Autojig

[CarverJerry]

I have been cutting these 5X7 picture frames for a while now. I use manual jig when I uploaded it to the card. But now the machine says autojig and wants to scale my project. Never did this before and I didn't change the file that wa already on the card. Any ideas whats going on with this. I don't think I want the machine to scale it for me do I?

CarverJerry

[cnsranch]

Jerry - don't allow the machine to scale the project - it will mess up the carve (don't know why it even asks).

I'd re-format the card, and re-load the project.

Maybe the machine is having problems with accurate board measurements? You may want to go thru a board measurement exercise to find out.

I know you know, but gotta ask anyway - is the project on a sled? Do you have the extra 3.5" on each end of the carve (I know you do). Here's what messes me up - I'll lay out my design, and set the board's dimensions in designer to the exact same length as the board I'm carving (or the sled the board's on). I know the carve will not come close to 3.5" from each end. BUT, if I tell the machine YES to stay under the rollers (I should tell it NO, 'cause I know it will anyway) the machine will ask to scale the project.

So, it's either a simple set-up error, or the machine's decided to measure the board incorrectly.

[CarverJerry]

I'm using the sled, haven't changed anything since the last time I carved this frame besides adding a few projects to the card. Before it never came up with the autojig (BS) because when I uploaded it I told it manual jig. I even renamed the file and uploaded it using the manual jig and the machine still does the autojig thing. I'm lost for answers.

CJ

[cnsranch]

If I understand what you just said -

You're wanting to manual jig, not allow the machine to auto, right?

You have to set the default settings on the machine to manual from auto (I'm not in front of the machine, I can't tell you how to do it).

You can, however, do this - when the machine spins up to auto jig, hit stop - the machine will then give you the option to go manual.

Hope this helps.

[liquidguitars]

I use 4" tails or larger for my sleds, 3.5" is undersized. 3.5" is not a magic number when building you will run out of roller making a less stable sled.

It sounds like the CW is measuring under size in y, one way around this is to max out the y dimension by adding a 1/4" strip to the side of the sled and using "place on corner".

[cnsranch]

LG - I've read your method of doing this before, but something confuses me (well, a lot does, but just "something" as it relates here).

The attached pic is of a design I mocked up - the board settings are 20x8 (representing my sled), the rectangle represents my board, and is 12x7, giving me 4" on each end, and 1/2" on each side.

In what instance would I choose "place on corner"?

Or, are you saying that if you add a 1/4" strip to the side of the sled, making the measurements now 20x8.25 it messes up the settings, and that's why you place on corner?

Why not make the sled 8.5" wide, but tell Designer it's 8", the machine will measure, see a larger board, and ask you if you want to center project on the board?

You can see my confusion - I know you got this figured out, I'm just trying to understand the methods to your madness :p

[CarverJerry]

I'll get back to ya in about 1 1/2 hrs. Have a lunch appt that is very important. Later

CJ

[liquidguitars]

LG - I've read your method of doing this before, but something confuses me (well, a lot does, but just "something" as it relates here).

The attached pic is of a design I mocked up - the board settings are 20x8 (representing my sled), the rectangle represents my board, and is 12x7, giving me 4" on each end, and 1/2" on each side.

In what instance would I choose "place on corner"?

Or, are you saying that if you add a 1/4" strip to the side of the sled, making the measurements now 20x8.25 it messes up the settings, and that's why you place on corner?

Why not make the sled 8.5" wide, but tell Designer it's 8", the machine will measure, see a larger board, and ask you if you want to center project on the board?

You can see my confusion - I know you got this figured out, I'm just trying to understand the methods to your madness :p

yes but is not that hard and Your MPC looks right on I would just scribe the rectangle with the 1/16 bit and then fill the voids with wood...

after a software change in 1.134 the board sensor started to read the sleds exactly in y with out much room for error. If the weather was dry the sleds would read off then the CW would scale the y.:confused:

As a way to fix the measurement issue Chris L asked me to add a 1/4 strip of dead wood to force the y measurement or max it out. Then use "place on corner". I center my raster in Designer but never use center in the unit at the key pad. I think "place on corner" or "place on end" is better for my guitars.


Why not make the sled 8.5" wide, but tell Designer it's 8"

This is basically what i do now, but I use "place on corner" cut my sled bottom over size and let the CW scribe the location of the rails.

you can see the one rail is wider on the far side this forces the y measurement..

http://liquidguitars.com/assets/images/violin_setup.jpg

[CarverJerry]

Ok, had a great lunch. Now back to my problem, I just measured my board and it is 9.295 wide and is 10,160 long. The designer board size is 9.250 X 10" and I use a sled with 3.600 wings on each end. I carved these just last week with no scaling wanting to be done and nothing changed, file is still on the card and I haven't changed anything in the user options for the machine. I just don't understand what is going on and why it wants to autojig and scale my project...any ideas? Here is the file I'm using

CJ

[buffybuttons]

i would reinsert the board and have the machine measure it again.its probably just slightly narrower in 1 spot causing the actual board to be measured smaller than the virtual board.

[CarverJerry]

I tried that, even used another piece that I cut to length. I think I'll try a 11 1/4 wide board just to see what it does.

CJ

[cnsranch]

I just measured my board and it is 9.295 wide and is 10,160 long. The designer board size is 9.250 X 10" and I use a sled with 3.600 wings on each end.

I place boards/sleds in the machine that are wider/longer that what's in Designer all the time - when it goes that way, machine asks me to "place on center", I hit yes (could go for another option - place on end, etc). and off it goes.

You get in trouble when the board/sled is narrower/shorter than what's in Designer - that's when it asks you to scale (actually doesn't give you any other option - it's scale, or forget it).

