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Computer controlled machine week

assignment

   group assignment

  •       do your lab's safety training
     
  •     test runout, alignment, fixturing, speeds, feeds, materials,
             and toolpaths for your machine

group project

  

individual assignment

  •       make (design+mill+assemble) something big (~meter-scale)
          extra credit: don't use fasteners or glue
          extra credit: include curved surfaces

The quick rundown

So for this week I want to make a Puffin head.
The idea is to use the Puffin 3d scan from the 3D scanning and printing week for making it. The plan is to use it as the front of a boat, like in the old days when some ships had mermaids or dragons.
You may be wondering, why for a ship??
Well, it was not really my idea. You see originally we had  no plans for the week but the director of Leikfélag Vestmannaeyjar´s rendition of Spamalot reached out to me and needed something very specific for one scene. He needed a puffin head for the front of a boat, not an actual boat but a stage prop.
So the main challenges I face this week are:
  • Choosing the perfect material
  • calculating the exact measurements
  • Making it look cool
  • without making it heavy enough for the actors not to be able to lift it
Our beautiful milling machine:
Millingstation

Preparation

in the 3d scanning week I scanned a puffin. This week I am using that 3d scan and slicing it into a big puffin head. First I opened slicer for fusion and put the Stl file for the scan into it. I then put the desired height and selected 9mm crosswood as the material
Slicer1crosswood settingss

This is what it gave me:
Slicer
The red marks pieces that dont work and so I had to remove a few pieces and changing the angle. This took a long time and was honestly overall not an enjoyable process but after a while it turned out like this:

Here are the settings:

settings


slicer
I then saved it as a pdf:
PDF
I then opened it in Inkscape. I put the wings that the director had designed into the file to check the scaling on it to see whether the size made sense.
Inkscape

I then added a vector image on top of the side of the head for the machine to raster into the wood.

Inkscape
I then put colour and made the outlines red and 0.02mm thick for the machine to cut. Then I saved it into my computer and we were ready to move on to the next step.

We made this small scale version through the laser cutter to see whether the design would work!


Puffin head

First we reviewed the safety and stuff. We screwed the wood onto the machine and then began testing.
            Wood thickness: 9mm
Milling

Here are the steps to our wonderful milling machine:

  • ⚠️ Check out safety rules ⚠️
  • put correct bit in
  • Turn machine on
  • Press reset button (blue)
  • Turn off virus real time protection
virus

  • Unplug ethernet cable
  • Open SHOPBOT CONTROL software
  • Press K for Keypad
1Shopbot1


  • Do the xy zero routine.
XY Shopbot XY
  • 0 Zeroed

Press and move to the new zero
zerp

Put Z plate and check connection

Z zero routine/(hold elephant clip on the material and let the machine find the Z zero

Move to a safe position and height
Cuts-> Spindle warmup routine

shopbot

Testing testing

We started by making 2 pieces to see whether it would work . Whether the size is accurate. We imported it onto V carve Pro
The first test did not turn out perfect, the machine only made the hole 8mm thick despite the computer calculating it as 9mm.

1 Milling1
So we simply changed it to 10mm in the machine and  the next test worked!
It was ready for the big job!

Puffin
I then made a bunch of tiny circles for the machine to drill.
Circles


VcarveFinal1




After milling
Finalmillingmachine1
            Vacuum
Assembling it took some time and effort. I used a sledgehammer to put it together. This was after sanding it down with sandpaper.
Puffinassembly



Final result:

puffinPUFFIN

Video:

Tiktok Embed Code Generator

https://www.scu.edu/media/school-of-engineering/pdfs/maker-lab-resources/SafetyInstructions_Specialty_ShopBot.pdf


Emergency Information
1. Injuries: . Do not attempt to remove foreign objects from the eye or body; it is better to have trained
medical personnel remove foreign objects from the eye or body.
Being ready to work
2. Do not operate equipment unless you have been properly trained to do so. If you’re unsure about
the safe operation of a tool or any aspect of a job – ask for help. If you can’t do a job safely, don’t
do it!
3. Never work when you are impaired.
4. Be prepared and have your file ready and plan ahead before coming to the Maker Lab.
Personal Protection
5. Never work alone. At least two people must be in the lab at all times when operating power tools
and equipment. An approved Maker Lab Supervisor must be present.
6. You must wear safety glasses with side shields at all times.
7. Hearing protection is recommended.
8. Must wear appropriate apparel. No loose clothing or jewelry, closed-toed shoes, hair tied back.
Shop and Tools
9. Always keep aisles, exits and access to emergency equipment (fire extinguishers, fire alarms,
first aid kit) clear at all times.
10. Become familiar with how the ShopBot works and the dangers before using it. Ask for help!
11. Verify the overall condition of the equipment and the material being used (e.g. condition of
bits, debris buildup, defects in the tool housing or anything that would compromise the safe use of
the ShopBot).
12. Keep the area around the machine clean and free of clutter and trip hazards.
13. Pay attention to the machine at all times.

Software

Files

Puffin head V carve file
Puffin head SVG