So I finally cut my first job for the house. A few Problems though. 1st.......When I started the Cut for the Numbers. The bit started the cut about 5mm above the board so I did not really achieve the depth I wanted. 2nd...... I started the Cut for the Oval and the bit immediately plunged a good 1/4inch and moved quite quickly which i was not expecting. It did not only not create the tabs but it also started cutting into the bed. I aborted the job but I am not sure why when I previewed the tool-path everything looked fine. I am attaching everything so I hope someone can help me figure this out.
Nothing in either G-code looks wrong from skimming through both. ~3/8" deep numbers, 3/4" oval cut, decent stepdowns, 10IPM plunges, 40IPM cutting rate... All seems pretty conservative and reasonable. Height of operation is set by where you set your G54 (or whatever WCS) z-zero. If you'd just re-zeroed Z 5mm further down (assuming your CAM z-zero top plane is on the surface of the material) then you could have re-cut the numbers to the desired depth. Seems like the opposite problem was true for the oval; G54 Z0 was 5mm too deep, for whatever reason. Some pics of your CAM screen might help, but in general, it seems more like a work setup issue than a programming issue. Try running it again, but right before hitting start on each program manually jog down to Z0 and visually check that the machine is touching the tip of the tool to the workpiece and no more. If you touch the tool tip to the top of the workpiece and grbl (via CONTROL?) is telling you that you're still at Z+5 or Z+5, then you see the problem. But in that case, you can just hit the zero Z button and it should run correctly.
I'll run it again. I set both tips so they were about 10thousands above the work so I am not sure why especially with the oval it went completely through the material and into the board with me having to cancel the job. What pictures of the cam screen would I show? I checked my steps again so I will see what happens.
Yeah if you did a visual check and the controller was telling you the right thing, I'm not quite sure what else it could be, unless you have something mechanically wrong with the Z axis of the machine or the configuration of the axes. Looks like a good cut though, so I'm assuming that's not the case. What did it look like in the simulation when you loaded the code into the controller? All good there too? Easy to miss one line in the code that throws everything off.
That's the thing. It looked fine in the preview. The machine mechanically is perfect. I'm not sure what else to check on the Z-axis. It seems to be operating as it should but since I really know nothing about G-Code or how to use it I am at a loss. I have tried to study it but am not having much luck. Guess my old brain said that's it no more information.
That thought occurred to me, hence the "each" in ...But surely at least one of them would be correct after a visual confirmation?!
Well believe it or not it cut perfectly this time. Must be because I recorded everything. All kidding aside I double checked everything so unfortunately I don't know what I did the first time. I doubt you want me to post the videos so I will not at this time. I used two cameras.
