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  #1  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 00:12
MariusL
Just call me: Marius #22
 
Centurion
South Africa
Scale a DXF file (modelling dinosaur kits)

I need to scale dxf files very accurately. How do I go about this and what CAD or CAM is recommended please?

Regards
Marius
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  #2  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 01:32
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Any CAD program will allow you to open a dxf, scale it, and then save it again.
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  #3  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 03:25
MariusL
Just call me: Marius #22
 
Centurion
South Africa
Gerald,
Thanks, I just discovered how it works. I have been using Solidworks drawing editor for years and never knew how to do it. I always create DXF's never really imported them.
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  #4  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 03:42
MariusL
Just call me: Marius #22
 
Centurion
South Africa
Gerald
Have you ever come across any person that creates these 3D type of puzzles? I would like to know how they do it.
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  #5  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 06:43
jessyjames
Just call me: James
 
Reno, Nevada
United States of America
Marius #22 I have done many of these dinosaurs. It's been a trial and error but in the end I love cutting them.

For material make sure you use plywood and not mdf. I went that route for a while and ended up getting frustrated with the ease of breaking piece once trying to fit them together.

Secondly there are two ways, wait three ways you can cut out these dinos.

1st way. http://www.vectric.com/WebSite/Vectr...ort_how_to.htm

scroll all the way down the page and you will see the dino. They explain it better than I could.

2nd way. You measure your material that you are going to use and write that down on a piece of paper. Then if you use autocad you can import the vectors into it and measure the actual notches and then you will divide the actual notches measurement by the material thickness or vise versa... I cant remember which way it goes, too early in the morning for me. Than once you get that difference in decimal form you will select all the vectors and hit the scale button and scale it up or down to match your thickness of material.

3rd. I like this one the best for the most part. Instead of having all the notches for each part I convert them to one single line and then once that is all done the rest is a piece of cake. The secret is to use a bit that matches the material thickness, preferably a little bit on the larger side but not the small side, and then you scale the vectors to however big you want the dino to be and then just cut on the line. That eleminates all the frustrations of scaling and the math.

I use Mach 3 , Vectric Aspire , Autocad to do my dinos...

I hope that helps a little bit. The key is to use the 3rd example if you can.

Best regards,

James
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  #6  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 08:12
MariusL
Just call me: Marius #22
 
Centurion
South Africa
James,
Thanks a lot for your help man. I did figure it out after Gerald's slap on the wrist. I will be cutting the first dino on 9mm tonight.
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  #7  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 08:32
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Hey, that was no slap on the wrist!
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  #8  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 08:49
MariusL
Just call me: Marius #22
 
Centurion
South Africa
Maybe it should have been - for being so bloody stupid. Anyway, I am busy cutting the first dino already. Upscaled to 9mm board.
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  #9  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 09:17
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Okay, if you really want it, here goes: *klap* <----- that's an Afrikaans slap
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  #10  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 10:17
MariusL
Just call me: Marius #22
 
Centurion
South Africa
Now this might be the only time I was happy that you were not close by.
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  #11  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 12:26
MariusL
Just call me: Marius #22
 
Centurion
South Africa
I finally did it. I really wanted to cut something like this on the Monster Machine for a long time now.

This may have to become our future business seeing that the recession is really strangling us at the moment.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg IMG_7710.JPG (151.8 KB, 417 views)
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  #12  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 18:30
jessyjames
Just call me: James
 
Reno, Nevada
United States of America
Great Job. He/She looks like a big one. Now for the rest of the family???

GG

JJ
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  #13  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 21:39
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Marius, you live in Africa....we want some elephants, lions, rhino's, ostriches, penguins, sharks, meerkats etc.
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  #14  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 21:53
MariusL
Just call me: Marius #22
 
Centurion
South Africa
This one stands 1.2m tall. The daddy will be bigger.

