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Here is a basic feature request: do not lower the spindle until it reaches the start of the cut. When the machine is homed, the spindle raises all the way up. HOWEVER, on starting a cut, the spindle lowers to just above the surface, and only then does it travel to the start of the cut. Thus, although the clamps are placed well out of the way of any cuts, inevitably one or more clamps are cut into / through and/or the bits are broken.
The obvious workaround being to leave the clamps off of the front corner, and then RUN (!!!) to place the clamps in place before the spindle gets to its starting destination. Sometimes I get the clamps placed and tightened in time, sometimes not - in the case of the latter, I have a large pile of firewood.
I know that there is a āstep-overā feature that I can learn to use and implement, but I cannot help but wonder exactly why the spindle would need to be lowered BEFORE reaching the start of the cut. fixing this annoying feature of the software would make my life much happier.
I had to have a chuckle about the āRUNā comment. Depending on the size of the project, you might consider using double sided tape or hot glue gun to secure the raw wood piece to the work bed. I use a combination of the tape and clamping from the front and back and sides of the piece, but ensure that the clamp surfaces remain well below the cutting operation. That way the tape holds the piece down to the work bed and the side clamps prevent shifting sideways when making deep cuts.
If you want, I can try sending you a photo of my clamping arrangement.
I have carpet tape and use that where necessary. Thatās not the case here. The most recent project had the clamps nearly a foot from the carve. The problem is that the spinning bit travels a fraction of an inch above the work surface, plowing into and cutting anything (clamps) in its wayā¦ or breaking the bit.
Iām not a programmer, so I canāt say how āsimpleā the solution is, but the obvious solution is not lower the bit until the spindle has reach the starting position for the cut.
BTY, the same holds true for the dust boot, and if/when I finally have time, I will design a bracket which I can then attach the dust boot to the actual spindle so that it raises and lowers with the spindle so that the boot does not get torn every time the spindle passes a clamp (I see the advantages of having the boot in constant contact with the work surface, but to me the downside far outweighs the upside (Iāve epoxied that darned boot back together at least a half dozen times now, and have since put steel banding around it to add additional strengthā¦ clearly a problem).
Unfortunately, itās a setting that you have to remember to set for each project. If you open the āmachine settingsā, then LH Angela the safety height setting to whatever you want it to be. The issue is that itāll go to that height every time the bit has to move from one point to another but, itāll save your bits from hitting clamps that are below the safety height.
Thank you, Patrick, Iāll give that a try.
Obviously not a perfect solution, but better than nothing - so if anyone from Inventables is reading this, my request still stands.
Good luck with that. Itāll fall on deaf ears. Iāve run multiple software packages for over 30 years. None NONE of them had this auto-wreck feature that Inventables built into their software. And people have been requesting that it be fixed for years.
I would also settle for adding keep-out areas (clamp shaped?!) so the software would know to go around the clamp or other objects instead of routing through them. The objects could also be given a height if it there wasnāt room to go around and it would know how far to raise to clear.
With knowledge of the dust boot dimensions (and if it is a fixed z-height), it should also be able to avoid ramming the boot into things you would rather avoidā¦
ohā¦ and the same for the āreturn to homeā after a cut. I have gotten so used to a work-around for this design flaw that I didnāt ever realize that Iād been doing it. I keep an eye on the cut, and when the end is near, i stand by the emergency stop button. as soon as the cut completes, I hit the button, remove all of the clamps, then āhomeā the machine. enough broken bits, cut/destroyed clamps, and fear that the spindle would be ruined, and even this old dog can learn a new trick or two.
seems a bit odd that at this late stage in the game, customer/users should have to have anxiety around the machineās capabilities.
Have you tried specifying a different āorigin safety heightā value? Setting a high value here should prevent the machine from hitting clamps at the beginning or end of a carve.
Simple answer is to use a different control program like ugs or open builds control, youāll not look back. Lots of posts on the forum. That moment watching the spindle drop and move is the reason I have never used easel for cutting control, just not safe, Iām amazed itās never been properly addressed.
RichardLeather - That depends upon your definition of āsimpleāā¦ Easel was advertised as āsimpleā and the learning curve is killing me. I am NOT a computer person; I am an old-school woodworker who realizes that I must modernize if I want to feed myself.
But when I have a problem with the cuts in easel/X-Carve Pro, I fix them with a 150-year-old hand plane (I just put the missing dados for the sides of my drawers (designed in cabinet maker) with an antique Stanley no 50ā¦ itās just faster than sitting at the computer trying to overcome the design flaws (15 minutes with the hand plane, over an hour at the computer before I gave up).
Thus, the hurdle is just how long will it take me to learn yet another software program, just to overcome design flaws/limitations in Easel? Given that I am familiar with less than 10% of the capabilities in Easel, I simply do not have the bandwidth to add additional software programs - unless you are saying that I can/should give up on Easel, learn a new program, and start over. The prospect of course makes me want to pop a stick in my eye.
I too am a woodworker rather than a computer person so yes itās a learning curve and it can be frustrating. Iām not saying donāt use easel just work to its limits, if you can cut a drawer dado by hand quicker than by using easel why not do it, Itās about picking and choosing what you do. Going back to the initial query , the control element works side by side with the design element Search the forum for control programs, Seth cnc is a good source .
thank you Richardā¦ and for the record I FINALLY figured out why there are no grooves for the drawer bottoms front and back.
the reason is that Easel cuts those parts from the BACKSIDE to make the tenons. As such, there is currently no way to cut the grooves for the fronts and back.
Iām finished my cabinets, so itās a nonissue now as I never plan to make cabinets with Easel again anyway (my shop is too small to attempt to be a cabinetmaker in that highly competitive space.
