air cutting what am I doing wrong?

[MJMStudio]

I have a problem here I have set z with plate and checked with .001 feeler gauge. Bit does not touch material.
Thanks I'm kinda frustrated .

[sharkcutup]

Need to allow more for pass depth and stepovers.

you only have a .075 seventy-five thousands pass depth assigned to your v-bit tool and a 2.0% stepover.

I would also start with a smaller the (F) Flat Depth .125 (1/8") you will find it is rather deep when V-carved especially with a 90 degree bit.

For single line carvings I usually use a 60 degree v-bit starting at an (F) depth of about .025" then increase to desired depth.


Sharkcutup

[kstrauss]

In your material setup is zero on the table or the top of your stock? If on the table then is your stock thickness correct?

[MJMStudio]

Thanks Sharkcutup, I came up with the 0.125 depth because it looked the best in preview, I was thinking it would take multiple passes to compensate for the tool depth? what should my tool setting be?

[MJMStudio]

kstrauss Its on material surface, just checked thanks.

[MJMStudio]

[sharkcutup]

My Rule of thumb with V-bits Depth Tool setting is not to exceed the amount of the V cutting height. This is whether or not it is a single line carving or text carvings.

In the case of single line carvings using v-bits you can control the depth by adjusting the (F) Flat Depth within the V-Carve/Engraving toolpath.

With text the depth is usually determined by the text vector width (the wider the text vectors are the deeper the v-bit will go) of course this can be controlled using the (F) Flat depth when and if necessary which in most cases it will not be needed).

Sharkcutup

[TReischl]

Simply put: Not a software problem.

You state that your preview looks fine.

I would bet dollars to donuts that if you looked at your gcode file you would see Z- values. That indicates the tool has gone below the zero and is cutting.

There is a simple rule: if your preview looks fine then you are having an issue at the machine or a design problem.

I notice from your pic that you are using the VCarce/Engraving tool. That means that you are not cutting single line vectors, otherwise you would get an error message that says you cannot cut open vectors.

Those vectors appear to be extremely close together. Since the tool fits itself between the vectors the depth of cut that can be achieved is extremely small. On a 90 degree cutter the depth of cut would be half the distance between the vectors at any point. You can set the flat depth to any value you feel like but the tool will not go to that depth because it cannot.

Edit: BTW, if you know how export a few of those vectors and then include them in a file here. EPS works fine. If not and you do not mind sharing that file then include the entire vcarve file. That will help us help you.

Take a quick look at your Z values, the minus ones. That will tell you the whole story.

In other words, I think you have a design problem and that problem is not enough distance between vectors. This happens a lot when someone uses an autotrace program.

[martin54]

Is your material flat & parallel to the gantry? Did you run the whole file or stop the machine when you noticed it wasn't cutting? With such a small pass depth if you zeroed on a corner of the material that was high then it would be very easy for the tool not to touch the surface of your material.

[sharkcutup]

In the case of single line carvings using v-bits you can control the depth by adjusting the (F) Flat Depth within the V-Carve/Engraving toolpath.

Correction: Should have read --- In the case of single line open ended vector carvings using v-bits you can control the depth by adjusting the (F) Flat Depth within the Profile toolpath.

V-Carve/Engraving toolpath will give you an error message if you have any single line open ended vectors because this toolpath only works with close ended vectors.

Sorry for the confusion!!!

Sharkcutup

[sharkcutup]

I used the same coloring book image and traced it.

There are no open vectors after tracing.

Went to V-Carve/Engraving toolpath with 60 degree V-bit
Tool Database Pass Depth - .125"

Flat Depth (F) Checked and in box 0.625"

here is the V-Carve Preview

Software checks out okay

So it is in the machine setup process.

How are you doing your Z-zero setup?

Sharkcutup

[MJMStudio]

hey Ya'll figured it out haven't cut it yet, but discovered that indeed it was the machine set up! Or in the expression that I used when I found it stupid mistake !!!
I have done it before too, material was too low and Z axis could not reach it! I'm gong to drop the router down about a half inch should be plenty.
I do appreciate the suggestions and hope we can write this off as a beginner mistake, and again thanks to all.

[TReischl]

......
I do appreciate the suggestions and hope we can write this off as a beginner mistake, and again thanks to all.

No, we will hold it against you forever! None of us were ever beginners, we were born lean mean cnc programming machines.

I thought I made a mistake once but I was wrong.

Cut it off twice and it is STILL too short!

In the process of learning woodworking I have personally decimated an amount of lumber equal to all the trees in Oregon.

[sharkcutup]

Interesting!

Hey, don't feel bad I was the kid on the block trying to fit a same size square peg into a same size round hole for the longest time!

It will never fit!!! Just think of the many engineers out there who have tried.

Glad to here you have solved your mysterious problem.

Now let those chips fly!

Sharkcutup

[MJMStudio]

carved drawer fronts

profile cut the bottoms

Thanks, you know I'm a retired millwright and almost got the hammer to it.
It did work out going to try a 1/8 60 deg

I do like it when the plan works