My project isn't carving as set up in easel

So, I am currently making a small sign as a test run and my carving is shifted to the right and up from where it shows on Easel. I set X/Y zero to bottom corner of the material, used my z-probe and when it started carving, I could tell right away that it wasn’t carving where I wanted. Luckily I had intentionally left space around the border to serve as both a place for the clamps and also to act as a border as the project has an inlay. I actually had to pause carving, turn off the spindle and remove a clamp, otherwise the bit would’ve chewed right through it! I am still letting in finish, as it does have wood to work with but it’s not at all centered.

Hopefully someone can tell me what I did wrong! I am a newbie so forgive me :slight_smile:

What machine?
How big is your stock?
How far off were you?
Is the carving the correct size?
Can you share your Easel project?

1000x1000 is the machine. Stock is 12"x8"x.75", several inches I’d fathom. The carving seems to be correct. I’ll try to share.

Also, it didn’t cut very cleanly. A lot of fuzzies. Also, uneven in spots but this may be due to me having to relocate a clamp.






What is the material you are using? Also welcome to the forums.

3/4" Birch Plywood, and Thank You Wayne!

That has nothing to do with the project being off but could have something to do with the uneveness and fussies.

You have to share the project publicly.
File–>Share–>Share with Link–>SAVE

Exactly how are you setting zero?

Hi Neil, that’s how I shared it above.

As for setting zero. I move the spindle manually (jog) over to the bottom leftmost corner during the pre carve routine, as instructed. I use my touch plate as well at that point. Do I need to change the setting where you can choose home location with the 5 dots? I am fairly sure I have it set to bottom left.

To clarify, bottom leftmost corner of the material. Also, does it matter where on the wasteboard I set the material? As long as I set the X/Y zero, it shouldn’t matter right?

Ok, I can see the project now. So, you’re only off by .25" - .375" or so? Did you set zero with the very tip of the V-bit over the very corner of your stock? Small discrepancies like that can often be due to setting zero with the bit “inside” the corner.
image image

I didn’t know you could do that in Easel. Do you mean the position reference thing?
image

Correct.

Hi Neil, I did set it at the very corner, at least I think it was at the very corner. If not, it was very close! As for the 5 dot thing, yes, that it was I was talking about, lol. Not sure what the purpose of the position reference is but I set it to the bottom left corner.

I appreciate the help and will take another crack at it later when I get home from work. I’ll report back!

The only other thought I have right now is that your stock is not as big as you have it set in Easel.

Work zero can be anywhere within the reachable space of the machine. Work zero must correspond with the XY0 point in Easel.

Default is having work zero at lower left corner of material, then the bit must be centered above the lower left corner of the design. If the is space between design and XY0 point in Easel the deisgn will carve offset.

If for instance you want to set work zero centered over the design, then the design must also be centered over XY0 point in Easel.

Okay, so I finally recarved this and I did it on a larger piece of wood, just in case. I am pretty sure it carved within the parameters given which means it WAS indeed a zeroing issue on my behalf.

Now I need to know from you guys if the wood fuzzies are a product of me not going with the grain. Also, do I need to go back and use a smaller bit to clean it up or should one pass with the 60 degree bit have been enough?

The carve is not clean at all. I also don’t know the procedure of a second pass other than treating it like an entire recarve.

Sorry for all of the questions but any and all help is greatly appreciated!

So, I have answered one of my questions about 2 bit carving so disregard for now, I may be back with the same question later after I attempt to execute it though :stuck_out_tongue:

I had a similar problem and found that I didn’t’ set the current potentiometers properly. Refer to the X Carve instructions located here.

Hope this helps.

Hi Tim, I appreciate the help! I checked those while assembling and they were correct.

So, here’s my progress. I have changed the project to do a 2 stage carving, the rough carve with a 1/4" endmill and the detail with a 1/8". I am using actual wood, not plywood this time.

I was very hopeful as it looked like it was going great! The rough pass only took 9 minutes and the detail work took over 2 hours, maybe closer to 3, I didn’t pay attention :slight_smile:

Once done, I saw that it looked like it still had work to do, there are pockets left and the eyes of the ghosts, for example, were not completed. Any idea what went wrong?



Here’s the new project, shared

I see you changed the 1/8" detail bit to a 60 degree V bit. Good choice.

The 1/8" bit was to big to get into those areas.

Now the reason that I think that it left material where the bit could reach was you didn’t set the Z height for both bits in the same spot.
When doing a 2 stage carve make sure you remember where you set you Z at because you have to go back to the same spot and it has to be a spot that the roughing bit will not touch.
It looks like you had room to the left on the sign to set your Z.
Your getting close, it gets frustrating at times but it will become easy.
Good Luck
Russell

Edit: Change your cut settings to this and it will be a lot faster, and you can go .1 for the depth.

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