I have done a couple of acrylic etching projects with the MC Etcher end mill. In Carbide Motion, I disable the bitsetter so that I can adjust the Z axis to fine tune the downward force of the etching bit. My etchings have all turned out great. When I then need to change to the next toolpath with a standard end mill (for example to cut the outer contour), I can’t figure out how and when to reset a new Z axis. The program automatically brings up the pop ups asking me to change to the appropriate end mill and to start the router but assumes my z axis will remain the same. I am probably missing something simple. Thanks.
It’s an either-or thing:
- if the BitSetter is disabled, then only a single tool should be in a file — that allows one to re-zero the Z-axis after changing the tool to run a second file with a different tool
- if a file has multiple tools, then the BitSetter must be enabled to run it
Run your different tool paths one at a time. That way you can reset zero in between tool paths. You can create the multiple tool paths in one file but disable all but the first, save your file and run that tool path. Then edit the file and disable the first tool path and enable the second etc… Save the file and run the second tool path and so on and so on.
I run two distinctive tool paths…the McEtcher with a material surface Z, and an 0flute with the Z on the spoilboard. With cast acrylic, which is notorious for its inconsistant thickness, you will find that zeroing a cutout on the surface will eventually cut your spoilboard. As for the material surface of the McEtcher, I give it a couple of extra thousandths. My workholding is tape and CA glue, so I set the zero to the (0flute) spoilboard plus the thickness of the tape. And yes…absolutely disable the bitsetter.
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