2 Color edge lit acrylic sign (ORIGINAL UN-CUT)

In this video I build a unique 2 color edge lit acrylic LED sign using clear acrylic, as a gift for my nephew John. John is a talented mechanic who is always helping out his family in his spare time.

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Some links for bits & materials on Amazon
Clear cast acrylic https://amzn.to/2Xz3EaN
LED strip lights color changing https://amzn.to/2LLdvTI
LED strip lights Green https://amzn.to/2LIw5vK
60° V-bit https://amzn.to/2S6EZV4
90° V-bit https://amzn.to/30t8tPX
1/8” spiral up-cut “O” flute for Plastic https://amzn.to/30w4rq5
1/4” spiral up-cut for wood https://amzn.to/2S2RXTE
1/8” spiral up-cut for wood https://amzn.to/2JqQqEu

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The size of my sign was 15” diameter, however you can scale this up or down to fit your specific project shape. I first begin with a design drawn in a CAD drafting program (I use AutoCAD LT)
This step isn’t necessary if you can draw your sign profile directly in the CAM software you are using to create the toolpaths (G-code) for your CNC router.
Once you have your project imported into your CAM software (I use V-carve Pro by Vectric) you can create any text or lettering if you haven’t already done so.
The next step is to select and create your individual toolpaths. I can’t really give you exact steps on how to do this as the process will depend on the software you are using.
To engrave the acrylic-
For the fine (or smaller than1/4” high text) I used the” V-carve” toolpath with a 60 ° V-bit
(In the video I mistakenly said it was a 30 degree bit, sorry for the confusion)
For the larger text and the rest of the engraving, I used the “V-carve” toolpath with a 90° V-bit
For the piston and wrench hatch filled engraving I used the “quick-engrave” toolpath, depth at 0.02”, hatch filled, angle at zero °s for the piston design, 45 & 135 °s for the wrench, all with a 0.055” step-over.
Feeds & speeds you will have to play with as each CNC machine can be quite different, what worked for me was 8000 rpm @ 50 to 60 inches per minute.
For the engraved areas that were un-filled or were a simple line engraving, I used the “profile” toolpath, and the 90° V-bit, with the tool “on” the line with climb direction & 0.032” depth.
For the holes, and the cut-out shapes, I used a 1/8” dia. Spiral up-cut “O” flute bit
For larger holes, I used the “pocket” toolpath with the depth of cut set about .005” more than the material thickness to just go all the way through.
The small 1/8” dia. Holes (for the alignment pins) were a “drill” toolpath, same cut depth as above.
For the shape cut-outs I used the “profile” toolpath with 1/16” cutting depth per pass.

Remove any masking on the top (cutting) side of the acrylic before engraving.
Use compressed air to blow away chips and cool the bit, always use sharp cutters, they don’t need to be brand new, but sharp.
Setting tool height is the single most feature that effects the detail of your engraving, the tool Z depth must be set accurately to get predictable results. If the bit is set even .005” higher than the material surface, and you are engraving small detailed text, it may not fully engrave the whole letter, and if the bit is set to low the letters can get so deep that individual letters can “blur” together (overlap)
When in doubt, set the tool higher, you can always adjust the tool depth and run the toolpath again. If it’s too deep, you can ruin the piece.
A vacuum table helps this process as it will keep the material “tight” to the table with no variations in Z height, providing you keep the vacuum table surface fly-cut and “true” to the CNC bed, just like when you re-surface your spoil board.
Use "Cast" acrylic for best surface finish, avoid “extruded” if possible.
Always make test cuts, engraving can be tricky to get right the first time in acrylic.

For the wood material, I used maple

I made the recessed dadoes for the LED strips using a “pocket” toolpath with a 1/4” spiral up-cut bit
The shape cut-outs were “profile” toolpath also with 1/4” bit.
All holes done using “pocket” toolpath with 1/8” spiral up-cut bit.
Led strip lights are cut to size to fit in dadoes, solder on 22 ga. Wires at least 6” long for later hook-up to the power supply
You-tube limits 5000 characters or less in this description box, so I must keep the more obvious stuff very brief. Please watch the video :)