Z Problem : Not cutting deep enough

(Shapeoko Pro XXL, Carbide Create free) All of a sudden, my cuts aren’t deep enough. My x/y bands are tight. No changes were made. I am using a bitsetter and no new damage has been made to it. I have found a temp fix by making my starting point 0.02. That seems to make things work as they used to. Any ideas?

This is a belt-drive Z-axis?

I would suggest sourcing a replacement belt, disassembling it, inspecting all the parts, and reassembling it.

We have belts in our Maintenance Kit:

or you can purchase Gates GT2 profile 2mm pitch, 6mm wide endless (520–524mm) belts from specialty shops such as BB Man, SDP/SI, or Texas Belting

Ok, I misspoke. No band for the Z. I meant X and Y bands are tight. Any ideas on why I’m getting light carves all of a sudden? It’s not a spoil board problem, as it’s uniform across the board.

Please check the machine mechanically.

Esp. check the bearings in the trim router by trying to shift the tool up and down.

Let us know what you find out at support@carbide3d.com

How are you setting the z zero?

Are you zeroing off the top of the stock or off the waste board or something else?

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I’m zeroing off the center top with paper, as I have been doing for a year. The problem crept up out of the blue.

Can you push the spindle up by hand? It should not move at all.
Is this a Z-plus?

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