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I am carving 1/4" rubber matting to make rubber covers for a vintage car running board. I have the design down but am running into trouble with the machine carving deeper on one side. It seems to depend on which side has the last path. The final cut goes well but when the machine returns home the bit drops down and carves a deep path ruining the entire piece. I noticed on the original design the last official cut is on the left side and this is where the damage happens. Today I modified the design to try to isolate the problem but this time the last official cut was on the left side, and again, when that cut finished the bit dropped down on the machine’s way to the home position.
Is this the first time this has occurred? Have you carved anything else after this issue?
Where was the design created? If it is Easel, can you share the project? If not, do you have G-Code that you can share?
If you are using Easel, you can also check that your “Origin Safety Height” is set correctly and has not been accidentally changed to something other than what you expect.
I created the design using a CAD program, saving it as a .dxf file and then loading it on Easel.
It seemed to only happen on this project. Like I stated, it seems to drop down after the last official cut path. If that happens to be on the right side then it does it on the right and if the left side then it does it on the left side. I’ve leveled my waste board numerous times thinking that it might be off. I moved my machine around to different parts of the waste board and measured the distance from the tip of my bit to the waste board and the distances are the same.
I’ll have to check the “Origin Safety Height” because it also seems to catch anything that is near the “Home” spot when it starts out. It doesn’t do this with this project, the rubber mat, but it has on other projects. I figure it has to be something with the operating software of the machine. Some adjustment and the “Origin of Safety Height” sounds like it could be the problem. I’ll check it tomorrow when I get a chance.
That Tool Path is a disaster. Why is there so much travel back and forth? Also, I am not sure why you would import an STL file. This definitely isn’t a 3d carve so it should be a much simpler toolpath.
I don’t have any control, that I know of, of the path of the tooling. I do a drawing in CAD, save it as a .dxf file and upload the file to the laptop I have controlling my X Carve and them import it into the Easel program. I am not a programmer, I only do the basics. Is there a way to redo the tool path.
One reason I think there are so many tool paths shown is I am carving in two steps. My overall depth is .15, I have the manual settings set to cut .08 depth on each carve.
STL? I am using .dxf files. What is a better way to do it? Like I said, I’m not a programmer and can only do what I can do with a CAD drawing. As far as I know I can’t convert to a STL file.
It looks like the returning to Home toolpath should be up at the safety height, but it does look like there are some traversing paths down near the Y0 area that might be of question as well as some that traverse diagonally.
If your piece is lifting up at all, these types of traversals can leave a fine tool mark or even be disastrous.
I have, in the past, requested that any true traversal that is NOT actively cutting cause the tool to be retracted to the Safety Height at a minimum since errant tool marks across the otherwise symmetrical normal toolpath marks look horrible.
Are you sure you can’t share the project or the GCODE? You can PM me if you would like…
