I started playing with the 3d capabilitys of CC and have had pretty good results. However, 2 of the projects had lines in them running the direction the cutter was moving. It’s like the z axis forgot where it was. Any ideas?
Is the machine electro-mechanically sound?
What tool(s) are you using?
Did you skip a size from 3D Roughing to 3D Finishing?
Post your file?
All of my 3D carvings are doing the same thing with creating some lines. I had carved a wolf tray and after running for 2 hours, when I got to looking at it closely, there was this step-up line/bar that started just as the machine was cutting at 1/3rd of the way up on the first wolf, and then at the middle of the wolf the machine dropped back down into the height as previously carving. So, there is this 1/4 inch ribbon across the chest of the first wolf, that wasn’t in the simulation.
I thought about changing the direction of the finishing toolpath so its not running on the same plane direction as the roughing toolpath. But don’t want to keep wasting 2 hours at a time to run, then try to correct. I’m not here to hijack this thread, but I too, am having the same issue with 3D carvings. Each one I try always results in lines somewhere in the carvings. I feel that carving a 3D design just isn’t in the cards for me and don’t want to waste anymore time on fails in 3D carvings.
With my issue, I am using the 1/4 inch flat endmill to rough out the material, then coming back in with the 1/8 inch tapered ball nose endmill. I used the same parameters in both the roughing and finishing toolpaths. I thought when I first saw the line carved into the tray, that maybe the tool backed up into the collet at first. Then I see the other side where the tool drops back down to the regular height as before the step up. Besides, if the tool was moving I realize the carving would be going deeper with the tooling trying to pull into the carving. I changed my design from the previous one inn order to correct some other issues I had in the design to make the tray better in my view. Haven’t ran it with this new design, because the run time is a bit longer now and don’t want to waste the time and the material trying over and over again getting the same results, “waste”. Ok, I am here to observe now and see what can be done. Thanks.
Anyways, this is my issue and I hope we can come to an understanding as to what the problem could be. I’m looking forward to seeing what corrections can be done in order to deal with this issue here in this thread.
Not sure what you mean by “electro-mechanically sound”? I mean, it makes all kinds of electric whirs and general mechanical spiny sounds.
I do have my dust extraction hose grounded, but I haven’t done anything beyond that.
I use /14" EM for rough and 1/8" tapered ball nose for finish. I’ll post file when I go home for lunch.
I did two 3d cuts prior to this that came out flawless.
Are all of the electronics in good condition, all wiring connectors secure, all wiring in good shape?
Are the mechanics of the machine in good condition? Hardware all secure, linear rails/blocks properly lubricated, everything adjusted where appropriate and in good alignment?
Usually if a cut doesn’t match the 3D preview the problem is with the mechanics of the machine or a feed and speed issue or a problem with excessive tooling engagement.
Go back and look at your simulation with toolpaths turned on very closely in the affected areas.
When I tried CCPro for 3d, I had the same results. After a few times, I checked my simulation with showing toolpaths and found there to be some odd jagged line where this happens. The odd lines were jagged on the z-movement and would cause the z carriage to seemingly “vibrate” z movement while making the affected pass, of course the preceding and following lines/passes were smooth as expected and take most of the peaks off leaving a heightened ridge.
So what you are saying is that there may be issues with the machine that needs maintenance work done on it? Well, I did buy the Way oil, but UPS failed to ship it three times before it was returned to the company. So, another purchase and more waiting.
Here are the files:
This one was done in CC V7
NEW_Big_Anchor_06.c2d (3.3 MB)
This one was done in CC V8B
Test_3D_03.c2d (2.6 MB)
I just recently had the machine apart and reassembled it with the utmost scrutiny. I am a “wrench swinger” by trade so I like to think I did a good job of reassembling everything. I will double check this weekend. I’m thinking its lube time. I’ve had the machine since August of 2023, and according to CM have 62 hours on it. Most of that being advanced V-carves and which is a lot of up and down on the Z axis.
@WillAdams, could you elaborate on “excessive tooling engagement”. I know you have nothing better to do than browse the forum and help out all of us dumb-dumbs!
All the help is sincerely appreciated.
Not familiar with the tool used here:
so the question comes up if the feeds and speeds appropriate to it.
The tool used for roughing is a #201:
and it should work well for flat areas, my concern would be that every so often there is an area where a large amount of material was left uncut due to how the geometry of the tool interacts with the geometry of the design, resulting in a toolpath which leaves an area uncut.
The next tool, being smaller is able to enter that area, and because the material is left uncut, is 100% engaged in what is essentially a drilling operation which may result in deflection.
A further concern is that Carbide Create doesn’t use the taper, so the tool has to be entered as a ball-nose, and there is no account made for the extra material being removed.
Consider cutting a slot:
That results in 100% tooling engagement on entry, and as the cut is made, the tooling engagement remains high because both sides of the tool remain in contact with uncut material.
If you then add a second pass along one side:
the tooling engagement is reduced dramatically because only one side of the tool is cutting, the other side is free to clear chips.
While I’ve long recommended that one not skip sizes when switching between 3D Roughing and 3D Finishing, your toolpath makes me wonder if one should not also avoid switching tool types as well.
Perhaps try:
- 3D Roughing with 1/4" square tool (perhaps flip this with the following tool if your tram is good?)
- Initial 3D Finishing with 1/4" ball-nose (perhaps at a different angle?)
- Final 3D Finishing with 1/8" tapered ball-nose
but since we don’t sell a tapered ball-nose, that’s just a couple of suggestions.
I oiled all the cars and ball screws, gave the rails a good wipe down and inspected all connectors and made sure all screws/set screws were tight. I hadn’t done this since I got the machine in October of '23. According to CC I had just over 70 hours on it. Don’t know if that is a lot between lubing.
I have a 3d cut in the queue so we’ll see how it goes.
Look at the tool number
Do you think that was by design, or just coincidental? Lol. And some people won’t understand. heeheehee
It is 100% on purpose. All their bits are named Jenny. They got the “uptown Jenny”, “slim Jenny”, “oh Jenny”, “groovy Jenny”, and the list goes on. I highly recommend them all. Great customer support too.
Lines ca be due to crap on the rails or wheels which force the carriage a bit higher
The bit is even Tutone like Tommy
I did a small (5" x 5") 3d carve today after lubing the entire machine and had no issues. I also dropped my feed rate from 150 IPM to 100 IPM. Not sure which was the solution. I didn’t want to ruin this particular piece so I didn’t want to chance anything.
Your solution was more then likely the maintenance you performed on your machine. If you have the ball screws on your machine and they are not oiled regularly, then they won’t move properly and drag the bearings across the metal. The machine might stretch the movement with the dragging bearing, (not really damaging the bearing or anything else), but the machine might think that it moved to the desired locations, but in reality, it was close and we see it in small steps in the part.
We don’t realize just how much sawdust builds up on and around our machines. I have an example, but it wasn’t a ran project. I have been making some oak trim for a job that I will be doing soon. As I ran the boards through the planer, I had my dust collector connected to my planer so I could keep the dust down being thrown around. I planed down around 20 boards to clean them up. I happen to think about the dust collector and looked over at the bag to see how full it was. I wasn’t thinking that I would have so much sawdust. I filled two of these bags from all of these 20 boards, which are close to 55 gallons.
Could you imagine how much fine dust would have been floating around in my shop if I hadn’t ran my dust collector? The same goes for my machine as well. I have it in the shop and all of this dust would be all over my machine and giving me problems.