Just got the XXL and have been trying to figure out the flag union for my first project. I’m running into some snags though and any commentary is appreciated.
So the design went smooth enough and the simulation was spot on. What I’m really going for is nice sharp points on every star. But when I went to actually cut the darn thing it’s giving me round edges. And on top of that the individual stars are slightly larger than what I put into carbide create. (Designed specs: W = 1.2, H = 1.125. Compared to Actual cut: W = 1.625, H = 1.375) I’m wondering if this is due to the fact that the point on the bit might be tracing the line instead of staying inside the lines…
I also wouldn’t mind having the actual depth of the star cuts be shallower as they were cut pretty deep. But I’m not seeing depth as an option. So three questions and any help answering them would be great:
How do I get sharp points instead of rounded ones?
How do I ensure that the stars come out with my intended H and W dimensions?
Is there a way to control how deep the bit drills down when doing V-cuts?
Belt tension — the Z-axis should be guitar string tight (but careful not to bend the motor shaft): http://docs.carbide3d.com/assembly/shapeoko/xxl/step-5-belting/ on deep cuts it may help to remove one spring from the Z-axis temporarily, esp. if one hasn’t added a spoilboard on top of the wasteboard — it also helps to install the router as low as possible (installing the Makita adapter upside down will help). Some folks have found it helps to remove the M4 Z-axis tension bolt, apply a thin bead of threadlock along the length of the threads, then reinstalling it after it has dried.
It’s important to understand how v-cutting works. It’s plunging the v-mill until the cut width is as wide as the cut needs to be. That means that if you have a narrow angle v-mill, it will cut deeper to cut the same width as one that has a wider angle to cut the same depth. It’s not “an option” in the software because it’s just physics - you need an v-mill with a wider angle if you want to cut less deep.
Chances are you’re getting rounded tips because Z isn’t set properly. Looking at the cut you got and that you just got it, chances are the bed isn’t perfectly parallel to the x-y plane. That takes some effort and you can search these forums to see various ways to get there - some simple stuff with a square, surfacing the wasteboard, and on and on.
