Some Advice

[BradJulian]

Good day all,
I finally finished my first carving and am pretty happy with it (see Please Help Me thread) for the whole sorted story. I will post a picture on the forum for all to see. I made a new project using one of the .ptn files that I got help on. I made it 11" x 11", put a straight 3/16 Roman Ogee rout edge on it and used a cut path around the piece. I experienced several problems during the carving. 1) The piece was cut before the routing was done so the piece bound up in the machine. 2) When I put the 3/16 Roman Ogee bit in and the machine did it's thing it said that the height of the bit was wrong. 3) The piece of metal on the right hand side of the machine that is pushed out when the Z-truck hits it would not fully operate several times. I would assume that the sequence should be carve, rout, and then cut. Any help with the problems that I mentioned above would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Brad

[DocWheeler]

Brad,

Sorry that you had so many problems all at once, they can discourage you when that happens.
1) I have never had the CW/CC do the cutout before the route, I would like to see the mpc on one that did that.
2) This might indicate one of two things, either the bit was not fully seated on either the initial calibration or when inserted for the carve. Or, you misread the display and inserted the wrong bit (thus explaining #1).
3) The bit plate needs to be maintained to function properly (search for info) or propped out with some foam or a wad of used masking tape.

You are right about the sequence, it has always operated that way for me.

[Jeff_Birt]

Did you use the cut-path tool for your cut out? (The icon with saw on it.) You should use it and then DO NOT manually assign a bit. When you use the cut-path tool it will ask you to choose between the 1/16" or 1/8" cutting bits which is normal operations but do not also use the 'Assign bit' tool (icon with bit on it) on the same vector path.

[BradJulian]

Jeff and Ken,
Thanks for getting back on this. Jeff, I did use the right cut path icon. I did not specifically select a bit but at the top you can either have 1/8 or I think 1/16 cutting bit. Ken, I have attached the mpc file so that you can look at it. I deleted everything from the original with the exception of the actual ptn. I then went in and added the edge rout and the cut path (which I selected to flip). Any advice after you look at the mpc file would be appreciated. Again thanks.

Brad

[DocWheeler]

Brad,

I do not see anything that would cause the problem you wrote about. My interest in seeing the mpc was to be sure it looked like what I had envisioned.

I think that either the machine got confused, the display asked for the wrong bit, or you mis-read the display.

I have loaded the wrong bit but caught it when it said the length did not match! Sometimes the glare on the keypad (or my not being in a good position to see) causes a problem.

[BradJulian]

Ken,
Thanks alot. I am going to try and carve it again and will let you know what happens. Wish me luck.

Brad

[TerryT]

It may be because you have a .15 carve region on a rectangle AND the cut out attached at the same time. Try removing the cut out from the rectangle carve region. Then re-do the cutout all by itself. I hope it works for you.