New Owner HD520

Discussion about the CNC Shark Pro Plus HD

Moderators: al wolford, sbk, Bob, Kayvon

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OUvet
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:06 pm

New Owner HD520

Post by OUvet »

Good evening all,

I just placed an order for an HD520 Shark and have zero experience with CNCs. I’m an above average woodcrafting hobbyist and hope to take my hobby into a small supplemental business for the wife and I. I’d like to know if there are any recommended starting guides, items starters should have on hand, and start networking with others. Looking forward to connecting and learning from you all.

Excited and nervous, but intrigued and the capabilities this machine may bring.

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Bob
Posts: 1252
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 3:35 pm

Re: New Owner HD520

Post by Bob »

Welcome to the world of CNC!
I found the Vectric tutorials to be a big help. I use two screens. One to watch/pause/re-run the tutorial, and one to draw on as I follow along.
I didn't watch then all at once. When I had a specific need, I used the pertinent video.
These user groups are also pretty incredible.
Next Wave has been a reliable source of information for me when I have had technical questions.
Make a bunch of easy things first like personalized signs.
Don't start with a big complicated project for a customer.
Bob
"Focus"
Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek (Developer of the microscope.)

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Rut Row
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2022 2:38 pm

Re: New Owner HD520

Post by Rut Row »

Kyle Ely has an excellent set of online tutorials. Like you, I was a decent woodworker and decided to get a CNC. This videos were a life saver.

https://www.learnyourcnc.com/

OUvet
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:06 pm

Re: New Owner HD520

Post by OUvet »

Bob wrote:
Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:29 pm
Welcome to the world of CNC!
I found the Vectric tutorials to be a big help. I use two screens. One to watch/pause/re-run the tutorial, and one to draw on as I follow along.
I didn't watch then all at once. When I had a specific need, I used the pertinent video.
These user groups are also pretty incredible.
Next Wave has been a reliable source of information for me when I have had technical questions.
Make a bunch of easy things first like personalized signs.
Don't start with a big complicated project for a customer.
Bob
Thank you Bo for the response and hopefully machine will show up Monday. Nervous and anxious at the same time to get started.

OUvet
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:06 pm

Re: New Owner HD520

Post by OUvet »

Rut Row wrote:
Thu Aug 18, 2022 1:52 pm
Kyle Ely has an excellent set of online tutorials. Like you, I was a decent woodworker and decided to get a CNC. This videos were a life saver.

https://www.learnyourcnc.com/
Thank you. Website looks pretty cool. Ready to get started.

ffloyd
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 11:53 pm

Re: New Owner HD520

Post by ffloyd »

Kyle Ely's "Learn Your CNC" course takes you through everything from the beginning through advanced 3d modeling. He offers a weekly online live session on Thursdays at 7PM Eastern. The classes are not free. I forget what the current price is. But whatever it is, I would buy it again. You get to view/review all of the lessons as many times as you want. Vectric VCarve Pro does have a learning curve. These courses make the process a lot shorter than the 5 years I struggled before discovering his courses..

Another good source is YouTube.com. There are many people out there that regularly post to YouTube. Mark Lindsay is one that I have enjoyed. His teaching style allows you to absorb information before he jumps to the next topic.

Anyway, I have been using the HD520 for about 14 months now. It's a good machine for hobbyist woodworkers that would like more than the DIY systems out there. The HD520 replaced my SharkProPlus that I bought in 2009. NextWave support is excellent and they respond quickly. Phone calls also work if you're in a hurry.
Fred
Shark HD520, JTech Laser, 4thAxis
Aspire v11.5

OUvet
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:06 pm

Re: New Owner HD520

Post by OUvet »

ffloyd wrote:
Mon Sep 26, 2022 8:27 pm
Kyle Ely's "Learn Your CNC" course takes you through everything from the beginning through advanced 3d modeling. He offers a weekly online live session on Thursdays at 7PM Eastern. The classes are not free. I forget what the current price is. But whatever it is, I would buy it again. You get to view/review all of the lessons as many times as you want. Vectric VCarve Pro does have a learning curve. These courses make the process a lot shorter than the 5 years I struggled before discovering his courses..

Another good source is YouTube.com. There are many people out there that regularly post to YouTube. Mark Lindsay is one that I have enjoyed. His teaching style allows you to absorb information before he jumps to the next topic.

Anyway, I have been using the HD520 for about 14 months now. It's a good machine for hobbyist woodworkers that would like more than the DIY systems out there. The HD520 replaced my SharkProPlus that I bought in 2009. NextWave support is excellent and they respond quickly. Phone calls also work if you're in a hurry.
This looks like something I need to sign up for. Thank you for sharing that info.

ffloyd
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 11:53 pm

Re: New Owner HD520

Post by ffloyd »

I have signed up for Kyle Ely's Master Course as well as the Weekly live training. It is a wealth of information. His Q and A sessions on tuesday and Thursday are an open forum to ask questions on the problems you encounter and how to solve them with Vectric software. learnyourcnc.com
Fred
Shark HD520, JTech Laser, 4thAxis
Aspire v11.5

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