Using Easel Pro and an X carve CNC. Using .18" plywood (luan) and 1/8" straight bit. Have used the app a few times and learned something each time. However, the fit quality of the fingers is just not what I expect. The flat portion of the inside cuts are not square resulting in gaps when the box is assembled. I believe it should be better than this. Would love to learn something to make this better. Thanks.
A round bit will leave a radius and not a square corner. Maybe make the fingers rounded to match? Maybe try solid wood as opposed to cheap plywood too? Is your bit sharp?
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If you want a perfect fit off the CNC, you need to have dogbones enabled. The bit is round, and cannot cut a square corner. This is why there’s a newer box maker, instead of the classic one. This will still leave small holes in the corners (for the bit radius), but it makes a better & stronger box.
Alternatively, you can manually square your corners or round the fingers. It depends on the look you want.
(Personally I think the box maker is really only useful for quick shop projects or things that will be hidden.)
Finally, did you measure your luan thickness with calipers? Accurate measurement is critical for a good fit, and cheap plywood is rarely close to the stated dimensions.
Thanks for the responses. The “cheap plywood” makes a nice game box. Light and strong. Issue here is not the corners or the material, the dog bones dealt with the corners, issue was the lack of “squareness” of the inside cuts. I did do the calipers measurement. That had been an issue with the prior attempt. Guess it is back to the tablesaw and the dado blades.
I wonder if your bit is the issue? I believe a straight bit isn’t that great on plywood. On second glance, it looks like it might be blowing out inside the dogbones. Obviously with such a thin material, it might not matter too much switching to a downcut bit.
I’ve made my entire shop cabinets via my CNC and everything was straight, even with inexpensive plywood. But I have an X-Carve Pro, so I don’t know if the machine could be the issue, too. I don’t really have any advice for the machine itself.
Hi Daniel,I would first start with using a spiral bit, normallyi use a compressionbit on plywood but this being that thin, a 1/8 downcut should help significantly, along with proper dogbones as both were previously suggested. Good luck on your adventure.
Cheers