Hi All, I have a design for a plaque made for a new born. It’s the shape of a onesie with some detail inside. I’m struggling to figure out how to make it cutout the outline of the onesie while just carving the inner details. Any help would be appreciated. 
You need one more object that form the overall outside of your design.
As-is your design only consist of pockets technically speaking.
A quick and dirty way of achiving that can be like:
- Copy part (Duplicate)
- Set depth of current content = full depth
- Draw a shape covering the outline full depth part, also set this new area as Pocket/full depth
- Select all, choose Combine
You now have an object thats solid black and you can for this choose Outside path which is what you want.
use the Offsetter app set it to whatever gap you want and use it to do the cutout.
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@CraigDement. If you share the file we can help get the design the way you want it.
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Thanks everybody I was able to get it to work by creating 2 projects as Haldor mentioned. I ran the interior part first then the cutout 2nd using the copy/paste function.
Hi Haldor, this information looks super useful. I am brand new to think and trying to create a dog tag that is engraved. Any suggestions on how I would do that? I need to know how to cut out the shape of the dog tag, and then engrave on it. Youtube has been zero help!
you can engrave first, then perform, the perimeter cut.
In order to have this control of which bit goes where you’d need to use the “workpieces” panel at the bottom in Easel…
you can see how this manipulation occurs in the way I make these catchall trays using 3 different bits. An endmill for the pocket, then a Vbit for the Bottom image engraving, then a endmill for the perimeter cut, you’d skip the pocket part, but the engraving and perimeter would follow these same concepts shown here.
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Thank you so much! Do you happen to have a video or know of one that could explain that video a bit simpler? I am a SUPER beginner that was a lot for me to understand
Well, the big takeaway is to design it, then use the “duplicate” function at the bottom to make 2 (or more) copies. then to delete away parts that you want to carve with a different bit from one copy, and then to delete away the opposite parts with the other copy. And to set the correct bits for each copy.
I have another video showing the process with a flag, but honestly I run through it pretty fast here as well, but since there is no pocket and its just endmill and Vbit, its a little less complicated. but still not a super basic concept for brand new users and its a bit of a more advanced process, but this is the ONLY way to gain control of which bit goes where in a carve, so it’s going to be complicate no matter what. How to make better wooden flags with only 2 bits - Easel Pro Edition - YouTube
Hi again! I have figured out most of it now, but there are still some small things I can’t quite get. is there anyone on here who offers virtual classes? Like I could pay you for an hour of your time to help me figure out these last few questions?
I don’t really do scheduled paid things like that… but what I can do is if you have a project partially setup you can share the project (in easel go to project>share then set it to “unlisted” and copy the link shown, making sure to save when exiting, then send me that copied link) and then kinda explain what you want it to look like and then I can record a somewhat personalized reply video using your actual project and walking through the process. . .
I also am doing weekly livestreams (https://www.youtube.com/@SethCNC/streams) every Friday where I choose either submitted projects or personal projects… or other CNC related tips/tricks/upgrades to discuss as well as answering Questions from the chat… all live. But as far as 1 on 1, I just don’t personally have the time to be able to do all that unfortunately.
That would be great. Is there a way I can email you?
Sure thing @ cncseth@gmail.com
Hey Seth! I was able to figure out more of what I had questions about. One last question, what type of bit would you recommend if I am trying to make a dog tag from 22 gauge stainless steel? I am having a hard time figuring out which is best for smooth edges.
Hey, sorry i never replied to the email. But i dont charge people for any help.
But sometimes i also open emails at work and forget to reply 
As for the cutting SS, most hobbyist cncs lack the rigidty to cut even mild steel and SS is even tougher… id look into a laser made for SS or maybe a water jet cutter.
I think they might even be stamped out, im just not familiar with SS enough to know for sure. Just that cnc routers dont do well with any metals harder than aluminum and brass…
Oh wow, I had no idea. Ok, are you familiar with laser cutters? If so, do you have a couple that you would recommend? Does easel work with laser cutters?
I decided to switch to aluminum, so my question is which bit would you recommend for that clean cut out I am looking for for the dog tag? I have tried a couple of bits and they all broke.
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@AriannaKingston
Hi, just to chime in on cutting Stainless, stainless is soft like cheese until you work harden it, then it becomes harder and more brittle than glass.
To cut it on my milling machine, I use the lowest rpm possible for the spindle and use a lot of pressure. Even then it tries to work harden (gets hot). Some years ago was consulting on an SS milling set up and what we did was immerse the work piece in coolant, cut machining time by a bunch and stopped breaking milling bits by the box full.
Worked a lot with SS in the 1970’s around yachts, and found it very difficult until the “how to do it” was explained.
Aluminum is a much better choice but not without its own
needed skill set.
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