I’ve had my Shapeoko 5 pro machine around a year and no real issues until now. I mainly cut plywood and for some unknown reason it has started to cut all shapes wider than intended, by exactly half the diameter of the end mill.
For example - if i cut a 40mm x 40mm square with a 6mm end mill, it will cut it at 43mm 43mm.
This happens when using all offsets (left, right, no offset) and with all end mills (3mm, 4mm, 6mm)
Hi Todd, thanks for your help. The C2D file is too big to attach so I have included a link to access remotely. Screenshots of the parameters of the 2 tools used for this file are also attached.
Usually, if a part is the wrong size when there is a custom tooling definition, it’s caused by the tooling definition being wrong — post a screen-grab showing that?
Your 4mm downcut bit has a diameter of 1.9mm. Your 6mm is 3.0mm? Looks like you inserted bit radius instead of diameter in your tool tool geometry field.
That said, I’m pretty sure the problem is the tool definition, which isn’t easily accessed from the .c2d file — please post a screengrab of that and the specifics of the tool (ideally a link to a web page which has the specifications).
I haven’t done that much design in CC, but there are other things that might cause problems that you might want to check before turning the machine on. Some seem very simple, but those are ones to most likely trip you up.
Is that 1/4 or 1/8, or all bits should be verified by a check with calipers.
Also, while the calipers are out check the actual thickness of the material you’re using.
Are you milling ON the line, INSIDE the line, or OUTSIDE the line in your tool paths.
Are your feeds and speeds set to the Carbide ‘standards’?
IS both the machine and the vacuum well grounded?
The more costly the wood or other material - the better it is to check twice instead of once. The old cliche saying of measure twice, cut once is just as important, or more so, in the CNC world as it is in the rest of our shops!
