"Too thick to cut through" with sled

[DickB]

My project is .75" with a cut-out. I'm using a sled that adds 1/2". I've run this before no problem. The project board was cut, but not the underlying sled; it was just scored a little as expected. Now with 1.164 I get the error message with only abort/continue options. Not sure what to do - will it cut out, or not?

[JMD]

I just did my first cut out with 1.164. Seemed to work OK,
. Just scoring the sled a little.

[DickB]

Did you get an error message? I hit Continue, and it carved OK. I just hadn't seen that message before. IIRC, last time I was prompted to enter the board thickness, but not this time.

[Digitalwoodshop]

Run it again and pay attention if it asks you a question to cut the Board or Project.... I believe you answered board and that included the sled thickness and board.... Project would use the thickness you programmed into DESIGNER as you board thickness and it is called PROJECT I believe....

It's has been a while since I ran one like this and have not loaded 1.164 yet. So this is a WAG.... Wild ... Guess.

Let us know.... Since the project worked before, it is just pilot error not the new software.... but let us know... could be a bug...

AL

[atauer]

Al,

I haven't done any projects like this in a while either, but after reading all the responses, I would have to say that your probably right.

Try running the project again as Al said. You more than likely just entered something wrong, which does happen from time to time. I should know, as I have done it rather frequently here lately.

[DickB]

OK, reran. The sled is very slightly bigger than the project size, to avoid getting the scaling question. The project includes 3.5" of blank space on each side. This is my normal operating method. Project board thickness is .75. First I get Stay under rollers? answer N. Then I get Keep original size - answer Y. Then Center, Jog, Corner, answer Corner. Cut board to size? - answer N. Machine measures thickness with cutting bit, then I get the Too thick to cut through message with Abort or Continue choices.

[Digitalwoodshop]

Ok... Back to ALEX at LHR.... Did something change in 1.164...?

DickB, can you try loading a older version of Designer and try again...?

AL

[liquidguitars]

The project includes 3.5" of blank space on each side.

I do not recommend using 3.5" tails on any sled ever unless i have a oddball project and that is only on the far end of the sled not the front,

make the tails 4" or bigger if you can, then load the sled 4" tail under the board sensor, this will enable the BS to read the tail when measuring and indexing, give more room for roller contact will maks for a more stable sled.

remember 3.5" has no mathematical effect on the machine it's only the min amount needed to keep under the roller so if your designing a sled with small tail your just wasting your $$$ and time.

I not having any issues with depth 1.164 in the old days yes it was busted, now get a prompt to use "project" and wow it works! :)

LG

[DickB]

Actually, I figured this out myself recently and in fact use 4" on the sleds now. It's a good point to make.

[liquidguitars]

You can try placing the sled in the Carvereight "off center" so the rubber roller clamps on the front sled's tail. the system i use now this will let the board sensor read the sleds tail not the void if your walls are over .50".

LG

[DickB]

DickB, can you try loading a older version of Designer and try again...?

I can, but it would take me a while as I think I need to format my only card to get the firmware to revert, and I would need to mess with my PC. So honestly I'm not strongly motivated. My main concern was would the project run correctly or would it cut incorrectly or not at all, and that has been answered.

It would be nice to have a reference flowchart or something with the firmware releases that would explain what the machine is doing, on what the various questions are based, and what your options are before running a project. Especially if these questions are changing from one release to another. For example, if you load a board that is bigger, then you will be asked this, and you can choose a, b, or c, and the machine will do this. As it is now, we seem to learn most of this by trial and error.

[liquidguitars]

Dick I know 1.164 will work now with sleds I would keep it for now.. I can not say the same of the older versions using " cut control"

[atauer]

Ok... Back to ALEX at LHR.... Did something change in 1.164...?

DickB, can you try loading a older version of Designer and try again...?

AL

As far as I know, nothing changed. I'm gonna put together a sled later this afternoon and try to replicate what DickB is stating.

[DickB]

Yes, it worked fine; I was just thrown by the message.

[DickB]

As far as I know, nothing changed. I'm gonna put together a sled later this afternoon and try to replicate what DickB is stating.
Want me to post the project?

[liquidguitars]

As far as I know, nothing changed. I'm gonna put together a sled later this afternoon and try to replicate what DickB is stating.

Ok.. :mrgreen:

LG

[atauer]

Sure if you want to.

[liquidguitars]

I was thinking it could be as simple as your project depth is set over .80
LHR keeps dumming down the software.

LG

[DickB]

Too big to post here - visit customwooddash.com/docs and the file is Andys clock. There is a licensed pattern, but it can be deleted and should have no impact I would think.

