[bigdiesel1]

Good day all! I'm a leather worker in Florida and I have been researching cnc machines for a couple weeks now as I think it might be able to do what I want efficiently. I'm looking to create small (1"x1") dog tag out of maybe 1/8 or 1/4 thick wood. I want to know is if there is a program or any quick and simple way to write different text to be engraved on the tags that generate a g code or could be converter to one. At the end of the day I want to be able to make a jig to hold and print different text on the same size tag without much setup.

I've been looking at Bobcnc E4 and the SainSmart 3018, any info or other suggestions?
I hope Im explaining correctly, any help is appreciated.

 

[roxanne562001]

Welcome to the forum N/a. Please add your name to your bio. We are a very friendly group here. I am in Florida also. I am sure someone can help you will find your CNC answers here. Have a great day. Roxanne

 

[difalkner]

Welcome to the forum, Gary! You'll find there's a lot of support for the Vectric line of products here and for good reason - good software. You can download their products for free and try them but you can't generate the G-code to actually cut something. I personally use Fusion 360 (free for hobbyists) and recently bought Carveco for doing 3D work (but have had no time to learn how to use it).

David

 

[RainMan 2.0]

Welcome to the forum Gary.

 

[Old_Tom]

Welcome to the Router Forums family Gary. Hope you enjoy your stay.

 

[bigdiesel1]

Welcome to the forum, Gary! You'll find there's a lot of support for the Vectric line of products here and for good reason - good software. You can download their products for free and try them but you can't generate the G-code to actually cut something. I personally use Fusion 360 (free for hobbyists) and recently bought Carveco for doing 3D work (but have had no time to learn how to use it).

David

Thanks, glad to be here! I checked out some videos on Fusion 360 and it does look like a easy software for what I intend to do and learned some more in about cnc in the process. Now what I want to know is, are either Bobcnc E4 or the SainSmart 3018 good for the tags I'm trying to make or is there better option for a small format cnc machine with parts readily available in the US? Thanks for the help!

 

[old55]

Welcome to the forum Gary.

 

[jasonmiller]

hey good job buddy

 

[marecat3]

Welcome to the forum

 

[MEBCWD]

Welcome to the Router Forums Gary.

I would stay away from belt-driven CNC machines like the Bobcnc E4, just my personal opinion.

The SainSmart 3018 would be a better value, again, my personal opinion. One thing to remember about these small entry model CNC machines is they are very limited in the bits you can use, and speeds they will cut. They are as I said very limiting but one would probably be fine for the dog tags you want to make.

I really don't recommend these small entry model units but I do know these are within the limited budget of some users. There are several free programs for design and gcode output and most are basic but will do what you want to do. Fusion 360 is free for hobby use but will have a large learning curve and would be way more than you need to make dog tags. The problem with most of these free basic programs is the user base is small so it is hard to find help.

 

[MT Stringer]

Vectric's Cut 2D would do everything you want to do. It is the cheapest software Vectric offers. And if you decide to upgrade, there is no penalty, just pay the difference in the price. I went from Cut2d to VCarvePro with no problems. Lots of tutorials on You Tube.

 

[bigdiesel1]

MT Stringer Thanks for the suggestion. I will check out Vectric's Cut 2D, I dont mind paying as long as it makes life easier.

Welcome to the Router Forums Gary.

I would stay away from belt-driven CNC machines like the Bobcnc E4, just my personal opinion.

The SainSmart 3018 would be a better value, again, my personal opinion. One thing to remember about these small entry model CNC machines is they are very limited in the bits you can use, and speeds they will cut. They are as I said very limiting but one would probably be fine for the dog tags you want to make.

I really don't recommend these small entry model units but I do know these are within the limited budget of some users. There are several free programs for design and gcode output and most are basic but will do what you want to do. Fusion 360 is free for hobby use but will have a large learning curve and would be way more than you need to make dog tags. The problem with most of these free basic programs is the user base is small so it is hard to find help.

MEBCWD, are there any suggestions on machines that are reliable you could recommend? I'm willing to spend up to 2k for something reliable with parts readily available as I plan to use this in my workshop for business. I know the tags don't require much but who knows, I might get into other things later down the road.

 

[jw2170]

G'day Gary, welcome to the forum.

We have some very knowledgable CNC guys on the forum....