Help

How it works

1. Choose a sign: a family name sign, a round welcome sign, a house number sign, an arched cabin sign, or a workshop sign with scooped corners.
2. Type your words, then set the board size and thickness, the style (V-carved or raised letters), the edge (beveled or square), and whether you want a carved border line or screw holes.
3. Tell us your CNC router, the CAM program you use, and the V-bit and end mill you own. The site checks the design against them and writes the cutting recipe in your program's terms. All of this is free.
4. Pay with credits, download the zip, and make the toolpaths in your CAM program from the recipe.

What's in the download

sign-name.dxf

The main file. It holds every cut on its own layer, in millimeters, with the sign's lower-left corner at 0,0. The letters are already outlines, so there's no font to install and no text to explode, and every shape is a closed polyline that CAM programs select cleanly.

sign-name.svg

The same layers as an SVG, sized in millimeters, for programs that prefer SVG (Easel, for one).

steps/1-vcarve.svg, steps/2-chamfer.svg ...

One SVG per cutting step, numbered in cutting order, for programs where it's easier to bring in one operation at a time.

sign-name-preview.svg

A drawing of how the finished sign will look, with your style and edge.

README.txt

The recipe: board size, where to set zero, which bits, then each step's layer, toolpath type, bit, and depth, using your CAM program's names, plus finishing tips.

The layers, in the order they're cut. A sign only has the ones its options call for:

We never send G-code. Your CAM program makes the toolpaths, so your machine's post-processor and your own feeds and speeds are the ones that run.

Which CAM programs and machines?

The recipe is written for one of seven CAM programs, each with a step-by-step guide. The DXF opens in nearly any other CAM program too; just follow the layer names. One gap to know about: MakeraCAM has no V-carve toolpath, so for V-carved letters on a Carvera, pick Fusion or VCarve instead.

• Carbide Create
• Easel
• Fusion
• VCarve
• Carveco
• MakeraCAM
• Estlcam

The machine list covers Shapeoko 4, Shapeoko 5 Pro and HDM, X-Carve Pro, LongMill MK3 and AltMill, Onefinity, Genmitsu 3018 and PROVerXL, and Makera Carvera, Carvera Air, and Z1. Don't see yours? Pick the generic small, medium, or large size closest to its cutting area. The machine is used for the size check below and to suggest a CAM program; the files themselves are the same for every machine.

Bits you need

Two bits cover every sign, and you tell us which ones you have:

• A V-bit, 60° or 90°, 1/2 in across. It carves the letters and bevels the edge. A 60° bit cuts deeper and narrower, with crisper small letters; a 90° bit is shallower, so it suits thinner boards and bold fonts.
• A flat end mill, 1/8 in or 1/4 in. It clears the background on raised signs, cuts the screw holes, and cuts the sign out. The 1/8 in gets into tighter gaps between raised letters; the 1/4 in is faster and sturdier for the cutout.

With a 1/4 in end mill, the 5 mm screw holes are smaller than the bit, so most CAM programs won't make that toolpath. Drill them by hand with a 13/64 in or 3/16 in drill bit at the marks, or switch to a 1/8 in end mill for that step.

If your machine lacks an automatic tool changer, it will stop between steps that change bits. Swap the bit and set Z zero again on the board's top before you resume.

V-carved or raised letters?

V-carved letters are cut into the face with the V-bit. The bit follows the middle of each stroke and goes deeper where the stroke is wider, which leaves sharp corners and clean serifs. It's one tool, quick to run, and the grooves take paint well. This is the classic carved sign, and the best choice for script fonts.

Raised letters stay at full height while an end mill lowers the background inside a rim by 3/16 in (4.8 mm). They read well from across a yard and look good with a painted background. Raised works best with bold, blocky fonts: the site warns you when gaps between letters are narrower than your end mill (they'd stay uncut) or when strokes are thinner than 2 mm (5/64 in), which can snap off along the grain.

Board size, thickness, and the machine check

Pick a standard size or type your own. The words are sized to fit the board, so a bigger board gives bigger letters. Boards can be 1/2 to 1-1/2 in (12 to 38 mm) thick; 3/4 in (19 mm) is the default and matches common pine and poplar boards.

Before you pay, the site checks the design against your machine and bits:

• Too big for the machine. If the board is larger than your router's cutting area, you can't buy it until you pick a smaller board. If it only fits turned 90 degrees, you get a note, and the recipe tells you to lay the board along the Y axis and rotate the design in your CAM program.
• Letters too small. A main line under about 3/8 in (10 mm) tall won't carve cleanly, so it's blocked; under 5/8 in (16 mm) gets a warning.
• Thin strokes. Very fine strokes V-carve too shallow to hold paint after sanding.
• Board too thin for the background pocket or the beveled edge.

Cutting the sign out of a larger board? Leave about 1 in (25 mm) all around for clamps, and move the design in from the corner to match.

What's a flat depth?

A V-bit carves deeper as a stroke gets wider. On bold fonts or big letters, the widest strokes would go deeper than is sensible: past 3/8 in (9.5 mm), or past half the board's thickness. When that happens, the recipe gives a flat depth (some programs call it a max depth). The V-bit stops at that depth, and the wide parts get a flat floor. Some programs clear that floor with your end mill as a second tool; others leave it to the V-bit. If your recipe says “automatic”, leave the depth unset and let the bit follow the strokes.

Inches and millimeters

The site shows sizes in inches, with millimeters alongside. The files are always in millimeters, because DXF and SVG carry metric units reliably. If your CAM program asks, import as millimeters. You can still work in inches after that, since the program converts. Check that the imported sign measures the size on your recipe before making any toolpaths.

Credits and pricing

Every sign costs 2 credits. New accounts get 2 credits free (one welcome gift per email address), which pays for a whole first sign without a card. After that, credit packs are 3 for $5, 10 for $15, or 30 for $39. Credits don't expire, and previews and checks never use them.

A sign you've bought stays in your account. Download it again whenever you like, at no charge: handy when a board splits and you need a second go. Should our server fail to produce a file, you get those credits back on the spot.

Safety

The files tell your CAM program where to cut; they don't move your machine. You make the toolpaths and set the feeds and speeds, so use what your machine maker and bit maker recommend for the wood you're carving. A few habits that save boards and bits:

• Simulate every toolpath in your CAM program and look for anything unexpected before cutting.
• Run an air pass first if you're unsure: set Z zero an inch or so above the board and watch the machine trace the sign in the air.
• Hold the board down firmly, clear of the bit's path, and keep clamps out of the cutout's path.
• Wear eye and hearing protection, run dust collection, and stay with the machine while it cuts.

Can I sell the signs I carve?

Yes, as many as you like, anywhere. The license covers the carved signs. The files are yours to carve, but not to resell, share, or post. The terms spell it out.

Your account

Buying and saving signs needs a Google sign-in. The account page has a delete button that wipes the account and its designs for good. The privacy policy explains what we keep.

Contact

A question, a recipe that doesn't match your program, or a sign you'd like us to add? Email support@carvablesigns.com.