Hi Guys,
Using my new nomad pro
I tried my own file in meshcam as a first go, I zeroed the machine as per tutorials but it the measured the tool and started machining 2 mm above the stock. About half way through it did go into the stock a little.
What settings could I have got wrong in meshcam?
Thanks
Tim
Using my new nomad pro
Congratulations!
I tried my own file in MeshCAM as a first go
Per chance did you CAD up something yourself?
What settings could I have got wrong in MeshCAM?
I suspect that the machining parameters are not at issue. How the object is aligned to the machine is.
Could you have CADed your object such that part of it is above the XY plane and part below?
Where, exactly, did you zero Z? Top of stock?
Please post the STL file you’re working from and a screen shot of the MeshCAM parameters.
mark
Hi Mark,
Yeah I CADed an object in Solidworks. I screwed a peace of 7mm swiss pear to the wasteboard.
Here is the attached STL
12 Keel 4.stl (106.6 KB)
Its screenshot 3 the top Z I have left Z at 3.5mm and also done Z at 0mm but still similar results?
Thanks
Tim
@timtom1, you said
Its screenshot 3 the top Z I have left Z at 3.5mm and also done Z at 0mm but still similar results?
Wherever you set the Program Zero, is where you touch the cutter down in Carbide Motion and set Z=0. In your screenshot, you are just setting program coordinate Z=0 at the top surface of the stock. So when you touch the premeasured cutter there, zero the Z in Carbide Motion and all will be well.
MeshCAM generates is gcode relative to the Program Zero you define.
I like to say MeshCAM defines the stock relative to the geometry, and the gcode relative to the stock. You can verify the Program Zero onscreen by the red/blue/green vector triad.
Randy
To help reinforce what @Randy said, I added 3mm on top and placed X/Y/Z zero in the middle (so it is obvious).
With the Z0 in MeshCAM on the top of stock, “touch off” machining Z0 by barely touching the top of stock with your end mill and declare this Z0 in Carbide Motion. Then away you go.
mark
thank you very much for the explanation guys I think I know what I’ve done wrong now and will try again! 
Tim
Thank you, thank you 
sorted my mistake out and cut this doesn’t look like much as it was on a scrap piece of wood but it’s side A of a keel piece
Good job, @timtom1! I see also you have earned the “milled into the fixturing” certificate. It is good that you have dealt with that early. 
But I see you might have used the visible tooling hole in an earlier attempt, which would have kept the screw head out of harm’s way. I have machined into tooling (including vises and parallels) on occasion, and there is nothing like that to keep me on my toes on later setups…
Randy
I see also you have earned the “milled into the fixturing” certificate.
I’m not afraid to say that I have this certificate too. 
I also have the “I broke an end mill”, “I ruined a parallel”, “I had to hit the E-Stop”, “I slammed the machine into a boundary stop at full speed”, “I ran the spindle backwards and ground an end mill into the stock”, “I got the feeds and speeds wrong”, “I forgot to turn on the vacuum, milled MDF, opened the enclosure, stuck my head in and landed up coughing for an hour” and other sundry certificates. 
mark
Yeah I noticed that when I finished the part…
On then next attempt I will use wider stock to keep the screws out of harms way.
Thanks again guys really appreciate the help.
Will try and make the full part tonight after work
Tim
the part didn’t go too well!
Side A perfect, turned the piece over to do side B started off great roughing was fine, added the finishing tool and it got half way through and stopped the tool was still spinning but the machine wouldn’t move.
So I tired to restart it but I ended up cutting through the supports and the piece broke…
Will try again on Saturday.
On meshcam using the two sided option when you save the tool path it pops up to save twice I assume one is top and the other is bottom?
Previous to this i’ve been using the 3 axis option and flipping on the Y axis…
Tim
On meshcam using the two sided option when you save the tool path it
pops up to save twice I assume one is top and the other is bottom?
That is correct, @timtom1. MeshCAM calculates the top and bottom toolpaths all at once and you save the files one after another.
There have been discussions on the MeshCAM forum about 2-sided machining. Go over and search “flip” and you’ll get a bunch. Two are enter link description here and enter link description here with screenshots.
In MC’s two-sided machining, you flip around the X axis, ie… what was front on the first side is rear on the second side.
Randy
Thank you Randy I will take a look
