MDF board thickness

Hi,

I just received my x-carve 1000mm. I would like to make my own MDF board but in the shop, I can get only with a thickness of 18mm instead of 19mm. Would this result in some problem later?

Regards,
Run

No it will not.

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That’s an excellent question and a great way to understand how “thickness” (e.g. what the Z-zero means). So as the post above notes there is no difference. Your machine homes to the top, front corner establishing the absolute machine coordinates of 0,0,0 when you execute the homing cycle with the limit switches. This has nothing to do with your carving coordinates, just now the machine knows where it is in space. Now you put the Z-probe (or manual paper method) on top of the work piece (of whatever thickness that is), plus a spoil board under if you are planning on cutting through. So when you establish the X,Y, Z in whatever tool you’re using (easel, UGD, CNCJS, whatever) you are telling the machine where the work coordinate 0,0,0 point is. So the fact that your piece is 1mm lower (as long as it isn’t so far down that the machine can’t reach that far). Now all the coordinates in your G-code are relative to that WCS 0,0,0 so the -1mm is incorporated into that. The machine internally translates the relative coordinates into absolute machine coordinates. In 3D printing WCS and machine coordinates are the same (there is no work piece to worry about since everything is created by the printer on the bed) as opposed to a CNC Mill you put a random objects “somewhere” in the machine and by probing you tell it where that thing is relative to itself.

I realize that was a way long explanation for a simple yes/no question, but once you understand what the coordinate systems mean then things like thickness make way more sense.

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Thank you for explaining it in details!