Unable to create toolpath

You can drill a 3/4" endmill using a 3/4" bit — in a CAM tool which supports drilling and using a machine which is rigid enough not to deflect when plunging, or using feeds and speeds and a plunge rate which won’t result in deflection.

One free CAM tool which supports drilling is MakerCAM: https://wiki.shapeoko.com/index.php/MakerCAM

Thanks for all your efforts. I decided to switch to a .750 Vee Cutter and it started to work okay for 2 holes, and it seems like the Z belt is slipping. It is very jerky and makes a ticking sound as it lowers into the work. The belt is as tight as I dare to tighten it.

What else could the problem be?

The basic points of adjustment for a machine are:

​ Beyond that it’s usually a matter of ​https://wiki.shapeoko.com/index.php/Calibration_and_Squaring_the_Machine c.f., http://docs.carbide3d.com/shapeoko-faq/how-to-calibrate-the-machine-for-belt-stretch/

Please check the wiring (test with a multimeter if possible), and try removing a spring.

This simply does not work for me. Can someone please try this and show me that it can be one on this software? I am just not getting anywhere. I bought this machine to make my work easier, but instead made it much more complicated.

One more thing that I did not mention before is that Carbide create just konks out when I try to create a tool path. Some of the time, and also if it doesn’t crash, it says "not responding for sometimes up to about a minute. I tried fewer circles at a time with the same results.

Hi Cam,

I’m sorry to hear about the trouble you’re having. I think a lot of it can be solved easily though.

  1. Regarding your holes. If you want round bottom holes, with a 3/4" diameter. Then you can use a 3/4" endmill but you will need to make your holes bigger, but not much.
  • This is because something that is the exact same size doesn’t fit - think of trying to fit a pin that was exactly 3/4" diameter into a holes that was exactly 3/4" diameter, it wouldn’t work. We know that in real life there is a tolerance, but CAM packages work off math, and math alone. So, just increase the radius by .001" to 0.376".

  • The other option would be to create the holes with a smaller bit (like a 1/4" ballnose endmill) and make each hole a pocket. The bottom wouldn’t be perfectly rounded, but the inside edges of the bottom would be.

  1. Regarding the z-belt: My guess is that you might using a 3/4" wood router bit to try and create these holes? When you’re plunging with that style of bit, there’s a lot of surface area resisting the downward force. If your belt is tight (and it sounds like it is), then I would try two things:
  • Slow down your plunge rate in Carbide Create.
  • Change from an inside toolpath to a packet toolpath, which will could help in this scenario.

Please let us know if any of those work. Otherwise, shoot an email into support@carbide3d.com and we can schedule a phone or skype call to get you up and running and happy!

Thanks,
Edward

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Thanks Edward, I will get on it right away.

Also note that endmills suck at drilling. They don’t clear chips vertically nearly as well as an actual drill bit and aren’t really designed for heavy plunging. I’ve torched a pretty new 1/4" endmill by trying to drill holes with it.

I find its almost always better to make holes with a smaller bit so it can move laterally and clear chips as it descends.

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Thanks Edward, you are my hero! The took path worked just fine. Now I have a different problem. The Z belt broke when I tried to tighten it.

Cam - that’s awesome news! And also terrible news…

just send us an email (support@carbide3d.com) and we’ll overnight you a new one.

-Edward

I want to thank all of you for being so helpful and your patience with me.

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Carbide create does the job 95% of the time. It’s the 5% other in your project that wish’s CC Had hole drilling function.

I know it’s another purchase but commercial software sooner or later comes into your needs.
V carve desktop or pro… is my choice… helps with the few need ops that CC isn’t capable of.
Even though it gets me by 95% + of the time for what I need.
Starting out it did everything I needed but as time passed I started more complicated toolpaths and needed a little more capability.

STILL FOR WHAT YOU GET and the price point starting out
Nothing else out there compares to the SHAPEOKO IMHO.

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