Ok so I’m cutting out a depth in my wasteboard for T track rail. I set my zero on the left corner, zeroed it and ran my cut. It goes over and starts the pocket cut goes back stop and comes forward. But it doesnt stop at the starting point but goes beyond hits the metal frame and launches right throw shit everywhere. I’m having a hell of a time with this machine. I just ordered the repair kit for $99 in hopes to fix it. What did I do for this to happen?
Your v-wheels are cracked. It looks like at least two of them. They may have cracked while the machine was running or they may have already been broken. I had several of them shattered right out of the box. Carbide sent me some new ones and they’ve been good ever since though I do have to tighten them frequently. If I can spin them freely with a finger, I tighten them. I can’t remember if the repair kit includes new ones.
I figured out the issue. My cut was 16 inches and I guess my machine is not perfect square so it didn’t make the full 16inches back or just couldn’t go that far back based on my zero. So when it hit the furthest back it jumped or slipped. So when it starting going forward it was going to go however much it slipped. So needless to say I’m not cutting 16 inches anymore… But repair kit is on its way.
Please remember that the ~16" Y-axis cutting measurement on the SO3 and XL includes ~2 1/2 inches of overhang at the front of the machine.
When making such cuts, always measure first.
When you order the maintenance kit, please check and see if there are any other parts which you need beyond what it contains (maybe replacement Z-axis extrusion?) and send in an e-mail to support@carbide3d.com and we’ll add them to your order.
Thanks I really appreciate it. But I think just the wheels broke. I think everything else is ok for now. I have 2 broke wheels on the Z Axis extrusion and one broke on the X. Im hoping that was it.
You cannot make a 16" long groove in the wasteboard on the Y axis if the board is installed in the frame. It’s as Will has said above, the 16" that the cutter can travel on the Y axis goes over the front rail by 2.5 inches. The file you set up for the 16" long grooves was guaranteed to hit the front rail.
I was going to do the same thing but taking measurements showed me the longest groove I could make in the wasteboard was 14.5 inches.
I like to teach my students that CNC machines have no brains and will do whatever you tell them to do, even if it is a bad thing; therefore, you need to be 100% sure that your program is not going to crash.
That means if you are “having a hell of a time with this machine,” means to me that you are a newbie, and that’s ok, but you need to TEST your programs. Electronically (if possible), or by dry running them. (Have the Z an inch (about) higher and run the program. Look for obvious crash points, look at the return to home so that it doesn’t hit a clamp, or bolt, etc, and look for the rapid to X/Y from home to make sure it won’t crash into something too.
The second thing I see that you are doing wrong is that your Z only has 80mm (let’s just call it 3 inches of travel) but it has NO physical stop, so the machine WILL ALLOW you to feed the Z so that the 2 bottom V-Wheels will travel off of the Rail. YES, this is not a great design, but if you know about it, you can work with it. Trying to cut more than 1/4" deep into your waste board using a stand length end mill is a VERY dangerous game you are playing (Because you are almost off the bottom of your Z travel.! The right way would to remove the waste board, and raise it so that it is in the correct Z range for machining. (Yes that means having a temporary waste board UNDER it, while you machine the factory board.)
Remember the 3 most important things as a new CNC Programmer:
