Support
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum size material that can be carved?
An assembled 500mm x 500mm machine has a maximum cutting area of 250mm x 250mm x 65mm (from the bottom of the x-carriage to the top of the waste board).
An assembled 750mm x 750mm machine has a maximum cutting area of 500mm x 500mm x 65mm (from the bottom of the x-carriage to the top of the waste board).
An assembled 1000mm x 1000mm machine has a maximum cutting area of 750mm x 750mm x 65mm (from the bottom of the x-carriage to the top of the waste board). The open frame configuration allows for some longer size materials to fit into the machines.
What is the maximum material thickness I can use with the X-Carve?
Many people are curious about the tallest material they can use with the standard X-Carve. Unfortunately, this is a bit of a complicated question because it depends on the length of the bit you are using, the type of spindle you have, and the thickness of the material.
Here are the basic machine stats:
It's important to make sure that the length of your bit (which will be the same or greater than your depth of cut) and the height of your material are less than or equal to 67mm. In other words, the maximum material thickness you can use correlates with how deeply you want to carve into the material. Here are two ways to conceptualize this:
The X-Carve is it is an open source machine and we've published all the engineering files online. If you are interested in making modifications to your z-axis, we suggest bouncing ideas off our awesome forum community. Many forum users have undertaken this challengealready, and they will likely save you some time and roadblocks!
We sell MakerSlide and you'll need to figure out some other things like the clearance of the tool holder and the gantry. Some people have looked at solutions where you take out the waste board. If you have ideas, please post them to the forum: we'd love to see them!
Where can I find the assembly instructions for X-Carve?
You can access the full set of X-Carve instructions for your build here:
http://x-carve-instructions.inventables.com/
If you are looking for video instructions, we recommend this series from Peter at New Brit Workshop.
The X-Carve is a fully open source machine. We have made the machine model, bill of materials, and assembly instructions available to the public so you can modify and adjust your machine. As such, you can view a model of the entire machine and each sub-assembly on GrabCAD.
What bits are included in the X-Carve Carving Bit sets?
X-Carve End Mill Starter Set
X-Carve Bit Set for Wood and Plastic
Can I make my own 1000mm Waste Board?
Some of our customers opt to build their own waste boards as an alternative to having the waste board shipped. The waste board is the largest, heaviest, and most expensive item to ship. It can save you a significant amount of your estimated shipping costs but does require a little bit of extra work on your end.
If you're interested in omitting the waste board from your X-Carve order, there are a few things you'll need in order to assemble your own:
1. The engineering files for the 1000mm board (https://goo.gl/0lQjzT) and silk screen file (attached). Please note you'll need to purchase your own 3/4" thick MDF board, which can be cut to size at a local supplier you trust.
2. You'll also need the hardware that comes in the kit. You will want to add these to your cart with your X-Carve so they will ship with the rest of your kit:
a. 144 threaded inserts, 2 bags of part #30517-05 (http://bit.ly/1DDUIxA)
b. 14 pre-assembly insertion nuts, 2 bags of part #25281-08 (http://bit.ly/1J2ORGF)
c. 14 Button Head Screws M5 x 20, 2 bags of part #25286-15 (http://bit.ly/1qjpJQi)
What software do I need for the X-Carve? How much does it cost?
The only software you need for X-Carve is our free, web-based Easel software. Easel is our 3-in-1 software for 3D carving that allows you to design, generate toolpaths, and communicate with X-Carve all from the same interface.
Historically, you would need three software tools for working with the machine: a CAD drawing program, a CAM toolpath-generating program, and a controller software interface to send the code between your computer and your machine’s controller.
Easel simplifies this process and makes it easy to go from idea to finished product in a fraction of the time. Once you've designed your project, Easel automatically generates the machining toolpaths. The software comes with an easy-to-use controller interface that allows you to send the project code to your X-Carve, move your machine for zeroing, and home your machine (if you have homing switches installed).
What materials can I carve on X-Carve?
The X-Carve can carve a variety of materials, all of which can be purchased from our online store. View these categories for more specifics:
MDF
Plywood
Softwood
Acrylic
Delrin
Expanded PVC
HDPE
Polypropylene
Misc. Aluminum (alloy 601 only)
Circuit board blanks (PCB)
Corian
Linoleum stamps
Machinable Wax and Foam
What is the accuracy of the X-Carve machine?
What is the size and weight of the X-Carve package?
**Note: If you order a material bundle in the X-Carve configurator, the material bundle will ship in a separate package. We cannot provide the weight or dimensions of this additional box, as the packaging depends on what you purchase.**
Core Kit: 20" x 20" x 6" , ~34 lbs
X-Controller: 13" x 8" x 9", ~8 lbs
Dust Control System: 22" x 22" x 6" box, ~8 lbs
A fully-loaded 750mm X-Carve kit ships in five boxes:
Rail Kit: 6" x 6" x 36", ~12 lbs
Wasteboard: 30" x 4" x 32" , ~15 lbs
Core Kit: 10" x 8" x 43", ~28 lbs
X-Controller: 13" x 8" x 9", ~8 lbs
Dust Control System: 22" x 22" x 6" box, ~8 lbs
A fully-loaded 1000mm X-Carve kit ships in five boxes:
Rail Kit: 6" x 6" x 48", ~15 lbs
Wasteboard: 40" x 5" x 42" , ~38 lbs
Core Kit: 10" x 8" x 43", ~37 lbs
X-Controller: 13" x 8" x 9", ~8 lbs
Dust Control System: 22" x 22" x 6" box, ~9 lbs
X-Carve Upgrade Kits The 500mm X-Carve Upgrade kit ships in 2 boxes:
X-Controller: 13" x 8" x 9", ~8 lbs
Upgrade Components: 6" x 12" x 24", ~9 lbs
The 750mm X-Carve Upgrade kit ships in 2 boxes:
X-Controller: 13" x 8" x 9", ~8 lbs
Upgrade Components: 42" x 4" x 10", ~10 lbs
The 1000mm X-Carve Upgrade kit ships in 2 boxes:
X-Controller: 13" x 8" x 9", ~8 lbs
Upgrade Components: 42" x 4" x 10", ~15 lbs
Do X-Carve and Easel work with my computer?
All of our machines and our Easel software work with Windows, Mac OS, and Ubuntu Linux.
For optimal results, we recommend using a Google Chrome web browser and a 64-bit Mac, Windows or Ubuntu operating system. We recommend reviewing our full system requirements.
Your laptop or desktop must have a USB port so you can send your files from your computer to X-Carve. Chromebook laptops—and other laptops or tablets without a USB port—cannot be used to send files to your machine. These devices can still be used to create and design files in Easel, but you will need a computer with a USB port for communicating with X-Carve.
Can I add a laser head or drag knife attachment?
We do not have any plans down the line to support anything besides a router head for X-Carve. This is for both safety reasons and our inability to offer quality software for these applications. There are some people making these modifications to their machines but they are considered unsupported upgrades.
