What’s the distance between your router collet/collet nut and workpiece/spoil board when your Z-axis is at it’s lowest position?
I just tried to run a job with a short v-bit and after setting the Z-axis via a touch plate, had the software (linuxcnc) tell me that distance I wanted to cut down was beyond my configured limits. As I set this job up the same way I’ve successfully done others, it took some time to work out that it was because the bit was not extending far enough from the collet. I recently changed to an Elaire collet from a collet adapter I was using. The adapter extended from the end of the collet by a few millimetres
I couldn’t find any specification of this clearance and none of the images I could find made it any clearer hence the question.
On my X-Carve with a Makita router, the bottom of the collet nut is 25mm from the spoli board/work piece when the Z-axis is at its lowest.
If anyone gets the chance to measure the distance on their X-Carver, I’d appreciate it.
You could always put some mdf etc under your project to lift it up if needs be. I’d advise milling it flat first though
I didn’t give my collet clearance as my wasteboard/spindle mount are different to stock
It’s only a problem with the really small bits I have, mostly 3mm V-Bits. The 6.35mm spiral downcut I use most, isn’t an issue - I can easily dig holes in the spoil board with it !
I was just curious if the setup I have differs greatly from the standard X-Carve/De Walt configuration most users seem to have.
My machines are all custom but I try to set them up so the collet nut is just a hair above the main wasteboard when z bottoms out. That way I won’t damage the router or collet in a moment of inattentiveness.
Thanks for the replies. I was just trying to get some idea if the distance I have (25mm) is less/more than other user have. Adding an extra spoil board is not a problem for the V-bits, the only ones so far where the space is too big.
The key point here is user attention. You have to pay maximum attention drawing, setting parameters, measuring work piece several time, setting your work zero.
You have to worry about how high your bit goes up. That’s more important, because if you have not enough travel up, your safety hight between cuts will fail. You can easily hit the Z limit switch or worst, you can break your bit while traveling between start points.
Always use sacrificial board over your base board if you don’t want to see scratches on your waste board.
You may also practice making waste board surface for Z zero for the work you’re starting by changing datum position to bottom left insread of top left on your drawing. Set Z zero on your waste board not on work piece. That way you never touch to your waste board.
I think everyone is over thinking about what I was asking, my fault with the phrasing of the question.
All I wanted to know was how close does your router collet get to the spoliboard when your Z-axis is at it’s lowest point?
I think you better read one more time, it depends on your bit, 1/4" bits longer than 1/8" bits. What you need to know is how can you clear the bit of the work area, how high you have to be able to go. That is the adjustment. My makita’s colette is going down about 1" over waste board, it gives me enough clearance when makita goes all the way up, bit never touches no matter what is the thickness of the work piece. Safety height clearance is more important than other.
No the question was ’ How close is your collet to the spoil board …?’ That is the collet without any bit, regardless of size.
“My makita’s colette is going down about 1” over waste board"
1"…
