resident tech expert @themitch22, we also have a handful of pretty proficient users such as @jswilson64, @Andy_Bojo, @Brian, and @mdredmond. Contrast that to the hundreds of members that have taken the class should give everyone an idea of how steep the learning curve actually is. The idea that an average new member is going to watch a few youtube videos and become proficient is about as likely as watching a video on hand-cutting dovetails and then doing it correctly. I realize I might sound like an ass about this, but this machine is very expensive and painful to maintain. I expect classes will be held as soon as the Dallas County COVID restrictions are lifted and the BOD deems it safe for the organization.

There is a good chance I will be attacked for sharing this, but please rest assured I have said nothing out of malice. I really want more people to take advantage of this wonderful machine.

This is what a master of MultiCam can accomplish. Notice the amazing scale next to a penny. (@John_Marlow) - Just kidding, that was made with a lowly metal lathe and mill, by an absolute master.

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You are 100% correct! I’ve been using a wood CNC for about 6 years now. Before moving here, I was very proficient in using a Shop Sabre. I also have built my own 2’x4’ router CNC. That’s how I really learned about using a CNC and g-code.

Taking the class, Chris gives a TON of information. For a newbie it can be very overwhelming and intimidating. The fact that I had a good amount of experience previously made the class not very difficult, but still a great refresher. I had to get used to the MultiCam though and using a pendant for the 1st time. If a person doesn’t have much CNC experience already, even with taking the class and getting signed off, it would still be recommended to ask for help even at those weird times of the night. You’d be surprised who also works on projects during those hours.

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Don / HB -

The accelerated path for learning this tool is mentioned above:

Find a power user (@SWA mentioned most of them above) who is willing to review your file, spend an hour on the machine with you, and make sure you’re capable of using it without damaging it, yourself, or anyone else. Message me to confirm that it’s ok to do a 1-1 class and we will work it out from there.

Unfortunately this is not a tool that we can simply say, “go figure it out” on. It’s just too expensive and dangerous to you and everyone else.

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Thanks @SWA i hear you and understand where you’re coming from.
however this is the same thing i have heard for 6 months… Yet, No training has been offered.
as for the spoil board damage i seen user set the table height and material height on the multicam, only to have the tooling eat into the table, which seems odd to me that happens. hmmm?
All tools are only as good as the user.

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Not to be a Debbie downer(no offense any member named Debbie), an aspiring MultiCam victim can begin to learn the CAD portion of the MultiCam by going to this link and watching the training videos.

https://www.vectric.com/support/tutorials/vcarve-pro

As a Makersapce member, you can download a fully functioning version of VCarve(Makerspace edition). It is a Windows only application. Something that will quickly frustrate you is even with DMS’s excellent technical team, we are having to run a full version behind current VCarve software. Evidently, this has to do with technical limitations with our remote Jump server configuration(Microsoft). What does this actually mean? It means that you have two choices. You can download the latest version with all the bells and whistles, knowing that you can never open the file at DMS, or just login into the jump server and use the older version of VCarve.

How to use the Jump Drive.
https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/JumpServerFAQ

The information above will get you started on the CAD side. The CAM is a horse of another color.

I recently spoke with a couple of BoD folks and they optimistic we should be much less restricted in the spring. Everyone is chomping at the bit(continuing the horse theme) to get back to teaching, learning, and enjoying fellowship once again.

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No. Expanding the Z axis isn’t going to happen. If it’s available as an option it would be expensive and would necessarily decrease the rigidity of the gantry.

Looking up the specs on the machine I found this. I haven’t confirmed it but it seems about right.

  • Z-Axis Clearance: 4.5″ (114 mm)
  • Z-Axis Travel: 6″ (152 mm)

As for training, some discussions have been had, some ideas floated and the powers that be are trying to work out a reasonable solution that gets folks sufficiently trained.

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Kee and I talked about machining risers for the gantry to get more Z-axis depth. The Z-axis might have enough stroke left to reach the spoilboard but it’s something we have to figure out. For now I estimate 4" is the safe clearance of the Z axis depending on bit length.

Matt beat me by 12min, but yeah his answer is also correct.

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Thanks gents! 4 inches wil get it done!

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Bwaaahahaha. I’ve always told myself that.

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But you can use the toolpath files from the home version, you just can’t open the design file and make edits on the DMS version.

No, it would be inexpensive and done with simple steel spacers as mentioned by @themitch22 in a couple of posts later. Mitch told me that’s how they customize a machine for a customer unique Z requirement at the time of the new builds. The time to maximize Z would be when the Multicam is moved to the new shop space.

EDIT: This becomes even more “need to do” with supplemental spoilboards since these will reduce the effective Z available for designs.

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When the phenolic plenum board was add, 0.5" of the original usable Z was lost.

In a professional shop there would be a select few that routinely make cuts on the cnc. In our environment, we have guys like Kee making extremely intricate cuts and people like me that can make a basic design get cut.

Many moons ago, I cut into the spoilboard, not because I didn’t set max depth, but the bit slipped. I did everything I could to not have a problem, and still created a problem.

My point is that we are a learning environment used by both professionals, people with only a single class under their belt, and everything in-between. Our job is to keep the tools as safe as possible to the people around them, and secondly keep the tools in the best shape we can. I think a big step forward would be requiring people to supply their own spoilboard.

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That was a test. You passed. :laughing:

The home version won’t save toolpaths.

Oops, my bad. Been too long for the old grey cells. I guess.

There was something I could do … hummm … Can you save the design and then generate toolpaths at DMS, or has version changes made that a problem?

Typically, a newer version will still open the older versions.

The downloadable home version is the newer version and I checked, they don’t allow downloads of previous versions.

The home version will save VCarve files but the older DMS copy won’t open them. The home version will not save toolpath (.cnc) files and won’t let you export to any other format (.dxf, etc.).

The whole setup is rather useless for anything but practice.

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