Anyone have any idea why this happens? My son’s father-in-law passed away, and he was making an urn for him, and I offered to X-Carve the top. Prior to using the “good wood”, I did a test cut on MDF (flat, uniform thickness, etc.), and as the picture shows the left side was barely touched while the right side was perfect. I checked everything I could: the Easel file looked right, I jogged the cutter around to make sure the bed was flat, etc. Finding nothing, I grabbed another piece of scrap and made another test cut – worked perfectly. Tremulously put the good wood top on, and it cut perfectly as well.
But why would the first test cut randomly decide to be on a slant?
MDF can change in thicknes with changes in humidity etc - and needs surfacing for a proper test. I’d also look at using woodworking tape to hold it down, not just edge clamping.
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Valid points, but not in this instance. The MDF board was flat and consistent thickness. (I wouldn’t have used it, or complained at the carve failure, if it wasn’t a good quality.)
It’s kind of hard to diagnose since the issue isn’t repeatable - a problem with the bit moving in the collect, z axis losing steps etc can all contribute - as could varying distance between the bit and the spoilboard (if the spoilboard isn’t surfaced).
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Did you surface this on the CNC prior to using a V-Bit? that is a Best Practice I try to abide by, and when not practical I use this probing and shimming technique to ensure the workpiece is not “flat” or “of even thickness” necessarily BUT rather PARALLEL to the gantry’s plane of movement across the x,y plane.
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