Attempting Something Special!

[Joe Jones]

I have played with Sharpie pens and paint pens, using the PlasmaCam table and DesignEdge software to draw shapes with good success.

https://youtu.be/Pnk1Qiu1t9M

https://youtu.be/9BrV_eQ76W0

Now I want to try something WAY out of the box. I want to try to do a full painting, using the table and software with paint pens!

Here are some examples of what I will attempt.

Joe

CNC PAINTING EXPERIMENT 2.jpg

CNC PAINTING EXPERIMENT.jpg

[djreiswig]

Looks cool. I like watching mine draw with a sharpie. One thing I would recommend on line drawings is to have your start points in the corners. They're less visible than when they're in the middle of a line. Also make sure you don't have leads or over cuts so the pen doesn't draw over itself.

[Joe Jones]

Looks cool. I like watching mine draw with a sharpie. One thing I would recommend on line drawings is to have your start points in the corners. They're less visible than when they're in the middle of a line. Also make sure you don't have leads or over cuts so the pen doesn't draw over itself.

Well, there is no pierce point and of course, the paint pen can be "landed" onto the canvas with a moving pierce action, so the starting points can be controlled.

The paint pens certainly WILL paint over and cross over each other, but it will be one color at a time, with drying time in between color changes. I may even paint a braided rope, with each strand of the braid being a different color! Red, White and Blue?

I really do believe I can pull this off, and of course, anything I can do to make PlasmaCam grumble my name in their sleep is a plus

Right now, my first priority is to get this new pipe cutter design up and running. It is going to be so awesome! People will be able to cut pipe and tubing without ANY disassembly of their tables. There are other surprises in store as well. I have not yet decided whether to make a kit, or sell the "plans," or just give it to everyone free of charge. I do know this though. NO ONE will buy the PlasmaCam pipe cutter after I release this. Now, to be fair to PlasmaCam, their pipe cutting software upgrade really IS worth the price of admission, because it does so many calculations automatically. So they MIGHT decide to sell the software upgrade ALONE for their famous $998.00 charge, without sending out that clunky apparatus they designed. But a person really CAN draw all of those fancy cuts into tubing, using only DesignEdge software and a little geometry.

This project certainly has taught me one thing. I have basically forgotten how to lay down a clean weld

Joe

[Joe Jones]

Looks cool. I like watching mine draw with a sharpie. One thing I would recommend on line drawings is to have your start points in the corners. They're less visible than when they're in the middle of a line. Also make sure you don't have leads or over cuts so the pen doesn't draw over itself.

Do you FLOAT your Sharpie, or is it firmly attached to the backing plate? I let gravity place the Sharpie or the paint pen onto the surface so the tip will last longer, and there isn't that heavy pressure appearance to the lines.

Joe

[adbuch]

I float my sharpies when I use them for cnc drawing. This is my small "test rig" controlled by Centroid Acorn/CNC12. I 3D printed the sharpie floating pen holder.
David

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[Joe Jones]

I float my sharpies when I use them for cnc drawing. This is my small "test rig" controlled by Centroid Acorn/CNC12. I 3D printed the sharpie floating pen holder.
David

20210807_220832_resized.jpg

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20210807_220856_resized.jpg

Wow! I used a socket, two rubber grommets and a bent metal bracket!

Joe

[Joe Jones]

One suggestion ... the paper does not lay perfectly flat on the surface, which is why you have the start spot issue and the inconsistency on the lines. Set up a perforated platform that is connected to a source of suction, like a small shop vac, or even an old thrift store vacuum cleaner to hold the paper flat against the surface during the drawing process. If you use either, you need to have a bleed intake, so the vac does not overheat from lack of air flow. Just a small amount of vacuum is needed to hold the paper flat.

Joe

[adbuch]

One suggestion ... the paper does not lay perfectly flat on the surface, which is why you have the start spot issue and the inconsistency on the lines. Set up a perforated platform that is connected to a source of suction, like a small shop vac, or even an old thrift store vacuum cleaner to hold the paper flat against the surface during the drawing process. If you use either, you need to have a bleed intake, so the vac does not overheat from lack of air flow. Just a small amount of vacuum is needed to hold the paper flat.

Joe

The paper was laying perfectly flat back when I drew the test (maybe 6 months ago). Since then the humidity from the summer monsoons has swelled the paper a bit so it looks like what you see in the photos. This was only a proof of concept so I could make a pen holder for a friend. I bought him a similar small cnc machine as a gift and this is a way he can practice programming without actually cutting a part. The start points would probably show anyway, even if I was drawing on a piece of glass or very smooth aluminum tooling plate. But I take your point.
David

[Joe Jones]

Ah, okay. Well, that 3D printed holder is nothing short of awesome. I don't have a 3D printer (yet) so I cannot do that fantastic process. It makes sense that the paper would warp with humidity, but I guess that means you don't use that machine much.

Joe

[djreiswig]

I float my sharpie as well. I use 2 pieces of nesting brass tubing that slide together snugly. The sharpie fits tightly in the smaller one, and I use a metal lock collar to clamp the larger one to a bracket on the air slide for my engraver.
I found the design for the pen holder online.

[Joe Jones]

I float my sharpie as well. I use 2 pieces of nesting brass tubing that slide together snugly. The sharpie fits tightly in the smaller one, and I use a metal lock collar to clamp the larger one to a bracket on the air slide for my engraver.
I found the design for the pen holder online.

That is interesting. It would seem to slow down the process of changing pens or colors though. But that WOULD work, especially with a little light oil to prevent friction between the tubes.

I played with several devices and discovered that the pen needs to float freely, but it should not be allowed to tilt as the table moves around the X-Y axis, as this will cause a flat spot on the tip and the pen will not be able to rotate in the holder. The result is a line that grows progressively wider in only one axis as the tip wears.

Joe

[djreiswig]

Pens can be changed quickly. Just make several of the smaller tubes with pens inserted. Then all you have to do is remove the pen cap and slide the old pen out of the larger tube and drop in the new pen.

[djreiswig]

http://www.kronosrobotics.com/diy-cnc-pen-holder
https://www.kronosrobotics.com/diyphthin/

[adbuch]

but I guess that means you don't use that machine much.

Joe

I don't use it much - it was mainly for testing a controller.
David

[Joe Jones]

Nice shop!

I am looking into 8020 parts for the pipe cutter as well. Unfortunately, they do not have large 8020 superstores where I can just walk in and load up a cart with an assortment of goodies. Everything must be ordered from the catalog. Otherwise I'd have a nice $25K assortment to pick from right here at home!

Yes, you can return things (why would you ) but I do not have the Full Monty of attachments and accessories in memory, so it takes a while to plan out a device.

I sure do LOVE the 8020 stuff though!

Joe