CNC Router 3D

[Starflite21]

During the last 12 years of owning and using a CNC Router for my Corian fabricating shop my only use was 2D cutting. My Techno 48" x 96" router has performed flawlessly for this work. Now I'm retired, but kept the machine. I would like to get involved with 3D cutting for some side earnings. I have no knowledge of 3D design. I did purchase BobCad Cam v23 with BoBArt and V-Carve entities included a number of years back but find it difficult to work with. Maybe it's just me BUT!

Where can I get a free 3D dxf file, just to test the machine and see how it works in 3D mode? Nothing fancy, just simple. Then the next search would be for a nice Cad Cam program and a local company that offers classes for the operation of that program. (I'm not a quick learner)

Any help and recommendations would be appreciated.

Jim

 

[SignTorch]

there's 2 kinds of 3D

3D milling - see autodesk fusion 360 (or bobcad) - way complicated to actually design and mill in 3D - the tool(s) follow 3D toolpaths all around the part features

3D relief carving - way less complicated - the tool scans from side to side, row by row, while Z moves up and down - cut depth is the only 3D aspect - and that is usually based on a depth shaded image that serves as a height map - darker shades cut deeper - or a .stl file which is basically a 3D representation of a depth shaded image

bobcad is fairly advanced it does support relief carving but I don't have any experience with it

there are free solutions like freemill - and much simpler solutions like vectric aspire - and very advanced solutions like artcam

I know there are decent free .stl files at http://www.cnc4free.org/ - click on DOWNLOADS then on ARCHIVE to see the whole list

and cnczone has tons of images and .stl files for 3D carving - if you can find them

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/general-woodworking/83378-share-3d-carving-files-parts-art.html

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/artcam-pro/317906-free-models.html

and lots of paid 3D clip art resources elsewhere (search for '3d cnc artwork')

https://store.designandmake.com/modelShop

https://www.vectorclip3d.com/index.php