I'm working on a fairly complex Coin Sorter for my Youtube Channel and am about 90% of the way through the design phase. I use Sketchup to build the 3d model, organize everything on the same plane so I can export the 2D file into Carbide Create, and carve all the components on my Shapeoko Pro. The component shown below is a Catch Tray for the penny's. The next picture shows where it will be positioned once the rest of the project is assembled. One small piece of the puzzle.
I'm trying to build a prototype of the box to make sure that works as I intend it to. This is a big project, so building prototypes of smaller portions before tackling the whole thing will save me some headaches down the road. The 1/4" thick wood sides and bottom are carved using a 1/16" and 1/8" Downcut end mill. The 1/16" bit is for small slots that will later be home to an acrylic front.
Because the front of box is acrylic, I figured I might as well try to engrave the face of a penny on it. You'll notice that a portion of the penny didn't get carved all the way. This should be a simple fix with a little tweaking of the toolpath depth with the Spring Loaded Drag Bit. Just needs to be pushed down a little deeper to make up for any inconsistencies in my work piece and/or waste board. I'm confident I'll do it correctly next time. Lessons learned.
After cutting the tabs, some light sanding, and gluing the parts together, I have to say I'm pretty satisfied with the results. I carved the top cover to the acrylic a bit short, making the front look a little wonky, but that's an easy fix with some adjustments. No big deal.
On to the harder sections of this build...
