Area 49

Carvey CNC Router

Cut Bed:

• X axis: 12 in
• Y axis: 8 in
• Z axis: 2.75 in

Location: Makerspace

Use Options: Training only

Cost: Free to use. Select materials are available for purchase, or you may provide your own.

The Carvey CNC Router uses a bit to cut and engrave all kinds of materials. This page shows how to prepare a file for cutting and engraving and how to use the Carvey. Complete our online training course to get authorized!

Users may set their own jobs on the Carveys after completing a training and signing the CNC Router Safety Agreement, but must schedule them ahead of time at groupstudy.charlotte.edu. Any unscheduled jobs may be stopped and removed from the machine if someone else has scheduled that time. If the user does not check in within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time, the scheduled job will be automatically removed from the calendar. 

• This machine uses a sharp metal bit that can cut or maim anything in its way. I will not put my hand near the moving bit, and when interacting with the machine, I will safely move the bit out of the way.
• Remove my job in a timely manner once it is complete.
• Limit jobs to those that are for non-commercial purposes only.
• Comply with all tutorial and operations instructions given by makerspace staff.
• Only materials approved for the Carvey are below:
  • ABS
  • Acrylic
  • HDPE
  • Hard and Soft woods of any natural wood species
  • Aluminum (within a 5in/min feed rate, 2.5in/min plunge rate, .003in/pass with minimum of .0625 in milling)
  • Corian
  • FR1 Machinable Circuit Board Blanks
  • Delrin
  • Expanded PVC
  • Machinable Foam
  • Machinable Wax

The information conveyed here is minimal, as the Easel program walks the user through the options in real time, and includes troubleshooting guidelines. Please refer to the instructions within the Easel program, as they will be the most current. For additional information, please visit the Carvey Manual, and easy-to-use explanation of the entire process.

Preparing the File

1. In Google Chrome or Firefox on one of the makerspace computers, go to easel.com. It should be logged in to the Area 49 Easel account.

   1. If it is not logged in, notify a Makerspace Monitor and have them log in for you.

   2. This account is shared with all patrons who come in to use the CNCs. Do not create a project with contents that you would not want others to see.

2. Create a new project. In the upper left corner, click on “untitled” and name your project. Please include your NinerNET username in your project’s name.

3. New! Select your machine first (Carvey).

4. Select your material type and size, and begin designing in the left pane. The right pane will show what the design will look like. Keep an eye on this right pane. If you have selected a bit that is too large for the design, you will see very little of the design. Change the bit size until the design on the right appears as desired.

   If you have a project where you would like to use two different bit sizes, you will have to run them as separate jobs. Follow these steps:

   1. Delete the objects that are going to be cut with the second bit (we recommend doing any surface carving before cutting something all the way out).
   2. Run your job with the first bit
   3. Press CTRL + Z (Windows) or CMD + Z (Mac) to bring back the shapes that you deleted.
   4. Delete the shapes from the first job.
   5. Swap the bits and run your second job.

Operating the Machine

1. Turn on the Carvey using the power button on the back. Plug the Carvey's USB into your computer. The "Carve" button at the top of the page should turn green. Click the button.
   1. Note: If the button will not turn green, it is likely that a driver needs to be installed. Visit the Easel Drivers page to download the most recent version.
2. Follow the steps shown on the screen, and begin the carve.
3. Once the carve is finished, open the lid, take out your materials, unplug the USB, and use the handheld vacuum (hanging on the pegboard) to clean the inside of the machine. Close the lid when you are finished.

A note on tabs...

Carvey uses tabs to hold your project in place as it is cut away from the main material. Check out Carvey's Walkthrough Tutorial: Adding and Removing Tabs for more information.

Check out Carvey's Carving Bits 101 - Bit Basics page to determine which bit is best for your project. The bits available for our Carveys are:

• 1/32" Fishtail 2F (white ring)
• 1/16" Fishtail 2F (blue ring)
• 1/8" Straight 2F (black ring)
• 1/8" Upcut 1F (gray ring)

For a visual guide to bits and their results, visit Carvey's Bit and Material Pairings Photos page.

Easel allows you to import both vector files (.svg) and raster image files (.jpg, .png, etc) for carving.

Importing an SVG

1. Design or locate an .svg file that you would like to carve.
2. In Easel, click the import button, then select SVG.
3. If the software asks if you want to scale your file down, select yes.

Importing a Raster Image

1. Find an image that you want to import (images with high contrast such as silhouettes work the best).
2. In Easel, click the import button, then select Image Trace.
3. Import your image and change the settings to alter the look of the resulting carving.

For g-code, only specific commands can be used. This is done using post-processors. There are post-processors that can be used for specific programs that can be found under the “import g-code” option in Easel. Currently supported softwares include Autodesk Fusion 360, MeshCAM, Vetric V-Carve, Aspire, and Cut2D.

An official specifications list can be found here.

Error message that says "Spindle is overloaded" and the CNC Router stops running your carve

1. Click Cut Settings, click Manual 
2. Enter a lower Feed Rate, Plunge Rate, and Depth Per Pass to slow down the rate at which the machine moves through the carve. (See Calculating Your Cut Settings: Basic Feeds and Speeds Information for explanation of setting.)
3. If you are having this issue while carving aluminum, be sure your cut setting at not higher than: 5in/min feed rate, 2.5in/min plunge rate, .003in/pass with minimum of .0625 in milling.
4. Try to run your carve again.
5. If you still encounter issue, you may need to let the machine cool down. If the other CNC Router is not in use, you can reserve and switch to that machine while your original machine cools down.