Cutting bit losing orientation, carving bit skipping large lines - see pics

[PSQRD]

Ok, sorry I didn't follow up until now - work, school and a plethora of other things going on. So I separately carved just the USN for the first photo as a repair to try and salvage the project. It seems I'm learning new things every day, I should've use a table saw, long story short that plaques done but where the wood is joined ain't all that pretty lol. I made a sled to carve that USN out of some repurposed particle board I had laying around, don't know if I did everything right though, I always get a reminder from the machine to check the tracking roller at least once on every project which is strange. Also, at the end of the USN carve I noticed the cutting bit did cut through the sleds surface a bit. On the following project I used a piece of poplar I had laying around, I admittedly should have planed first with the board being a little rough(hind sights 20/20). The carve was two sided, first side went fine, on the second side it reminded me to check the tracking roller again, I did and hit continue, it then said possible board problem, I tried and tried reloading the piece- was never able to finish that carve. I tried loading another simple project and noticed the board measurement was off, went through the measurement settings and it seemed relatively close, not spot on though 35.9" on a 36" board. I then loaded a 48" board and found that measurement to be too short in comparison as well. I got really frustrated and called it a day. Am I the only one who can't seem to get through a full project without some sort of issues? I understand I'm a novice at this but man does it get frustrating when things don't go right. I need to carve myself a "MURPHY STAY AWAY" plaque, lol. Thanks for all the support guys, I'm going to go check the O-rings. and the brass rollers contact with the rubber belt. Al, you da man! I'll eventually completely understand what you're talking about, trying! Barney style is always a plus, when you think you've got it as layman's as possible, break it down a few more steps - then I'll get it, lol. I'm not a rock, just very hands on in terms of learning.
-Paul

[CW-HAL9000]

I use a sled on 99% of my projects and that is so I do not have to worry about using my planer (unless the board is really bad). You need to use masking tape on 100% of projects. Either on your sled or if you are not using one then on the board itself. Use it along the side of the board that will go over the brass roller. It gives the roller something to bite into. The sled will always get cut into just a little, that is normal. Even with the sled getting cut into I still get a good 6 months of use out of a sled. I use melamine which I keep an eye out for in the cull lumber at home depot. Usually has a corner or something broke out and I get a sheet or half sheet for 70% off. I then make a sled out of it that is 2 to 3 feet long and 14 inches wide. Before I used a sled on all my projects I had a lot more errors and issues. It solved a lot of my problems. The tape is key and you need to change it out when it gets worn. That is where melamine helps alot.

[PSQRD]

Thanks for the reassurance on the sled, as simple of a concept as they are I've had quite a bit of trouble wrapping my head around sleds. I tend to over analyze things and end up over compensating - end result a board I cut is not square or slightly too wide etc. I'm sure things will buff out in time, doesn't help that I can't get my radial saw table square to save my life and my table saw is pretty cheap so the getting the fence on that square can also be a pain.

[PSQRD]

cleaning out the machine, found this little guy in between the traction belts. Barely able to see but it was sticking up to where it made contact w the board..

[edsingletary]

CW, I see you talk about masking tape a lot. I tried one project on a jig or sled and had so much trouble I gave up. I used masking tape on the work piece edge thinking the sensor would pick it up as edge of board, it did not. I used blue tape to be sure it would see it. Am I assuming the machine identifies tape as edge of board when it is not suppose to. I may of misunderstood the video on sleds.

[FWMiller]

The machine detects an edge when the optical sensor detects a change in the light reflected off the board. If you are using a sled it can be easy for the sensor to detect the wrong edge, or no edge at all. The tape helps by providing a consistent surface for the sensor to see without any changes in contrast. Most times you want the machine to measure their sled but if the work piece is darker or lighter than the sled it will detect the edge of the work piece instead of the edge of the sled. Adding tape solves this. I use tape any time there is not a consistent surface for the sensor. The other use for tape is on the bottom of the sled. I often use mdf for sleds and they brass roller can slip easily on the hard surface. The tape gives it a softer surface to grip.

[CW-HAL9000]

The only time I use tape (tan masking tape) to help with edge detection is with dark woods or with basswood rounds (they have bark on the ends). Because my sled is 14 inches wide and most of my projects are in the 8 to 10 inch range and 3/4 inch thick, the machine detects the right edge as the drop off point from my project board to the sled. It will try a couple of times to determine thickness then just ask me what the thickness is. I enter the actual project board thickness not the sled or the two together. I do not think blue tape would work but I could be wrong. I will try and take some pics and post them in the next couple of days.

[cestout]

If you are using the tape for traction for the brass roller, the color does not matter. For the board sensor under the Y truck, it need to see solid for the total of the Y measurement, but only for the last 3 1/2 " of the X measurement.
Clint