5. How to CNC Carve – Snapmaker

Alternatively, you can mark other positions on the material for setting the work origin, as long as the work area is limited within the machinable material size.

(3) Place the provided material on the center of the CNC Carving Platform.

Material Size: 190 width × 190 height × 2.8 depth (mm)

(4) Attach four clamp sets to the CNC Carving Platform.

a. Thread each M4 × 70 screw with the wing nut into the fixture accessory, and then into the arched fixture as illustrated.
5.2.1_clamp_the_material_detail.png

b. Find a nut hole near the material to insert the M4 × 70 screw. Place the arched fixture onto the material, and adjust the fixture accessory to fit one of the slots on the arched fixture.

All the tree slots as illustrated can be used to fasten the material.

c. Keep the M4 × 70 screw vertical to the CNC Carving Platform, and twist the M4 × 70 screw into the nut a bit. Fasten the material by screwing the wing nut.

Do not twist the screw down through the CNC Carving Platform. Otherwise, the protruding screw may damage the Y axes and impede the Y-axis movement.
CNC_5.2.1_Clamp_wrong.png

d. Attach the rest three clamp sets to the CNC Carving Platform.

Ensure that all clamp sets will not impede the movement of the machine and CNC bit in any axial direction. Otherwise, the machine or CNC bit will bump into the clamp sets.

Use Screws

Screws provide secure and flexible fixing for your material, while being fast and cheap. However, note that this fixing approach will damage the surface of the CNC Carving Platform.

Here are the steps:

(1) Place your material (no thicker than 50 mm) on the center of your CNC Carving Platform.

(2) Drill four holes into the corner of the material using an electric screwdriver.

(3) Put four screws into the four holes. Drill the screws down through the material and then into the CNC Carving Platform using the electric screwdriver. Note that the screw should be long enough to penetrate the material.

5.2.1_Clamp_the_Material_screw_in.jpg

Do not touch the electric screwdriver bit immediately after drilling; otherwise, you will be burnt.

Use Double-sided Tapes

Double-sided tapes are only applicable to thin, soft material. The reason is that machining this type of material will encounter less resistance and thus requires less strong fixing strength.

Here are the steps:

(1) Cover the rear of the material with double-sided tapes.

(2) Stick the adhesive material to the center of the CNC Carving Platform.

(3) Press the material to ensure that it is firmly stuck to the CNC Carving Platform.

5.2.1_Clamp_the_Material_tape.jpg

5.3 Attach the CNC Bit

(1) Tilt the ER11 collet into the ER11 nut until the collet snaps into place. Insert the CNC bit into the ER11 collet until the shank bottoms against the collet.

Caution the sharp bits and keep them beyond the reach of children.

(2) Twist the ER11 nut onto the CNC Carving Module, and secure the nut using the open-end wrenches.

5.2.2_Attach_the_CNC_Bit.png

5.4 Prepare the G-code File

5.4.1 Prepare the Model File

Before generating the G-code file on Luban, you should prepare a model file. Here are a few options for preparing the model file:

Use provided models in the Case Library of Luban.
Design 2D images or 3D models using the design or modeling software.
Take photos with your smart phone to get 2D images.
Download free CAD files from the website, like grabcad.com/library.

Currently, Luban supports the following file formats for CNC carving:

.svg
.dxf
.png
.jpg
.jpeg
.bmp
.stl

5.4.2 Generate the G-code File

Open Luban and follow the Snapmaker 2.0 Quick Start Guide to generate the G-code file.

5.5 Transfer the G-code File

You can transfer the G-code file and start carving in the following four ways.

Start Carving on the Touchscreen via Wi-Fi

(1) On Luban, click Workspace. In the Connection panel, click Wi-Fi > Refresh > Select your CNC Carver in the drop-down list > Connect Luban to your CNC carver.

(2) On the Touchscreen, tap Yes to grant Wi-Fi connection.

3DP_Touchscreen_4.2.4_Transfer_the_G-code_File.png

(3) In Workspace, click Send to Device via Wi-Fi.

(4) On the Touchscreen, tap Got It to receive the G-code file.

