pattern not carving right

[Gerald Bennett]

Can someone look at this mpc and see if you can figure out why it is piercing the board. I abort the project just after it starts since it is going all the way through the board as it starts to carve the letters. The file doesn't show it will pierce through and the board is the correct thickness, other patterns run fine so I have to assume it is something about the text but then why doesn't it show as going through in designer? I admit I don't really understand the "height" setting and usually have to play with it to get text to work right. I have even set the board thickness to .5 and put in a .75 board and it pierces the board.

[fwharris]

Gerald,

MPC looks fine to me.. Have you tried carving anything since this one?

[bjbethke]

Can someone look at this mpc and see if you can figure out why it is piercing the board. I abort the project just after it starts since it is going all the way through the board as it starts to carve the letters. The file doesn't show it will pierce through and the board is the correct thickness, other patterns run fine so I have to assume it is something about the text but then why doesn't it show as going through in designer? I admit I don't really understand the "height" setting and usually have to play with it to get text to work right. I have even set the board thickness to .5 and put in a .75 board and it pierces the board.

It looks like you are loosing pulse counts on you Z truck motor. You encoder may be filled with saw dust. There is a key pad check you can do to see if you are reading the correct pulses. Your MPC looks OK.

[Gerald Bennett]

I have run another pattern that ran fine. Lettering is definitely something that I am having problems with, a lot of chip out and such as I haven't found a font and height I like yet. If there is anything about using this machine that frustrates me its lettering, I make a lot of firewood trying to get it so I am happy with it. So far Arial Bold at a height of about 30 is the most cooperative, gotta try some of the v bits once I get these ones I want for Christmas presents done .... dang I am running out of time for finicky projects

I don't think it is the Z encoder though I did have an issue with height changes during carving earlier but after getting FLoyd's dust collector attachment I finally seem to have that under control as I can run other projects it's just this one that is acting up, I might change the design so I can make those letters raised just to get it done in time. Some day I want to be able to sell a few of these to pay for the wood so have to get this lettering figured out.

I attached a screenshot of the project I ran AFTER the mood meter pierced the board ( 3 times grrrr) and there is detail around the door that came out fine, I did it in pine so got some chip out in the lettering that I have to deal with but know how to fix that, I didn't include the mpc of it as the truck is my design I plan to sell if I can ever get an answer on selling patterns in the pattern depot along with a couple others I have done. I have submitted a vendor inquiry twice with no response

[PCW]

Gerald,

I agree it is something to do with the layout. If you hide the circle you can see how deep the letters are carving. You have the letters set to a height of 300 I would try lowering that number.

Try dropping the letters down to a depth of 100 and a height of 5. Then go to Carving/Draft and set it too small. I would also drop the circle down to .200. You may have to play with it till you get the look you are after.

[Gerald Bennett]

I never even thought about hiding the circle, but that is a carved region so the letters inside the circle should end up raised but with the circle hidden I can see I might be better off to make everything shallower, no real reason to go that deep I just started that way because a lot of patterns are that depth to get the raised look.

The problem letters at the moment are the ones outside the circle, I didn't let it get past starting the D because it put a hole right through the board so there was no point letting it reach the circle, still seems strange to me though that flipping the board in designer doesn't show the letters as coming through.

[PCW]

The problem letters at the moment are the ones outside the circle, I didn't let it get past starting the D because it put a hole right through the board so there was no point letting it reach the circle, still seems strange to me though that flipping the board in designer doesn't show the letters as coming through.

I really don't see why any part of the project would carve through the board at these settings. I don't see anything out of line with the layout that would explain the problems you are having piercing the board.

[Gerald Bennett]

me neither, sometimes this machine really mystifies me, I put that project aside to run another and its fine, then today I tried to do the noel panels and it is air carving, put in different project and so far it is carving fine. Using the menu to measure the boards reads correctly .... I just don't get it

[fwharris]

me neither, sometimes this machine really mystifies me, I put that project aside to run another and its fine, then today I tried to do the noel panels and it is air carving, put in different project and so far it is carving fine. Using the menu to measure the boards reads correctly .... I just don't get it

One thing to watch for is during the bit touch on the bit plate, make sure the bit is touching fully on the plate. If it does not touch in the center of the plate it can give you a false reading for the bit length and either will air carve or carve to deep.

[Gerald Bennett]

it seems to be, will watch closer next time to be sure it is square, also going to bite the bullet and take the top off to get at the z motor cover and see if there is anything in there. Nervous about opening it up as I am not mechanically inclined, kinda more the tim the tool man luck