Inconsistent Repeat Cuts

X-Carve Troubleshooting
1

I’m have a problem with my xcarve making consistent pieces of the same size during separate carving sessions.
I’m making a puzzle box that has a tray that drops out of the bottom of the box. I designed it in VCarve Pro. The tray is 12 sided and is 1/64" smaller than the space it fits in.

Without going into to many details, I still had to sand the sides of the tray to have it slide in and out of the recess smoothly. I carved a second main body of the box with the recess, using the same bit, settings, type of material etc… and the tray will not fit into the second recess without further sanding. It’s likely, less than a 64th difference between the first carve and the second, but is still extremely frustrating. Everything is is the same but the finished carve is clearly off

Am I expecting to much from this machine or is there something I should be looking at to tweak it for better consistency?

Thanks

2

I would suggest you need to dial in the steps per millimeter for greater accuracy and tighten up the belts to the same tension. My x carve has an aftermarket z axis and 9mm belts, risers, stiffeners, and extra extrusion for rigidity. It’s a pretty capable machine and can get pretty good accuracy. Good means it isn’t perfect though like a 40000 dollar milling machine might be.

Calibrating my X-carve 1000 - X-Carve - Inventables Community Forum

3

Thanks. I ran a test carve and found that my x and y are 1 mm off so I am changing the settings. Hopefully that helps. I know this machine might have a little deflection, particularly with larger, heavier cuts, but it seemed excessive on a repeat carve. I appreciate the guidance.