Howdy - I tried to pick the best category for this help request.
In carbide create:
Loaded the correct material width into the job file (.368 inch)
All the contour cuts are the stock bottom depth (.368 inch)
Using the 1/8” 102 endmill bit options for all the contour cuts.
In carbide motion:
Loaded the xyz zeros (I have the bit zero v2) - I’ve checked 4 times now that the zero is perfectly aligned to the bottom left of the stock (jogged it to Z+1 inch, jogged it to the Z+6mm, measured the spacing, it’s all perfect)
Start job, soft checks bit height against bit setter - everything is fine - and then:
For some reason I can’t seem to understand - it goes to the correct place to start cutting and starts making the cutting passes around .125 inches ABOVE the stock.
I have no clue why - I’ve checked everything from scratch 4 times now - and the same issue every time. I have the pass depth at .03 inch so after 3-4 passes it eventually starts cutting the stock - but that also means it doesn’t cut it all the way through.
I’m about to start barking - I feel like I’m going crazy If the zero is perfectly aligned to the top of the stock - what makes the machine start doing cutting passes 1/8th of an inch ABOVE the stock?
How do I debug this?
This is the first time this issue is happening - the only difference from previous is that I was using the 201 (1/4”) endmill bit and now using the 102 (1/8”) endmill bit. Which I can’t imagine mattering in this case since the bitsetter checks the height anyway.
First step, you should post your C2D file so we can see how it’s set up. From there, it should be quick to see if it’s a problem in the design file or the machine setup.
I did an additional test with a simple 1x1 inch square contour cutout - and took the max depth all the way to .5 inch - and the depth of passes stopped increasing after X amount of passes no matter what max depth I set the cut to.
I then reloaded the 201 bit - and changed the settings of the contour to the 1/4 inch endmill - loaded it into carbide motion, and it cut all the way through [and into the wasteboard since .5 inch was more than enough depth to cut through the plywood].
So - it was actually a matter of the bit, for whatever reason. Now I guess my question is how I get the 102 bit to cut the depth I actually set - since it’s almost like it “ran out of height” to make deeper passes. Which obviously couldn’t be the case since it’s atleast an inch in total height before it disappears into the collet.
I don’t know if I understand your answer. I think I explained all of this in my original post.
I use calipers to check the width of the material. It’s about .36 of an inch - so I set the material width to .38 to be safe AND set the contour cuts to .38.
I then use the bitzero to probe for XY and then for Z. I check that the zero is set properly with a quick action of plunge to 1 inch above the zero. Attached screenshot to show you it matches.
Have you cut material this thin before? If not, it might be as simple as lowering your spindle. I had something similar happen to me and that was my fix. All the cam/cad settings were correct so I decided to try lowering my spindle just a little bit and everything worked perfectly after that.
Also, you are not going to be happy with how you have the toolpaths set up.
I have cut these same faces before, they turn out best with an Advanced V-Carve.
If you have a 15 degree Vbit that works well, I put in a 60 degree as most folks have that one.
It looks like you are trying to an interlocking type system to connect the faces to the bodies. How you have this set up is not going to work. The .125 EM will still need to be trimmed to get the piece to fit. Your going to want to do a little Filet or a Dogbone on each of the tenons.
As far as how low to set your router/spindle you install your shortest bit and then jog down until your bit hits your spoilboard. If you dont hit the spoilboard then lower you router/spindle in the mount. Ideally you would want to be cutting just into your spoilboard so you are not at the limit of how low your bit can go.
If the zero is perfectly aligned to the top of the stock - what makes the machine start doing cutting passes 1/8th of an inch ABOVE the stock?
