Project for MultiCAM CNC router, in need of some advice

Woodshop
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Hey guys!

I signed up for the upcoming class on the MultiCAM, and I have a specific project in mind. Let me know if I’m mistaken here.

The project I am starting would be to take several 4’x8’ sheets of 3/4" plywood and cut hundreds of holes in specific locations that are 1/2" in diameter. These plywood sheets are going to be used as a face for a home climbing wall I am helping a friend with, and manually drilling hundreds of holes isn’t very fun. The hole locations are governed by a frame that has already been built. Plus, it’s a good excuse to get familiar with the CNC router!

What software and file types are used to get started? I am familiar with several CAD programs but I currently don’t have access to any licenses. I think there are Solidworks licenses available through DMS?

Any advice is appreciated.
-Dustin

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Once you take the class they will give you access to v-carve. It’s easy as hell to work with.

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We have Solidworks and Inventor on the JUMP server. If you want to CAD on your home computer without the remote desktop to the JUMP server we have some student licences of Solidworks you can request or you can try Autodesk Fusion 360.

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Thanks for the quick replys! Does anyone see any issue with the project I described?

How do I request a Solidworks license?

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Send an e-mail to Infrastructure ([email protected]) from the same e-mail account associated with your Dallas Makerspace billing account.

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How well aligned do the holes have to be to the edges of the plywood?

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Thanks for the help Lisa!

The actual hole locations need to be pretty close to the hole locations in my model. I would say maybe 1/4" tolerance at the most, but I would prefer 1/8" or less. We don’t want any holes overlapping with the frame, where we couldn’t use them. As long as I set up the datums correctly on the multicam, will this be an issue?

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You can get better than 1/8" accuracy on a sheet if you carefully set the machine up.

Much better than 1/8" would require profiling the outside of the stock after drilling.

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I may want to give the edges a light profile anyways if the plywood is kinda rough.

I was just thinking…I may even be able to put in pilot holes for attaching to the frame. Hmm…

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I don’t mean a round over. I mean using the machine itself to cut a complete edge all the way around the material, guaranteeing your holes are accurate to that edge. I didn’t figure you wanted to do that because the sheet wouldn’t be 4x8 when you’re done. You’ll learn about this in the class IIRC.

If you are talking about just wanting a round over, if recommend doing that by hand. Hell, I helped a friend build a bouldering wall and we just drilled them by hand. It’s more than accurate enough and probably faster, but when all you have is a hammer…

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I got what you were saying, I was thinking that taking 1/8" off all sides might clean it up a bit and not really affect the outer dimensions enough to matter. Please keep in mind, I’m no woodworker. I’m just an engineer and happen to know a little bit about CNC manufacturing, just enough to make me dangerous.

The reason I want to use the MultiCAM for this project is mostly just to learn how to use it. One side bonus is that my buddy has a large shop and he will be adding more sections over time. With a pre-designed and vetted way to cut the plywood, it would make adding more sections super easy.

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I just think there are better ways to spend your time learning the multicam. There is literally a function to automatically lay out the holes you’re talking about.

Cutting it causes another problem: 48x96 lines up on 16 and 24 centers on purpose.

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