Usually it’s loss of connection due to EMI — sometimes it’s a USB connection issue.
Try running an “air job” and jiggling/checking cables and connectors.
Here’s the “10-step plan” from support:
Apparently your machine is experiencing electro-magnetic interference — please try the following things which you feel apply to your situation and which you are comfortable doing (and have not already tried).
Try changing the brushes of your Router following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Start at step 1 and work your way down:
arrange the AC cable for the spindle (trim router) so that it doesn’t cross or be near any of the other cables
if you’re using a laptop, ensure that it is plugged in, preferably to a grounded outlet using a 3 prong plug if possible
if you’re using a USB extension cable or unpowered USB hub, please directly connect the machine using a shorter than 6 foot USB cable — if your cable doesn’t have a toroid (metal cylinder often molded into the end of the cable) and you have a cable which has that feature, try it, if not consider adding one or getting a cable which has that feature
try a different USB port, esp. if you have the option to switch from USB3 to USB2 — if using a laptop try a good-quality powered USB hub — some laptops undervolt the USB ports to save power. Make sure that the cable isn’t being jostled or disturbed.
if your spindle (trim router) power cable doesn’t have a toroid, try adding one (note that what seems to be a toroid on most trim routers is actually an anti-theft device on all the ones I’ve seen). Note that worn carbon brushes or a loose connector on a trim router may cause arcing which results in EMI.
if possible, connect the spindle (trim router) and the machine through a different circuit
if you have a surge protector, please connect the machine through it — a surge protector designed to reduce EMI will help address this, an example is: Amazon.com
check the ambient humidity, if low, consider a humidifier
if using dust collection, ensure that your dust hose does not allow static build-up, or is properly grounded
Connect the machine with a galvanic isolator such as this one: Amazon.com
Please ensure that there aren’t any extraneous wires which create ground loops (the default configuration doesn’t have this problem but folks have introduced it when adding dust collection, or trying to ground things themselves).
Hopefully some combination of one or more of the above will get you cutting reliably — if things still don’t work, let us know and we’ll work with you to resolve this.
Downcut endmills don’t work well in plastics — unless chip extraction is about perfect you risk recutting chips, heat building up, and melting.
The MC Etcher works great in harder materials — I’ve etched acrylic with it with great results:
We don’t have plastic feeds and speeds for V tooling in Carbide Create — I recall using a V endmill to V engrave some acrylic keychains, but that was on my Nomad, so was probably a 1/8" tool.
Aside from the V, what other endmill might be helpful in that area? I dont have endless funds to throw on them at the moment but, figured id try to get a few to broaden my #201 limitation.
The thing is, endmills are consumable and an on-going expense — you have to budget for them (says the guy who gets them free from his employer as a perquisite (for the most part)).
Two excellent resources to learn about endmills are the Material Monday videos (linked above) and:
Awesome, thank you! I’ve got a bit to catch up on, and excited to try out some new things. That box, is pretty freaking cool! I know I’ll be back with some questions soon, as I try to better understand toolpath settings.
I did start to get the hang of Carbide Create a little more, still unsure on a few things though, as I sketched something out in Fusion 360, and unsure how to recreate it in CC.
First pic, is a sign I’m wanting to engrave for a personal project.
Second one, however, has me stumped, on how to make it in CC(it’ll be a finger joint box, as I’ve not yet finished it).
Note that finger (well, box) joints require a vertical fixture at the front of the machine — I worked one up ages ago:
but am disenchanted, either w/ my clunky fixture, or the entire concept — cutting traditional joinery on the machine requires at a minimum 3 setups:
cut parts to size and machine internal features
mount all 4 boards in pairs in the correct orientation on the machine/fixture and machine joints at two corners
reposition all 4 boards and cut the opposite corners
We’ve tried a bunch of other techniques:
and I’ve been working on various designs:
and see the pages on joinery at:
I’ve pretty much dialed things in w/
The bamboo pencil cup had joinery so tight that when I clamped it up for a test fit, I couldn’t get it apart:
which I need to finish writing up/documenting — the issue is one of balancing the size of a V endmill against number of passes w/ a V endmill — the former can be a budget and spindle capacity issue, the latter gets tedious to draw up and arrange toolpaths for (in the current Carbide Create).
It does, yes. I’ve gotta figure a few things out in the design first but, have a small sheet I’ll practice on beforehand. Is there a specific glue folks are using for this method?
(which is painter’s tape, cyanoacrylate glue, and accelerator — I just buy glue in the smallest possible container whenever Michael’s sends me a $5 reward if I don’t have too many)
