Question about selecting materials and bits

Easel
1

Hi there,

I’m a designer at Inventables and I’ve got a few questions for all you Easel users.

When starting a new project, do you typically know which material you plan to use at the beginning?

At what stage do you choose your material and bit size in Easel? At the beginning of a new project? At the end (right before carving)?

And lastly, what materials are you carving?

Thanks!

2

When I am starting a new project I always know what material I will be using. It may not always be the best material and I may need to try again after I see what happened, but I always know what I plan to use before I draw the first line.

The bit selection is always a source of mystery to me, typically I complete the design and choose a standard 1/8 inch bit and then see if Easel complains about any cuts (marked in red). If it does then I either change the design (if it is a sign I might choose a different font for example) If the design can’t be changed then I will select a different bit. I am very happy that Easel is now allowing a roughing and a detail bit to be selected,

I usually cut a project from pine first to see how it looks (as I gain experience and stop making stupid mistakes I hope to skip this first test cut) and if I like it I will cut it again in a hardwood or Corian. I do have a few projects I would like to try and cut from aluminium but that is in the future.

3

I know the material before.

Bits are based on the given geometry.

My unit was purchased for mostly acrylic.

4

Material first, then Design, then Bit. 75% Wood, 15% Acrylic Engraving, 10% Aluminum.
SIDE BAR NOTE- Can you make a plywood Choice, a MDF Choice and a Pine/Cedar please

3 Likes
5

+1 on plywood, MDF, and Pine/Cedar

For government work, of course. :wink:

6

I am mainly milling recycled aluminum cans…oh wait we aren’t in China. +1 to don. I always know my bits and material before I start laying it out. I am an old school hand drawer. I do all my sketches first and that gives me a really good idea of the geometry. I’ll be doing a lot of furniture so I’ll be using a 1/4 bit a lot to speed things up and reduce the chances of breakage. Oh and LOTS of mdf cutting for speakers which I have found easel to be really great for

7

Deffinatly make mdf a choice please.

8

Thanks everybody! Your feedback will help us make selecting materials and bits in Easel more intuitive and powerful.

Ultimately, we’d like Easel to reflect the full range of materials and bits that we sell in our store.

In the meantime, we can definitely add MDF!

9

Does that mean that V Bit support is coming?

1 Like
10

@DonDespain @JoeBerman, @TonyNo We’ve added MDF to Easel! Thanks for the suggestion.

2 Likes