09-04-2025 Q&A: Rotary Scaling, Vector Cleanup, Painting & Finishing Tips

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In this Q&A session, we explored rotary project scaling in Aspire, fixing messy SVG vectors, centering designs on live edge wood, and painting/finishing methods for CNC projects. The group also discussed AI vector creation, retract height adjustments for faster toolpaths, and shellac/sealing best practices.

Key Tips Learned in this Q&A:

• Rotary Scaling Behavior: When scaling 3D models in Aspire (both in flat and rotary projects), width/height adjustments automatically scale the Z thickness unless “Auto-Scale Z” is disabled. Use the Transform Scale tool to prevent unwanted diameter changes.

• Vector Cleanup: Messy vectors from external SVG files may contain thousands of overlaps/intersections. While Vectric flags only 1,000 errors at a time, cleaning requires manual node editing, trimming, or removing unnecessary small vectors. Sometimes it’s better to find or recreate a cleaner file.

• Centering on Live Edge Material: Photograph your wood, trace the outline, then V-carve a shallow profile of the traced shape onto your spoilboard. This gives a physical outline to accurately align irregular stock.

• Reducing Carve Time: Lowering retract height from 0.2" to 0.1" saved nearly 2 hours on a 4.5-hour carve. However, don’t go below 0.1" or risk gouging uneven stock. Always double-check material setup.

• Painting & Sealing Signs:

  • Seal with dewaxed shellac (e.g., Zinsser SealCoat) before painting to prevent bleed.

  • Use brush-on shellac for better penetration.

  • For single-color fills: seal → paint → sand → clear coat.

  • For multicolor: consider OraMask, staining separate parts, or carving inlays. Always let paint dry fully before masking to avoid peeling.

Questions Answered in this Q&A:

• 00:04:16 – In rotary projects, does stretching a cylinder’s width increase diameter?

• 00:10:57 – How to fix thousands of vector errors from an SVG and center design on live edge wood?

• 00:22:55 – Do overlapping vectors cause issues for laser engravers?

• 00:24:50 – Can AI help generate usable CNC vectors?

• 00:28:17 – How much time can be saved by adjusting retract height?

• 00:30:44 – What’s the minimum safe retract height?

• 00:32:16 – Does changing the “Scale Factor” reduce carve time or just adjust time estimates?

• 00:34:22 – Painting process: Is the black fill paint or mask-based? How to seal/sand effectively?

• 00:38:48 – How to handle multicolor painting on detailed carvings?

• 00:41:44 – OraMask pros/cons and alternatives for detailed designs.

• 00:52:30 – Why don’t recently opened files always show up in Aspire’s sidebar?

• 00:55:46 – Imported 3D file into Aspire v12 shows shallow depth—how to increase detail?

• 00:57:09 – Troubleshooting long carve times and errors when making a sign from a logo.

• 00:58:20 – Why some files don’t show in “Recent Files” (different versions, file types, or drives).

• 00:59:59 – VistaScope license refresh delays (holiday shutdown noted).

Keywords:

rotary scaling, vectric, aspire, vcarve, auto-scale z, vector cleanup, svg errors, live edge wood, cnc alignment, retract height, toolpath efficiency, shellac, dewaxed sealcoat, painting signs, oramask, multicolor cnc signs, ai vectors