wow we can’t even vector export to dxf or svg
Other changes have been made to the machine workflow itself including:
bring your own bits.
bring / use a spoil board under your cut
Damage to the table spoilboard will result in a fine and/ or re-training / ban.
I believe that’s correct. I believe the at-home partner of the makerspace version completely disallows export. It’s part of how we get the software at such a discount for the space.
Understood, so we have to store a full spoilboard sheet now, i know is used to cut full sheets of MDF.
So we have to bring our own SB sheet, and then level it with that huge leveling bit (i forget what its called) ourselves?
Yes.
There was discussion at one point about not requiring a personal spoilboard if users are performing a cut that takes the whole table. Not sure where that landed, as it hasn’t come up yet to my knowledge. We’re not looking to inconvenience users so much as to protect the machine.
It might be worth a trek through the posts here about this. Most were made by SWA, and included the words “mulicam” so a search like this can be helpful:
https://talk.dallasmakerspace.org/search?q=@swa%20multicam
This one in particular seems very enlightening to the current situation (i.e. current status and/or intended usage scenario by the MultiCAM team):
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Not surprised it’s gotten to that point, i know prior to my break, people were destroying the MC and i guess it got worse, folks using the machine for their own agenda and breaking it at the same time. The MC was my baby, i wasn’t a pro at the maintenance, but i respected the machine, brought my own bits, filled in any accidental spoil board gouges, actually spent half a day cleaning the bits we had.
Just sad the abusers have made it harder for the normal respectful users to use the machine.
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Is really not necessary that you level it. MDF has a very uniform thickness in my experience.
You may want to route an oval shaped handle to make it easier to carry.
We will probably eventually have “community” spoilboards and perhaps even have 2x4’ spoilboards for sale in woodshop.
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Another possibility for full sheet routing is a set of smaller spoilboards, i.e. cut up a full sheet into 4 pieces to ease moving around and storage. Not sure…you might find you can get away with using three 2’x4’s or…? Open to commentary/refutation, of course.
A comfortable grip/handholds is a good idea.
The only problem i see here is your spoilboards aren’t laying flat 100% of the time and dependent on where you store them, they will be susceptible to warping, one day they lay down flat the next day they no longer line up. Im speaking to the bring your own methodology.
I’m not sure how making everyone bring their own spoilboard reduces the chance of someone screwing up the machine. I can bring my own SB and still screw up the machine. If it’s cost, then maybe you add a SB replenishment fund to all authorized users, like 1.00/month per user, have it autodraft with the dues or something. That way you have properly leveled SB at all times like before. If you revert to people bringing in their own, their is no telling what people will bring up there at their own convenience.
I totally get what you are saying, but I am semi-agnostic on this. Honestly, if a serious, sustained effort was made to hold people accountable when a screw-up happened, and also made public so people knew they were going to have to pay or be fined or force some significant time-off or whatever, we probably wouldn’t be talking about it right now.
But that takes more effort and volunteer/administration time. Requiring people to bring “everything but the motor” is about the only way in a setting like DMS (i.e. all volunteer). So everyone is adversely affected because of a few. And so it goes…
re: your point about laying flat, warping, etc. I wonder: is the requirement that spoilboards be 3/4"? MDF comes in thicknesses down to at least (maybe below?) 1/4". Then the weight of a full 3/4" board (that’s what you use for your game cabinets if I dismember correctly) or whatever would tend to hold them flat, especially once the hold down suction was turned on.
Yes sir, bits i get, but there is a valid reason for having a flat surface, and leaving it up to 100 + users to bring whatever they want seems it would just make things even worse.
If it’s that bad, DMS might just want to implement a relief fund, 5-10 per user per month, that would cover repair damages. People tend to be more careful when they are held accountable by $'s, right now everything is a hand slap or people dont get caught, if that relief amount changes based on damages incurred, people will be more careful, keep the damage down the lower the relief fund goes, the more people screw up the higher it goes, your hard core users wont mind this but it will weed out folks that come in screw up the machine and leave cause they wont want to pay extra for being irresponsible.
well the 3/4 is more of additional thickness for those that gouge the hell out their project, plowing through the work piece and the SB. A proper user wouldn’t need more than 1/4 " as your just grazing the spoilboard for your profile cuts.
We have been using a full zone sheet under the target. 3/8”under a board/cookie being flattened, 3/4” under everything else. We have a 4x8 set of boards for larger items.
It might make more sense when we get together. The goal is for the machine to be ready when you are. It is very different from the past. Not remotely the same setup.
yes sir looking forward to it, when will you be up there again?
Today, tomorrow
Ian is currently running a job. Kind of a shake out after the latest electrical repair.
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Well this stinks
Interested when Multicam training will be available so I can use the machine again.