Is there something that’s going on that I’m doing wrong? I’ve been using the BitZerov2 And I always have a problem with engraving. You can see in the photo where the engraver is not touching the stock. how can I fix this?
I wrote a bit about testing/verifying this at:
If you still have difficulties, let’s know which version of Carbide Motion you are using and how you are probing and we will look into it with you.
How deep is your router in the router mount? Most people have the Makita/C3D/Dewalt router all the way down in the router mount. If you set zero and this is the zero position then jog down until the engraver touches the material and reset the Z zero position. If your router cannot jog down any further than this then check your configuration. The Dewalt routers have a slightly longer body than the Makita/C3D router. When the Z-Plus first came out some people were having issues not being able to reach the BitSetter. In the previous versions of CM it was easy to change the parameters to get more depth. In the more recent versions you can still customize but I dont remember how. As long as you are not hitting the mechanical limit of your Z research here on the forum on how to customize your travel settings. When you run configuration the actual Shapeoko movement is slightly more than the settings that C3D provides. That is a safety margin so you dont slam into the mechanical stops. When jogging you are limited in movements that CM enforces from the configuration. However during running a jog and you try to go a long way past the mechanical limits the Shapeoko will try to go there and hit the mechanical limits. Only during jog are movements limited and running gcode there is no limit except the mechanical ones.
So check here on the forum to see if you can set your jogging movements a little bit more if this about jogging. If you are at the mechanical limit check that your router is all the way down in the router mount. If neither of these work then talk to support for additional help.
Do you have belt drive or screw drive for your Z axis? If screw drive, you could have some backlash.
I’m using Carbide Motion 636 and I’m probing on the bottom left corner with the probe bit and letting it probe X,Y, Z
How deeply does the file need to cut?
How does this compare to the defects along the edges which may be interfering with how the BitZero?
Upload your .c2d file and we will try to look deeper into this with you.
I think the reason is is because the stock/acrylic one side is up from the table just a tiny bit where you can’t see it then when the engraver touches the stock the acrylic goes down, but then engravers just not cutting. I tried again today But setting the Z zero with paper and now one side is perfectly fine, but then the other letters are very deep
In that picture above your material has a bit of fuzz on the left side. Perhaps that threw off the BitZero measurement?
I wish I can send a video but it’s like the stock is a wobbly table that’s just not flat as soon as the engraver touches it, the acrylic goes down a bit cause it not to engrave the words correctly. Is there a better way to flatten everything out ? I know a vacuum table is perfect but don’t know how to make one
How do you secure it?
Carpet tape and some of the Clamps carbide provides when buying the machine
Once my spoilboard is flat and “Z” squared I have not had issues. Sometimes chasing getting everything squared is daunting. But it pays off when doing etching on poly.
Yes when I have zeroed it misses spots. Squaring everything up solved that issue.
Good luck.
Wobbly is certainly not good.
Have you tried painters tape and CA?
I use Xfasten double sided woodworking tape which is much easier to work with than the carpet tape.
But, why is it wobbly? Have you trammed your spoil board? If you put the material on a good flat surface like a counter or tablesaw does it wobble?
In the picture, you can see that the stock is not touching the spoilboard. so when the engraver touches it, the acrylic lays flat, but the engraver is not touching it. It’s barely grazing it. sorry if I meant wobbly, it’s just I meant the stock is wobbly like in the picture
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Thinner materials require full support to prevent flex. This is a good case for a supplemental spoil board. A piece of MDF larger than the parts you are making that you can secure to the machine. Surface it in place to provide complete support for your acrylic. Then painters tape and super glue will provide full contact.
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Agreed. Even a cutting mat would be better, but a scrap of MDF or anything like that would be good.
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I tried doing it. It still doesn’t work. The engraver still misses the stock. I’ve done it a couple times try adjusting, and it still doesn’t touch. One side, it will be touching, and the other side is not touching at all
Have you trammed your MDF and ensured that your stock is of consistent thickness and secured so that the top surface will be in plane with the machine motion?
Yes I have with the white side surfacing bit
Can you post your file?