3DP_Touchscreen_4.2.4_sucssed.png

(5) On the Touchscreen, find the G-code file by tapping Files > Local. For the next steps, see 5.6 Set the Work Origin and Start Carving.

CNC_5.2.3_Local.png

Start Carving on the Touchscreen via USB Flash Drive

(1) In the CNC G-code Generator, click Export G-code to File (in .cnc format) and save it to the USB flash drive.

(2) Insert the USB flash drive into the Controller of the CNC carver.

4.2.4_Transfer_the_G-code_File_plug_in_usb.jpg

(3) On the Touchscreen, find the G-code file by tapping Files > USB. For the next steps, see 5.6 Set the Work Origin and Start Carving.

CNC_5.2.3_USB-02.png

Start Carving on Luban via Workspace

(1) In the CNC G-code Generator, load the generated G-code file to Workspace by clicking Load G-code to Workspace.

(2) In the Workspace, go to the Connection panel. Click Wi-Fi > Refresh > Select your CNC carver in the drop-down list > Connect Luban to your CNC carver.

3DP_Touchscreen_4.2.4_Luban_1.png

(3) After connection, click the Run button in Workspace to start carving.

Should Wi-Fi be disconnected during carving, the Touchscreen will ask you if you want to keep carving. To keep carving, ignore the prompt; to stop carving, tap Confirm.

Start Carving on Luban via USB Cable

(1) In the CNC G-code Generator, load the generated G-code file to Workspace by clicking Load G-code to Workspace.

(2) Insert one end of the USB cable into the computer, and the other end into the Controller of the CNC carver.

5.2.4_Transfer_the_G-code_File.png

(3) On Luban, click Workspace. In the Connection panel, click Serial Port > Refresh > Select the port of your CNC carver in the drop-down list > Connect Luban to your CNC carver.

3DP_Touchscreen_4.2.4_Luban_2.png

If you can’t find the port, unplug the USB cable and try again. For initial use, you need to download and install the driver.

(4) After connection, Luban will prompt you to select your machine model and toolhead. Select and click Choose to save the settings.

(5) Set the work origin using the X, Y, Z offsets on Luban, and start carving by clicking the Run button .

Keep the cable connected until the carving job completes; otherwise, your carving will be stopped.

5.6 Set the Work Origin and Start Carving

How It Works: Work Origin

Find out where the carving will take place by setting the Work Origin. The Work Origin corresponds to the coordinate origin (0, 0) in the software.

How to Set the Work Origin

(1) On the Touchscreen, select the file. After receiving the file, tap Files > Local or USB to select your G-code file. Preview the file, check the carving settings, and tap Ready to set the work origin.

CNC_5.2.5_Set_the_Work_Origin_and_Start_Carving.png

(2) Wear the CNC Safety Goggles. Previously, we have set the image center as the Work Origin of the design coordinate system on Luban. Now we need to set the material center as the Work Origin of the physical coordinate system. On the Set Work Origin screen, tap X, Y, and Z Offsets to move the CNC bit to where the Work Origin will be. Now the CNC bit should be 5 mm above the material.

CNC_5.2.3_USB-06.png

(3) Fine-tune the work origin. Place the Calibration Card (0.1 mm in thickness) or a piece of A4 paper between the CNC bit and the material. Keep adjusting the height of the CNC bit by tapping the Z Offset, until you feel slight resistance when you pull out the Calibration Card, and it should be wrinkled when you push it forward. Tap Set Work Origin.

CNC_5.2.5_Work_Origin.jpg

(4) Check the work area. Tap Z+ to lift the CNC bit above the clamp sets, and then tap Run Boundary to check if the work area is proper. If the boundary trailed by the CNC bit reaches beyond the material, or the CNC bit bumps into the clamp sets, reset the work origin and run the boundary again.

If the CNC bit bumps into the CNC carver, turn off the machine immediately or press the Emergency Stop Button . If the CNC bit is damaged, replace it with a new one.

(5) Recheck the work area (optional). Lower the CNC bit to 10 mm above the material, and then tap Run Boundary to recheck if the CNC bit will bump into the CNC carver.