[atauer]

Okay.

I just tried running a 3/4 inch board that I mounted on top of another 3/4 inch board. Total board thickness of 1.5 inches.

After going through the paces a couple times, I got the same message DickB did everytime I tried it. I'm gonna get with the software gurus to see if something was changed. As soon as I know something, I'll post it.

[Termite]

I keep getting to thick to cut out also, but have just hit continue and have
had no problems on four projects. This message appeared after up dating to
1.164 and using sleds.
Dan

[liquidguitars]

Check your project board thickness it can not be deeper than 1" to work.
One of my mandolin parts is using "cut control tabs" with the same sled thickness yours is using. it will ask you to use the project or the board " this is not new to 1.164 but now it works at least the way i make sleds.. not sure how you build them though.

My project is set to .79". also the bit will need to land on some wood level to the top.

[DickB]

Project board thickness is .75" in my case.

[liquidguitars]

I ran a part about 30 mins ago and was able to use cut control with a sled... I just needed to hit "continue" like Termite said. When using the v60 you would choose project.

I have a idea whats going on with your MPC and it could be a merge setting
that is forcing the depth of a raster below the max depth although I have to look at it.

Edit: I looked at your MPC and do not see a issue odd it should work, I guessing that its a sled issue?

[atauer]

Okay, I think I got this figured out.

If the project is greater than 1/2 inch, (programmed in software), then the software is basically stating "Hey, you already meet the minimum thickness reguirements, so you don't need a sled" and it throws up the "board too thick to cut message.

If your designed project, (programmed in software), is less than 1/2 an inch, you will be prompted to but to either project or board.

If I read the information in this thread correct, your material is 3/4 of an inch, and your sled is a half inch, correct?

[mtylerfl]

Okay, I think I got this figured out.

If the project is greater than 1/2 inch, (programmed in software), then the software is basically stating "Hey, you already meet the minimum thickness reguirements, so you don't need a sled" and it throws up the "board too thick to cut message.

If your designed project, (programmed in software), is less than 1/2 an inch, you will be prompted to but to either project or board....

Hi Alex,

What you described does sound familiar, but I'm not absolutely sure this hasn't been addressed already. Ask the programmers to be sure...if it is still throwing the "false" error, then it probably should be looked at by the programmers to figure out a way to avoid confusion at the user-end.

There are occasions when a 1/2" thick board would indeed be used with a sled. For example, if I am using an expensive/exotic wood that is 1/2" thick, then yes, it certainly meets the machine's minimum thickness requirement, and if the board is large enough, I would not need a sled. BUT, I am going to want to use a sled or carrier board to avoid wasting 7" of that pricey wood so the project will stay under the rollers.

So, even though my wood might indeed be 1/2" thick, it may be too small (length and/or width-wise) to stay under the rollers, hence the necessity to use a sled or carrier board. The "too thick to cut through" error flag should probably just be replaced with the "project" or "board" thickness option in a case like this. Does that make sense?

[atauer]

That explanation was given to me by one of the engineers. And what you are stating makes absolute sense, as I am on the same brain wavelength as you on this one.

Maybe one of the engineers can hop on here and take a crack at a better answer.

[DickB]

For example, if I am using an expensive/exotic wood that is 1/2" thick, then yes, it certainly meets the machine's minimum thickness requirement, and if the board is large enough, I would not need a sled. BUT, I am going to want to use a sled or carrier board to avoid wasting 7" of that pricey wood so the project will stay under the rollers.
That is my situation. I don't want to waste my 3/4" thick board, so I'm using a sled. The project board thickness is set to 3/4" so that the cut out will be 3/4". I don't want to cut deeper than that even if the machine were capable because I don't want to cut the sled, and I want the tabs in the project board. The machine apparently measures total thickness at 1.25", then throws the message, despite the project thickness of 3/4". Something changed, because when I ran this kind of project before, I did not get this message. I did get a message to enter board thickness.

[Jcpb321]

Has this problem been solved yet? I know it has not with my machine! If anyone else is still having this problem and using 1.164, do me a favor and at startup measure board thickness with your project on a sled.

I can put a .75 board in the machine and do this it comes up with the right measurement, take it out and put a sled in and the measurement comes up 5.000 thick. either someting wrong with machine or wrong with software IMHO!

[liquidguitars]

John no problem I use sleds all the time and have no issues. Anything over 1" will read and report back to 5" Max size"

[Digitalwoodshop]

John no problem I use sleds all the time and have no issues. Anything over 1" will read and report back to 5" Max size"

At that time enter the project thickness and your good.... Someone else posted that tip...

AL