We use cookies to personalize content, interact with our analytics companies, advertising networks and cooperatives, and demographic companies, provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. Our social media, advertising and analytics partners may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. Learn more.
I’m trying to use easel to do a basic inlay. I’m not using the inlay tool as I’m trying the technique where I would carve the a positive and negative as single pieces and glue it all up at once. The inlay tool seems to cut individual pieces to glue into the piece.
I then spent a bunch of time in Inkscape taking out all the sharp inside and outside corners to the point that a 1/8" bit will fit in all the areas. I even modified it a bit further with the edit points directly inside easel (which was painful).
I’m still getting tiny hints of areas where Easel is marking uncut.
next time you can import the design into easel, select the design, select the lego button and use the inlay generator and it will do that for you in seconds
Also, the inlay generator will invert the male plug part (i see yours is not flipped yet, so it will be backwards and not fit in the hole if carved like it is right now)
Regarding the uncut areas, those could cause slight fitment issues, and these are caused bacause easel cannot generate arcs for its toolpaths, so when you use a design that actually uses arcs, Easel will change them into segmented lines when it makes the toolpaths, and as a result it misses some of the outer edges of the arc.
IF you use the inlay generator you can sort of account for this by applying a tolerance to the inlay, however a better method to avoid any gaps at all is to use a different software, one that supports arcs, you’ll also find that other softwares (vetric or carveco) are also configured to use v-bits in inlays like this, which provides for an even better fitment than using endmills…
So as far as easel goes, I recommend importing the unedited rose file, using the inlay generator and reviewing uncut areas over there… there might be less and the process is much faster
I agree with Scott and Seth, the female should have a mirror plug. now when I do all my inlays, I use a 60 degree “V” bit.
I understand this is just a different way of doing an inlay.
Just to be clear, the way the inlay tool works with a drawing like what I had there is its intent is to cut individual shapes to fill the inlay with, correct? And it is designed to use end mills, not v bits, right?
I get that vectric or carveco would be better just not in the budget yet. Trying to see what I can pull off with Easel but its looking to be “meh” results.
Correct, and yes its setup for endmills, not V-bits
I have done a bunch of after effect mods to make it work using a vbit,… but it’s very complicated, using offset tool, and altering depths to create a proper glue and air gap…
