I just got my 2x4 5.1 setup and want to surface/tram the machine. When setting up VCarve to surface the table I made material dimensions 1" larger (L&W) then I setup the rectangle to match the same size as the material (1" larger L&W). My origin is set for the center of the hybrid table. I have the IDC 1.5" surfacing bit and figured that it would extend past the edges of the MDF enough to surface everything. I set the material thickness to .250" so as not to cut into the T track if I made a mistake in setup, my depth for material removal is set to .005" (understanding that I will likely have to make several passes)
Question:
I have the program spiraling out from the center, is there any issues with this?
Does it matter that the cut path goes over the T tracks?
What happens if my material seize I setup hits one of the XY stops, will i be able to continue the job?
Can’t assist w/ Vectric, but we do have a file and notes for this on Cutrocket:
For your point #2, it doesn’t matter, save for the “wasted” machining time — might be that an argument could be made for that being better/more consistent?
For #3, the switches only work for homing and will not stop the machine, so steps would be lost and the balance of the operation would be off by that distance.
The offset vs raster path doesn’t really matter except you likely are plunging straight into the middle. A lot of people prefer to have the but come in from the side instead of plunge.
The pattern left on your table from the fuzzies in the MDF will look different depending on the strategy but doesn’t really matter.
In CC a lot of folks draw up a zigzag path and use the profile path. In Vectric you should just be able to use a pocket and a raster pass if you want to do that instead of the spiral.