Noob with a Shark pro

[milo30]

I new nothing about these machines until I decided to get back into woodworking for a hobby. It's been 23 years since I took a wood working class in Jr. High. I came across another brand on craigslist and it got me looking into CNC machines. After days of reading I drove to my local Rockler for the first time in hopes of coming home with one. I was disappointed to find out they had to be ordered and would take a couple of weeks to get in but one of the salesmen told me that they had received the wrong model for a customer so they had a Shark Pro in the back. So, I came home with it. I brought it home, set it up ( a little daunting since I have no real idea how they operate and the "instructions" were a little vague. I did a little work on it and tried to just do one sample carving but couldn't figure it out. Today I have found out that I did not see an SD card so never installed one.

Besides the Pro,extra clamps and bit, I ordered the Shark touch and Cut-3D software. I'll put them on a shelf until I get familiar with the unit and the Vcarve Pro software. I think now I have a VERY limited basic knowledge of how to operate the software and machine in it's simplest form. Not much knowledge but I am happy for what I have picked up in a day. Was a little scary plopping down that much cash and not knowing if I could even learn to use it!

I'll be spending hours in here reading up on any tips and pointers that I can gather. I've been like a kid on Christmas Eve right now, waiting 24 hours so far until I can get back home and play with the new toy.

Besides the .5" 90 degree bit, what other bits are normally used so I can start looking. Hopefully with the help of the videos I will be duplicating one of the signs tomorrow night. I am just amazed at the photos I have seen in here of what you guys are capable of making with this thing. I can even imagine the possibilities of things these machines are capable of doing yet.

Any files that anyone wants to share to give me some basic projects to get started with until I really figure out how to make them myself would be appreciated. Any tips to watch out for also. I just found out tonight how to jog the machine around from the video. I kept punching in numbers to move it and didn't know that I could use just keys...doh! That is how much of a noob I am.

Also, what is the best type of wood to start off with that would be the most forgiving just to do simple signs or plaques to learn?


Thanks,
Bobby

[GARYR6]

Well welcome back to the world of wood dust. If I were looking for free cut files and projects I would go to the Vectric forum site ( the make V Crave pro that you got with your machine)and go to this thread of the forum. There are some 50 plus pages of projects that users have shared. Lots of objects and files to work with. Good luck.

http://www.vectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=444

The Vectric site is must read for a CNC with Vectric software....an education everyday