Gerald - that's why I asked the question, who are the bright guys that actually draw these things.
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  #15  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 21:55
hennie
Just call me: Hennie #23
 
Roodepoort JHB
South Africa
Like the ones for Cape union mart ad same as the ones in their shops
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  #16  
Old Mon 30 November 2009, 22:01
MariusL
Just call me: Marius #22
 
Centurion
South Africa
James

You wrote
Quote:
I use Mach 3 , Vectric Aspire , Autocad to do my dinos...
Does that mean you make up your own designs?
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  #17  
Old Tue 01 December 2009, 08:45
Kobus_Joubert
Just call me: Kobus #6
 
Riversdale Western Cape
South Africa
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Well done Marius, How many sheets of what size MDF did you use for this 1.2 m high thing.
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  #18  
Old Tue 01 December 2009, 09:04
MariusL
Just call me: Marius #22
 
Centurion
South Africa
Kobus,
Almost one full sheet (1220 x 2440) of 9mm MDF. The next one will be 12mm that should put him close to 2m high.
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  #19  
Old Tue 01 December 2009, 11:41
Kobus_Joubert
Just call me: Kobus #6
 
Riversdale Western Cape
South Africa
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Therefore about R 210.00 per monster bare cost no cutting time.....cost of one 9mm MDF sheet only.....

For how much can one then sell something like this ? Just curious as I battle to make a realistic price on things I cut. I usually take the cost price of the MDF, and times it by 2 - 3 to cover electricity and time. Any suggestions ?
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  #20  
Old Tue 01 December 2009, 17:56
jessyjames
Just call me: James
 
Reno, Nevada
United States of America
Pricing is very tricky with these dinos. I cut my first one that stood about 4' high and it was made out of mdf. Well .375" mdf cost me about $25.00 us dollars. It took about 30min to cut out. I thought that $150.00 was a good price to sell them, knowing that it was a little high. Well to make a long story short, everyone laughed at me or just said, "That is cool but that is too much money for my kid to wreck it the first day".

So needless to say I sold them for around $60.00 us

After about 20 some odd sales I said enough was enough. Not going to waste my time on this anymore. The market is just not good for this around my neighborhood.

So pricing should be more on the moderate side since the economy, well here in the United States, is pretty shaky and people want stuff for pennies..

Take care,

James
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  #21  
Old Tue 01 December 2009, 21:48
MariusL
Just call me: Marius #22
 
Centurion
South Africa
Kobus,
I am sitting with the same problem. What do you charge for this thing. It is probable not going to be a big seller but will draw attention. My wife is going to be doing business with crafters kits. We will make special clock faces, mirror frames, shelving or racks and whatever else she can sell. We will cater for the craft shops but also sell to the public. The puzzles will probably just be for amusement - I don't know yet
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  #22  
Old Tue 01 December 2009, 21:55
hennie
Just call me: Hennie #23
 
Roodepoort JHB
South Africa
Kobus send me some of those 9mm boards,had a sheet delivered to the shop on Monday for R 433,00.( must I say it was one of my melamine suppliers)Lucky for me I looked at the price and sent it right back to where the sun doesn`t shine.I have a Pay meter in my shop for my electricity and use about 9-11 kw/h per day if I cut the whole day if it can be an indication ( single phase).Cutters 6mm two flute from builders express at a cost if R 36 each last about 1 sheet 2750x1830 if it has a lot of cutting to do.On 9 mm and 6 mm it should last about 2 sheets before sharpening at R 12 a bit.If you cut a 1000 of those dino`s in two days and sell all of them it is a good income,1 or 2 not viable.

Last edited by hennie; Tue 01 December 2009 at 21:59..
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  #23  
Old Tue 01 December 2009, 22:07
MariusL
Just call me: Marius #22
 
Centurion
South Africa
Hennie,
I pay R178-00 per sheet. I agree, the dino thing will not fly for business - but it does draw attention.
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  #24  
Old Wed 02 December 2009, 01:17
Kobus_Joubert
Just call me: Kobus #6
 
Riversdale Western Cape
South Africa
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I think I need to speak to Marius to see where he is buying.

..or picking it up from the truck that dropped it
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  #25  
Old Wed 02 December 2009, 05:28
MariusL
Just call me: Marius #22
 
Centurion
South Africa
Because I buy a lot of other boards from a wholesaler Board King, I get a good price. You can contact them.
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