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So, I did my first carve on my x-carve, and for some reason the pocket was not finished on my project. It seemed to get about 60% of the way through, and then move onto the next tool path. I checked the tool paths in vcarve, and it shows a completed pocket, no abnormalities. I thought maybe something happened with the paths during the design process, so I deleted all my toolpaths and generated new ones, and I got a similar - but not exact - situation. I was able to save the project by texturing the bottom of the pocket, but it still didn’t work as it was supposed to.
It seems to me that it may be some issue with the post processor and the gcode. Has anyone experienced this? How is everyone sending their vcarve projects to their xcarve? I’m exporting using the easel post processor and then importing the gcode into easel and running the machine from there.
The pockets are only 60% of their supposed depth? Or a 10cm diameter circle pocket would end up 6cm? If the former, could it be a problem with the Z-axis belts wheels?
Maybe I didn’t explain it well, it’s essentially quitting in the middle of the tool path, so when it was about 60% of the way through the pocket it just stopped mid cut, and moved onto another section. It isn’t belts or the calibration, it works fine when cutting from easel. The rest of the tool paths were fine.
One of the weird things I noticed was when I tried to just salvage the project by adding a texture tool path. My thought was I could texture the pocket and effectively cover up the incomplete area. On the pocket toolpath it quit about halfway through again, then went into texturing. The odd thing was it textured the incomplete areas at different depths, like it was aware the tool path wasn’t completed and calculated the next tool path with that in mind. Weird. That’s what made me wonder if it was the gcode.
that is the first one, I just textured it. I can just re-run the same gcode as the first one. It only takes about 10 minutes to cut. I’m going to have a bunch of half-assed bronco keychains, lol. But, it’s worth it to figure out what happened.
So let me ask you, what mechanical issue would cause the machine to just arbitrarily end a toolpath but then correctly finish the next two tool paths in order?
ok, I would guess you lost steps in the z-axis…check your set screws, see if there is play in the z-axis…is it possible the bit slipped? Do you have the X-Controller…if not check z-axis potentiometer/stepper motor power
I don’t think the bit slipped as it immediately stopped the toolpath mid sequence and moved onto the cut-out portion and completed seven passes perfectly. I’m running the latest x-carve available with the x-controller.