I don't get it.

The measurement of your board and sled must be 17.2" x 9.25, right?

Is the meas. you gave above, 9.295 x 10.160 what's coming from the machine when you let it measure?? Shouldn't it be at least 10.2 (board's 10 plus the 3.6+3.6)? If I'm right, the machine's thinking that the board isn't long enough, and asking you to scale.

[cnsranch]

One more thought -

If your sled's 17.2", and the carve is within the 10" area, tell the machine to NOT stay under the rollers (since you know it will anyway) and you won't get the scaling issue.

Same thing happened to me last month.

[chebytrk]

One more thought -

If your sled's 17.2", and the carve is within the 10" area, tell the machine to NOT stay under the rollers (since you know it will anyway) and you won't get the scaling issue.

Same thing happened to me last month.

So if you tell it NOT to stay under the rollers and tell it to PLACE ON CORNER.. how far from the end of the sled does the carve actually start?... 3 1/2 inches??

[dbfletcher]

So if you tell it NOT to stay under the rollers and tell it to PLACE ON CORNER.. how far from the end of the sled does the carve actually start?... 3 1/2 inches??

Boy.. thats opening a can of worms. It will start the carve of the DESIGNER board at the end... now if you have the 3.5"+ build in your designer board... your golden. If you dont, you would want to select center on board. and since you know your sled has that 7"+ rule ... once again your golden.

Hope that made sense and I didnt add to the confusion.

Doug Fletcher

[spalted]

When I first got my machine I was having some trouble that sounds similar.

I ended up finding out that my head pressure was very low, it was causing inconsistent length readings (yes....even with masking tape).

The only disclaimer is that was during the first few days I owned my machine, so there very well may have been operator error involved as well.

But at any rate it may be worth checking your head pressure.

[liquidguitars]

Ok, had a great lunch. Now back to my problem, I just measured my board and it is 9.295 wide and is 10,160 long. The designer board size is 9.250 X 10" and I use a sled with 3.600 wings on each end. I carved these just last week with no scaling wanting to be done and nothing changed, file is still on the card and I haven't changed anything in the user options for the machine. I just don't understand what is going on and why it wants to autojig and scale my project...any ideas? Here is the file I'm using

CJ

Nice frame but..

I not surprised you having some issues. Your MPC sled layout is not recomended by LG. :mrgreen:

I make designer and the sled the same. This is a beter layout in my building experence.. make the wood sleds bottom 9.50 x 18.50 run the sled setup MPC then add the wood sides.

[CarverJerry]

LG, I'll give that a try and see what happens.

My sled is much larger than my board so that isn't the problem. When I first select the file to carve the tool homes, then asks if I want to stay under the rollers, I say no (but it will) then it says autojig and measures the width then comes up with the scaling y/n......???:confused:

I'll try LG's idea, nothing to loose and I respect his imput. Thanks LG

CJ

[atauer]

Just a thought, but are there any gaps between your material and you jig/sled? The machine may be picking up on a small gap, causing a misreading...

[liquidguitars]

Just a thought, but are there any gaps between your material and you jig/sled? The machine may be picking up on a small gap, causing a misreading...

Thas a good point, Hence one of the reasons to use 4" tails, load the sled "off center" with the tail end under the board sensor it will never read wrong. :mrgreen:

LG

[atauer]

I was referring to the Y axis. If he has a small gap on the width, it would cause a slight mis-reading of the material. But, he did state that it wasn't off by much, (less than an 1/8, I believe is what was stated earlier), so that may not be the case here.

[liquidguitars]

yes we are talking about the y measurement in this thread, load the 4" sled tail under the BS and you will not see a gap. load the sled in the center and you will see a gap at one time.

But promise me you will do it your way. :)

[mtylerfl]

I have been cutting these 5X7 picture frames for a while now. I use manual jig when I uploaded it to the card. But now the machine says autojig and wants to scale my project. Never did this before and I didn't change the file that wa already on the card. Any ideas whats going on with this. I don't think I want the machine to scale it for me do I?

CarverJerry

Hi Jerry,

Lots of interesting discussion here, but I think all you need to do is reload your project, but this time click "Ignore" instead of "Manual Jig". See if that eliminates the problem for you.

[liquidguitars]

MT,


But now the machine says autojig and wants to scale my project.

"auto jig" will not ask to scale a project so it's a measurement issue.. He could run it one more time and it could work, but he will be in the same boat down the road.. why I worked out this fool proof system for sled users that need to run 2 sided projects and the same MPC's that need to index a few thousands.

LG

[RMarkey]

You may have had a board sensor malfunction. Check & clean your board sensor.

[liquidguitars]

So if you tell it NOT to stay under the rollers and tell it to PLACE ON CORNER.. how far from the end of the sled does the carve actually start?... 3 1/2 inches??

"PLACE ON CORNER" will always index on the left hand corner of the MPC.
Take a look at the MPC i uploaded for CJ you will see I added the overall sled size to his Designer MPC , now you can tell the Carvewrignt exactly where to start based on the layout in Designer simple. Move the raster to the left move it to the center it makes no difference as long as it in the bounding box, just make sure you do not move the raster more 4" from the left corner for sled work. for non seld work you can do anything you like.

[chebytrk]

"PLACE ON CORNER" will always index on the left hand corner of the MPC.
Take a look at the MPC i uploaded for CJ you will see I added the overall sled size to his Designer MPC , now you can tell the Carvewrignt exactly where to start based on the layout in Designer simple. Move the raster to the left move it to the center it makes no difference as long as it in the bounding box, just make sure you do not move the raster more 4" from the left corner for sled work. for non seld work you can do anything you like.

Great! Thanks