I am carving a Stormtrooper helmet outline from an SVG file and keep getting some really strange outcomes about 50% of the time. It’s as if the g-code is getting out of whack every once in a while.
The carve on the left is correct (and already painted). When I run the exact same job I get the outcome on the right about 50% of the time. I have been racking my brain to figure this out but it’s time to ask for help =)
Here is a link to the SVG I used in case it helps.
Y-Axis losing steps…make sure everything is snug (eccentric nuts and v-rollers) and try bumping up the voltage on the y-axis a bit.
Thank you. I will check the v-rollers and eccentric nuts. How do I bump up the voltage?
I think this thread explains it…
You NAILED it. Left Y axis eccentric nut on the bottom was so lose it was about to fall off. I love this community =)
Running Carve now.
Awesome!
That looks great man! I need to get one of those bits 
I think I have a v bit for my router that may work.
The one I used was a standard 1/4" shaft 60 degree V-Bit from Lowes. I ran it at 70 inches per minute (Dewalt dwp611 as my spindle)…took about 7 minutes in MDF.
That looks great man.
This looks great and crisp. What are your steps to getting that painted outcome? I think I’ve read you put clear glue on the wood first for crisp edges, but then do you hand brush in the black, then even more carefully hand brush the white? Or do you do the “paint then sand” techniques or other?
On MDF, I sealed the entire thing with clear glue (2 coats) to keep the paint from bleeding into the surrounding areas. I then dabbed in the black paint, let dry and sanded so only the black paint in the lines remained. Then I sealed the entire thing with clear polyurethane and carefully painted the white.
