Hello everyone,
I am new to cnc world and bought my Shapeoko 4 XXL.
From the start I am noticing problems with my z Axis going way to deep.
At first I tought I am doing something wrong when programming, but today I gave it a little research.
I tested some 5 mm rings with contour path. They came out approximatelx 7,4 mm all the time. Have been turning the machine on an off, resetting the machine in carbide motion and so on. It was still the same.
I have a normal shapeoko ( No HDZ, No plus ) so when asked in carbide motion I select HDZ, as ther is no option other than Shapeoko 4 HDS or PLUS. No “normal shapeoko 4”.
I now also tested / probed the cutted hole with a bit and the position is -5 ( as it should be ) But the depth is 7,4 mm When jogged back to zero it stopps at the top of the stock ( correct zero ).
The “Z-plus” is the standard Z-axis on the Shapeoko 4. There’s no other “normal”, that is the default one the machine ships with. The HDZ has a different pitch screw, which means any Z movements will be off by a fixed percentage. That could very likely be your problem.
This information really, really, really should be included in the assembly instructions for the S4. It’s virtually impossible to tell which Z-axis you have from the pictures that are in the instructions. This mix-up caused me days of frustration back when I first assembled my machine, and this question has appeared several times in this forum since then. If it’s too much trouble for you to update the instructions, then just attach a little sticker to the Z-Plus assembly that identifies it as such.
