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When running the gcode file, was the blended running feedrate close to the set feedrate in the gcode?

Can you post your PicEngrave settings and your X, Y & third axis accels, velocity & step & dir pulse Motor Tuning settings from Mach3?

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Here are my settings:

X and Y are the same:
Steps per: 1249.92771
Velocity: 150
Acceleration: 30
StepPulse/Dir Pulse: both 5

C:
Steps per: 10000
Velocity: 150
Acceleration: 30
StepPulse/Dir Pulse: both 5

Just to make things interesting I am using an Ethernet Smoothstepper with Mach3 and this is from their website:

The Step Pulse and Direction Pulse fields are used for a Parallel Port connection from your computer to your hardware. Since you are using an external motion controller, a SmoothStepper, they are unused and may be ignored.

I added the Laser DRO to my mach screen and a Zero Laser button…I also setup keyboard commands to adjust the power up and down.

Ok, since you have the Steps per for the C axis set at 10000 with imperial units, the max range for the third axis is 0 (Min) to -.0255 (Max). The digital potentiometer on the board is 8bit, so it only gives you 256 .0001" positional steps. If you go out of this range, the PicConvert DAC/PWM board will loose position.

I’m not familiar with using a ESS, but I had the best results with the step & direction pulse setting of 3, but that is with a PP. Is there a way to set this with the ESS?

Try increasing your accels for all the axis’s as high as possible without loosing any steps. It looks like you have some ringing going on in your engraving from acceleration/deceleration. Try using the Extended Edge to eliminate the edge burning from reversing directions also.

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And use a 45° angle setting at 0.006" Pixel Resolution. You will have to resize the image if you change the PR.

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Chipboard works good for laser engraving photos, but I like the Brown rather than the Gray.

https://www.amazon.com/Chipboard-Caliper-Cardboard-Regular-Paper/dp/B00X1WNHSG/ref=sr_1_36?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1486240073&sr=8-36&keywords=brown+chipboard&refinements=p_89%3AThunderBolt+Paper%2Cp_85%3A2470955011

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These are great @ErikJenkins, love the Harry potter book.

How deep is the engraving on the cutting boards? Would it be a good idea to fill with some kind of epoxy?

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The cutting boards are really not deep enough to fill. Very shallow, maybe half a mm.

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I’ll try out the laser with new settings in a bit…had chores around the house today :slight_smile:

@picengravertoo @JohnChamplain

I appreciate your help so far on this…what causes the lines and how can I get rid of them?

Settings:
Image 6" x 7"
DPI: 100
Pixel Resolution: 0.006"
Left 45 degrees
Max: -0.0255
Min: 0.0
Speed: 90 IPM
Laser at 1.5A
Extended edge: 20 pixels 50 IPM

Did you increase the X,Y & C accel settings in Motor Tuning? All three should be set the same.

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X, Y and C (laser) are all the same.

OK, my mistake. :blush:

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My axis are setup like this:

X
Y/B - Slaved
Z
A - Rotary
C - Laser

All out of motor drivers :slight_smile:

Try the same gcode with wood instead of MDF (poplar, birch ply?). If you still get the lines, then might be mechanical (v-wheel tightness???), which is my first guess.
John

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This is that chipboard. I will check the machine, but it appeared to be moving very smoothly. I got the same lines on birch plywood.

In your lion engraving, there were also lines, but only vertical ones. In that image you used horizontal laser movement. In this last image, you used 45° movement, and there are both vertical and horizontal lines. Also, the lines appear to have a very even spacing between them. This is what makes me believe it is possibly a mechanical issue, and v-wheel tightness/flat spots come to mind.

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I will check it out tomorrow and see what I come up with. I appreciate the help!

@JohnChamplain - I had a worn spot on a belt that was hitting the idlers and pulley throughout the entire run…I put a new belt on and I did this…I will replace the other belts this weekend since they have all been used quite a bit this last year and a half. The image is lighter as I turned down laser power to 1.5 Amps for testing today so some of the lighter shading didn’t burn, but I am pleased with this. There are some fine horizontal lines in this, but they are really not visible, in fact I didn’t see them until I looked at the photo. This is done in the same 100 point chipboard.

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Erik,
I have never used chipboard, but it looks to me like you need to sharpen the laser focus better. It has always seemed to me to be easier to get a sharper focus with the diode farther away from the material. I use three inches, and have cut a 3 inch piece of wood that I use to reset to differing material heights.

If you can adjust the laser power to where the diode just lights, but is not yet laseing (sp?), focus may be easier to set.

Edit: Sorry, forgot to congratulate you on finding the cause of the lines.

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