Drilled straight into my board starting a face mill

Software Carbide Create
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I am sure that this is a simple programming issue. Or a 0 issue on my side. But, I tried 3 different times to start a face mill path and my CNC plunged into my board every time. I set the 0 to the bottom left of my block on the x and y by moving the router bit to the top face bottom left corner, leaving just a tiny bit of the router bit hanging over the edge on both sides. Then moved the router to the top of the block and used the paper method to set the z 0. I don’t understand what I am doing wrong.

Also, when the router starts the initial cut it moves to where its going to start then raises itself up so high it almost sounds like its grinding gears trying to get higher that what it can. I set the retract height to 2.5" so I don’t know why it would do that.

any thoughts?

FM path 251.c2d (44 KB)

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You have the Retract Height set to 2.5" — if there isn’t 2.5" of movement above where zero is set then the machine will lose steps at the top stop, resulting in it being lower than the machine thinks it is, resulting in a too deep plunge.

See:

https://carbide3d.com/blog/unexpected-z-axis-plunges/

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So the retract height isn’t the height above the waist it’s above the thickness of my loaded project?

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The Retract Height is how much the machine needs to lift up to clear clamps and so forth, it should be as low as possible.

Stock Thickness is the thickness of the loaded stock.

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For more on terminology see:

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So my stock thickness is 2”. I don’t have any obstructions higher than that. And, my machine is capable of clearing 2.5” no problem. But I set my z0 on the top of my stock. So it’s trying to go to 4.5”? If I set the z0 from the waste-board that should solve it it sounds like. If I 0 at the waste board do I have to change my 0 in carbide create from the top of the stock to the bottom then too?

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Thank you for all of your help.

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If you mount 2" thick stock, and set the origin at the bottom of the stock and set the safety/retract height to 2.5" the machine will try to lift to 4.5" above the wasteboard.

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I typically have my retract height set at .2 inches just so it can clear any clamps. Sometimes you may need higher if your clamping is higher. Do not include the depth of your stock in this setting. The higher your retract height, the longer your cut time will be as well since it lifts that height after every cut.

1 Like
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I had almost the same problem. I had the Stock thickness set to the bottom. Go to "Design’ “setup” Then under stock tthickness, select Zero Height as top

Good luck

Sean

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