In AZ and need some help

I have made a couple simple signs and used VCarve to cut them. I now have a larger project and saved the gcode and named it appropriately. I plugged in and turned on machine, loaded the file, zeroed machine out after getting to lower left corner and touching tool to paper. Then raised Z turned on router and started project… that’s when everything went wrong, tool, Z axis went down touching board and started dragging across board then started cutting line back down material toward start point. I shut it off, threw up my hands and found something else to do.
I live in AZ during winter, is there anybody I can make contact with down here that can guide me through some of these steps. I am retired and 76 yrs young so learning comes easier if hands on.

Not in Arizona, but would like to help.

Could you describe, step-by-step, in excruciating detail each thing which you did, and what you expected to happen, and what actually happened?

If you could upload any relevant files, that might help.

It sounds as if you may have selected the wrong post-processor in VCarve (but I’m not familiar w/ it). EDIT: apparently this is V-carving in Carbide Create.

I’m sure we can sort this out, if you’ll just work with us.

I’m not in AZ so hopefully someone who is will reply. In the meantime, it sounds like a possibility is a VCarve setting. If you upload your nc file, I could see if it is telling the machine to do what you describe.

In other software I use the setting something like “clearance height”.

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This post from inventables has pictures from VCarve: https://discuss.inventables.com/t/extra-passes-between-layers/18268/11

The relevant one is the last one (scroll all the way to the bottom). Z clearance.

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I use v-carve pro and if you want me to look at the set up I will.

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Would you please send the file to support@carbide3d.com or attach it here and someone will look at it.

Or, as I suggested, describe step-by-step what you did — I suspect it’s a bug in how Carbide Create calculates V-carve paths, since you mentioned “larger project”. An unspoken limitation of V-carving in Carbide Create is that it assumes that the widest point of the area to be carved is narrower than the widest point of the V-bit (and I don’t think there’s an option to inform Carbide Create of that — the stock material also needs to be thick enough to accommodate the V-cut and I don’t think there’s a check for that.

Doing a V-carving tutorial similar to: Carbide Create tutorial --- tracing a photo which hopefully will help us all to understand this and get this aspect of the documentation nailed down.

Is it possible that the bottom of the stock was picked in Carbide Create instead of the top? I had a similar situation occur the first time I tried to use my machine with CC and CM, and I believe that was the problem. As others have mentioned, if you post your gcode, along with relevant tool details, we can probably suss out the culprit.

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Arizona is a big state. If you are anywhere near Tucson I will be happy to give you a hand. Send me a text at five two zero, 7808610.

Terry

Thank all of you for your responses. Wouldn’t you know I left for Puerta Vallarta, Mexico soon after I posted the second remark. I’m coming back today so will get back on this project and respond to all of you.
I just love this site, Thank You All

I have a Shapeoko 3, live in East Mesa. Any where near you?

Bob

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Bob I guess the way I responded to you doesn’t work so here I am again. I live a 201 S Greenfield Rd #159
ph:2086614648
Give me a call, later is ok
Hank