Carving depth problems

[geno147]

Hey all,
It seems about every other time I fire up the carver I have a different problem, I seem to be a problem magnet. The best way to describe the problem is photos, see attached. The problem shows up on the side of the board closest to the key pad. I have these boards on a jig that holds the board securely while being carved, there is a 1" border down both sides. I have checked for loosness in the head (up, down, left & right) it all appears to be tight. Completely clean machine every other board but it seems to make no difference. Any ideas?

Photo, the top left arrowhead is correct, the next one on the right is the problem as well as the lower one on the left with the deep line near the tip. Looks like the carving bit is moving in a slight arc and the depth messes up.

Geno
Overland Park, Ks

[geno147]

Sorry, the photo didn't upload, let me try again. Labeled ( 3 ) Well, too large to upload & I'm not bright enough to save it smaller. can email photos.

[Digitalwoodshop]

Your head is NOT LEVEL.

Place a board in the machine with a bit.

Use Options and read the Z Data. Touch the board in 3 places, Left, Center, Right...

The readings might tell of a head out of level.

This has been posted 2 times in the last week. Look for photos.

The Cross Connect gear skipped a tooth. Remove the bottom and level the head.

Only a screw and washer holds the 90 degree gears and a CRANK on it will let is slip if the screw and washer is loose. Sawdust in that 90 degree gear at the bottom can cause this too.

Good Luck,

AL

[geno147]

Thanks for the reply, I will go out and check that out. Never been accused of being very level headed. I'll let you know if that does the trick.

Thanks
Geno

[Digitalwoodshop]

And it is usually a "Screw Loose" that causes it.... LOL...

AL

[geno147]

Here's a couple of photos, thanks to twoatlow8.

Head checks out level. I put in a new carving bit and they are coming out cleaner again but still this problem shows up.

Later

[AskBud]

I think it would be wise to post the Design File for us to look at, and tell us if your actual board is flat and a uniform thickness.
AskBud

[WorkedWood]

I am having a similar problem with the project attached. I’ve checked the depths thinking I typed .75 instead of.075, changed it to the current depth of .125. I load the board onto the sled and the carving bit cut right through the board and carves the pattern into the sled at the correct depth??? Now here is the kicker. If I hide the text (centerline with 60 bit) the pattern carves correctly. I thought I had the problem fixed and reloaded the finished project with everything and it cut right through again. I’m thinking that it is a problem between the difference of the carving bit and the 60 bit.

[geno147]

My cut-through is intentional, the problem is the curved lines on the face of the arrowhead. I will look at this though once I get back in town and see if I can come up with any suggestions.

Later
Gene

[DocWheeler]

geno147,

I had noticed my carvings (routings to be more exact) had lines where the machine changed the Z depth. These changes seemed to mainly occur where I stopped the machine to clean the board. I assumed that the Z encoder was the problem and cleaned it before doing my next carving.

I found about a thimble-full of dust in the encoder, cleaned the disk, and reassembled it. No more Z changes on the next carves. The dust causes false readings by the encoder and the depth changes.

This may not be your problem, but there is a good chance that it is.

Do a search on "encoder", Al has some good pictures as usual.

[AskBud]

I am having a similar problem with the project attached. I’ve checked the depths thinking I typed .75 instead of.075, changed it to the current depth of .125. I load the board onto the sled and the carving bit cut right through the board and carves the pattern into the sled at the correct depth??? Now here is the kicker. If I hide the text (centerline with 60 bit) the pattern carves correctly. I thought I had the problem fixed and reloaded the finished project with everything and it cut right through again. I’m thinking that it is a problem between the difference of the carving bit and the 60 bit.

Your design shows that you are placing a 3/4" board on your sled. My bet is that you really have thin stock, and are making cards or something.

If this is true (stock is thin), then you need to reflect the actual thickness in your design (Board thickness). Designer will prompt you to verify that measurement. Just press "Proceed".
When you run your project, you will be asked if use want to use the "Project" thickness or the combined thickness of the stock & the sled.
AskBud

[WorkedWood]

Bud,

The board is 3/4" thick on top of a 3/4" sled. If I carve the items individually (text hidden, carve pattern) everything works correctly. It seems to be an issue with the two bits and the calibrating between them.



Your design shows that you are placing a 3/4" board on your sled. My bet is that you really have thin stock, and are making cards or something.

If this is true (stock is thin), then you need to reflect the actual thickness in your design (Board thickness). Designer will prompt you to verify that measurement. Just press "Proceed".
When you run your project, you will be asked if use want to use the "Project" thickness or the combined thickness of the stock & the sled.
AskBud

[geno147]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I think I have discovered the problem. Facing the z-truck, the lower left guide is loose. The screw will not tighten or come out, just turns. When turning the guide moves in and out like the screw could be bent. This is what has been letting the carving bit move out of position and causing the errors in the project. I'll have to wait until Tuesday to contact CR about this issue since it is still in warranty.

Thanks again for all the help

[DocWheeler]

geno147,

The screw-hole is not in the center of that bearing because this is how the bearing is positioned tight against the rails AND allows you to remove the Z truck (when turned so the gap is the greatest).
The screw probably has lock-tight on it, you can hold the screw with a screwdriver and turn the bearing-center with a wrench to tighten in.
Check Al's super-duper bearing instructions.

Edit: Oops, wrong side!

[Digitalwoodshop]

Thanks Ken,

Geno,

If you search I have posted a bunch of pictures and procedures to tighten the screws.

If the bottom left bearing is loose, that one came loose on me the first time. That one is drilled in the center. The ones on the right are off set drilled.

You must remove the Z Truck to fix this problem to get to the back of the bearing nut.

AL

[geno147]

It would be nice if we had R&I instructions for all these things. I got that tightened up and adjusted the right side which seems to have taken care of the head looseness. Project seems to be cutting correctly. Thanks again for all the help.

[PCW]

Gene

LHR has all of them as well as some of the members here. LHR will email them to you when you order replacement parts.If you need one for a certain area you can send me a PM along with a email address and I will send it to you if I have it.

Do you need the one for the Z trunk replacement? I have this one along with most others.

Remember when you tighten the adjusting screws on the right you need to tighten them up just so the bearing is to the point where you can not turn it by hand and back-off slightly. If I remember right