Z-Axis Coordinates Incorrect

I wrote a program to cut a new waste board, its the first cut that I’ve done. The program has 121 holes through the 0.812" MDF and a 1/16" larger diameter recess centered on each hole. The recessed holes were the 1st cut and the through holes were the 2nd cut. The recessed holes varied minimally, I still need to trim the surface to bring it to true, but I ran into issues with the through holes.

The Shapeoko started cutting the far row of through holes. Eleven rows of holes, the first through fifth row the holes cut through. The 6th row, the holes cut about halfway through, although inconsistently. The 7th through 11th rows, the “through holes” were barely cut from the material.

Somehow, between the 5th and 6th rows something about the Z-axis was thrown off. It seems it’s not a mechanical issue considering all of the recessed holes cut. Any idea what I can adjust to resolve this issue?

Also, I cut the through holes twice, zeroing the z-axis again before the second pass. There was no difference between the first and second pass, the shallower z cuts were consistent at each hole between the first and second passes.

The basic points of adjustment for a machine are:

What did the simulation show? I’d really suggest a simple project or two first.

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I planned the file to start at x:1.5", y:1.5" at the lower left corner. All dark points are through holes (0.812" deep) and all recesses are (0.063" deep).

This is the resulting cut. Notice the varying depth of the holes in the 6th - 11th rows.

Thanks for the links. I’m in the process of adjusting the machine. We’ll see if it resolves the issue.

Issue resolved. The z-axis belt slid off of the roller on the tensioner. The nut on the tensioner was loose.

Thanks for the help.

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