I’ve had several instances where my bitzero is setting my zero too high. It’s not much but enough to not the first pass or 2. When I disable and bitzero and manually set the 0, everything goes perfect. Am I doing something wrong or is my bitzero malfunctioning?
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Which BitZero version do you have?
Are you having problems when probing only for Z, or when you are probing for X-Y-Z?
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It depends on what you are hitting when probing. Where are you placing the probe (on top or the left corner hanging off the edge) and what option are you selecting when in the probe section of carbide motion. Also do you have the right probe selected in the probe section?
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There could be several reasons for this.
Some people have depth issues because they pick the wrong Z when dong setup. The Z-Plus and the HDZ have different amount of steps per MM for the stepper motor. For you that does not seem to be the problem because you said when you set manually things work fine. However if you are always off check the setup for which Z you have and set that.
The next issue possible is your BitZero position. The bottom of the BitZero has a lip on it. When setting X Y and Z for the lower left edge you have to have the BitZero sitting with the lip off the edge of your material. The BitZero should be pushed up to the corner with the lip over hanging. If you are probing Z only then the lip sits on top of the material and not over the edge. Carbide Motion compensates for the difference in height of the lip automatically. The version 1 of the BitZero has a different overall height than the version 2 of the BitZero. During Setup you are not asked which version of BitZero you have and CM defaults to version 2. The version 2 has been around for a few years and only older machines would likely have a version 1. You set which version you have in CM In the probing menu as best as I can remember.
If your router bit is not properly tightened in the collet the bit will move during cutting after setting Z zero. On the C3D Router you must use two wrenches to properly tighten the collet. On the DeWalt router you hold in the button to tighten the collet. The collet must be clean and oil free. To clean the collet you can use brake cleaner or aclohol or mineral spirits. Remove the collet to clean it. Dust can accumulate between the collet nut and the inner collet so be sure to clean it thoroughly. With the collet removed from the router use a q-tip to clean the inside of the router shaft. The inside of the router shaft is an inclined plane. Never seat your router bit all the way up inside the router shaft. You only need to push your router bit up the length of your collet and maybe a little more. This ensures you get the best grip on your router bit. Be sure you have the bit tight. You can put a mark on the bit with a marker to visually see if your router bit is moving during cutting.
Have you lubricated your linear bearings and rails on the Z-Plus and/or HDZ. If your bearings and rails are dry or excessively dirty you can get inconsistent Z heights due to binding of the Z.
The least likely would be that your Z is loose. That could be your router mount loose or the router not properly tighten in the mount. If you have an SO3/4 your v-wheels could need adjusting. A v-wheel could be loose or damaged allowing the Z to move up and down. Simply grab hold of your Z and see if it moves up and down. If it does check the above and adjust as necessary. For the SO3/4 make sure your rails are clean. I use a 3m white finishing pad to remove on stuck on gunk. Do not use anything that would scratch your rails. The 3M finishing pad will not scratch your rails but will clean the gunk. You could also just use a paper towel and some cleaner or mineral spirits. Let the rails fully dry before use.
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Thanks all. I may have been setting my bit zero off the edge for the z. Setup again and it zero’d perfect. Next I’ll test the tool change Z height accuracy