I cut my first record today, am I a star?

That is a setting you make when creating your tool path gcode. I use VCarve Pro and there it is a setting along with other bit values. I use Easel only for sending the gcode so I don’t know, off the top of my head, the setting is there. Should be easy to fine though.

IPM (or mm/min) is a value referring to the travel speed of the CNC. The Dewalt RPM have nothing to do with it.
IPM is a setting defined in your CAM-part of your workflow.

Haldor
aha I thought is is was the speed RPM on the router
Thank´s

Randy
How did you set up the toolpath
Did you do pocket ?

No, not a pocket as that would clear out an area between vectors. I did a profile path and had the depth set to slightly more than the thickness of the record. Here is my VCarve settings:

image

Maby I should try cutting with Vectric instead of Easel ?

Not sure you can. I use Vectric’s VCarve Pro to generate the toolpaths (the gcode). I then use Easel to send that gcode to the CNC. My design work is in VCarve Pro and not Easel.

Wanted to have Abbey Road cutout but was not willing to destroy my album so I bought some cheap records at a 2nd hand shop - 5 for $1.00. Downloaded images of the Abbey Road labels and it worked out quite well. I used a v-bit and cut at 3,000mm/min with a DOC of .1mm.

Why label one side when you can label both?

Sorry for the less than wonderful photos. I am definitely not a photographer!!

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NICE!!! love it

How did you secure the record?

Double sided tape!

Sorry, yea…I guessed that. My question should have been more specific so my bad there. Which brand? I am doing tape tests of ones that people say they use and would like to add it to my list.

I use this double sided tape. It holds very well and leaves no residue when it is removed.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0141L81GS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

@ErikJenkins Thanks. Yea, I’ve tested it and been quite happy with it.

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I got mine from Lee Valley.

I have used other brands in the past but this seems to hold the best from what I have tried.

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@GordRock When you tape your record how much of the records surface do you tape? 50%? 100%? 100% of just the part that is carved?

Got any pics of the back side of one that has been carved before you remove the tape?

Thanks

Randy, I use as little tape as I think I can get away with. I put a VERY small piece of tape on what will be each of the bodies, a small piece on each side of the parts that will remain connected to the bottom area of the album so that they don’t move once they are free (I don’t use tabs) and a piece along the area that will remain just to the right and left of the album label. I cut a total of 3 and they all came out very nicely. Mind you, I cut 6 others just trying to get the thing adjusted properly in Easel before I was finally able to cut the ones I kept. Luckily I was able to make 2 cuts on the test pieces by rotating the album 180 deg. after the 1st cut. Glad I was able to find old vinyl at a bargain price!!

I started out using a vbit and had poor success - lots of melting and globing and such (and that was at very little DOC and several passes). The direction I have taken from there is to use a straight or up-spiral bit which do cut better but they tend to lift the record while cutting (instead of pushing down like a vbit would). So, because of that, I wind up taping everything that would anywhere near a cut.

I think I may fall back and regroup…I’m going to use the feeds/speeds you mentioned earlier and try again with a vbit and see what happens.

Here’s a thought I’ll share…recently a guy in a Facebook group said for his carvings he mirrors the image and carves on the back. That way if he gets any melting along the top side of the cave it will actually be on the back and not seen. So, something to file away for future use maybe.

There is a Goodwill near me that sells them for $1 each. Also flea markets are sometimes a good source.

Thanks!

@RandyHawkins
Randy, I forgot to mention that to be able to properly locate the double sided tape on the waste board I did a 1mm deep cut on the waste board before doing the album. That let me see exactly where to place the tape and I could use very small pieces, knowing that they would be in the correct spots. I hope you find that useful.

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Great idea Gord!