uneven edge on one side only

[cwestwood]

Anyone know why this is happening...on the left side of my carvings I am getting a very uneven edge. The bit is obviously not returning to the exact same edge each time. The other side (right side) looks good. Also you can see where sometimes the machine makes the first pass a little bit longer than all the rest. This results in a small cut at the top of the carving (you can see this in the photo too). Thanks, Craig

[TerryT]

My first guess is that it is in the artwork you are using for a pattern.
Try this. start a new project with a clean board. Using the circle tool, make a circle (or even a square) and make it a carve region with the depth at about 0.25. Carve this test and see if the problem still occures. If not then its a pretty good bet it is your pattern.

[Digitalwoodshop]

I am with "ASK BUD" and Post your .mpc..... This will need further review.....

It could be a Loose Y Belt and the Y skipping a tooth in the belt and off setting the carving. With only 7 posts.... Is the machine new? This looks like a machine carving with 500 hours and a worn Y Gear Box Bearings......

What is the Cut Motor Hours number? Is it a used machine?

This could be Artwork related... A .jpg picture turned into a Junk Pattern....

There is a ART to making patterns... Something learned over time... I am BAD at patterns.... I buy them....

AL

[cwestwood]

No it is not a new machine. I bought it in 2007. Just recently had over $500 worth of repairs done on it from Carvewright. They replaced a bunch of stuff, but I don't know off hand exactly what (they did their suggested upgrades). I've been using the same process for my artwork for quite some time, so I doubt it is my artwork, but I will try the suggestion of making a circle and see how it carves. I had the problem before the repairs/upgrade, but it doesn't happen all the time (although now it seems to be happening most of the time). Thanks for the feedback so far. Keep them coming.

[Digitalwoodshop]

Please post your patterns.... I believe the carve region is a .jpg generated .ptn... But without seeing the .mpc, can't be sure..... Really looks like a pattern problem.....

Do the circle carve region to check the machine.... Bet it is good...

AL

[cwestwood]

I've tried to upload my file, but it says it exceeds the file size limit of the website. The file is 3.5mb. How do I reduce it so I can post it?

[Digitalwoodshop]

Where is Ask Bud? We need one of the Gotham City Spot Lights like for Bat Man.... "Ask Bud"......

Patterns are not my strong area... I am a Hardware Guy.....

You might need to email it to someone here to look over....

AL

[fwharris]

I've tried to upload my file, but it says it exceeds the file size limit of the website. The file is 3.5mb. How do I reduce it so I can post it?

You will need to remove some of the items to reduce the file size.

[AskBud]

I've tried to upload my file, but it says it exceeds the file size limit of the website. The file is 3.5mb. How do I reduce it so I can post it?
I'm sending you a private message.
AskBud

[Digitalwoodshop]

Ask Bud to the rescue..... Excellent....

AL

[cwestwood]

Al just send you the email. First one was undeliverable. Second seemed to go through. Let me know if you get it. Thanks, Craig

[lovejoys]

this looks more like a Y motor problem to me the encoder is dirty just had the same thing happened to me cleaned the back of the motor and all is good know
but Bud and Al are way better them me

[cwestwood]

Just ran the test board. Looks pretty good. If it is my artwork, then why is it only doing it on one edge (always the left side). I draw my artwork in Corel Draw and export it as a Compuserve Bitmap. The edge that is uneven is nothing more than a black box I put around the artwork in Corel Draw to function as a background. The box goes around the whole piece of artwork, but it is only the left edge that I have this problem with. I never have any problems like this anywhere within the artwork, even where it is is pretty complicated.

I'll try cleaning the Y motor when I figure out where it is. Thanks, Craig

[cnsranch]

Craig -

When you have the project open in Designer, and you zoom in real close to the edges, do they look sharp and clean, or do they look jagged like the carve?

Remember, WYSIWYG.

[Digitalwoodshop]

Waiting on CSI Ask Bud to do a Forensics on the pattern.... CSI.... Carve Sample Investigator..... I still think it is a .jpg made into a pattern and sunk into a .jpg background carve region.... Where the .jpg background was just sunk into the project and it did not have good color.... Hence.... Sloppy edges....

Waiting to hear if a real designer carve region was used from CSI Ask Bud.... If it WAS then we look at machine mechanical issues.

AL

[cwestwood]

Holy moly! Didn't realize I was gonna launch the forensics team! Let me know before the van's and helicopters get launched, better give the wife a heads up, haha.

When I zoom in, the edges look perfect. The background is created in corel draw as a solid black box put behind the artwork I draw (same project, just put as the backmost layer). Shouldn't have any uneveness or irregularities to it, unless they are somehow introduced during the export/import process. If that is the case, why only on that one side? Thanks again for everyone's input.

[AskBud]

cwestwood,
Al sent me your MPC. I'm running a test as I type. It will take a few minutes to determine your potential problem.

My first guess is that you imported a photo and failed to use Pattern Editor (properly) to clean up the edges.
While we are waiting on the results of my test, I want you to design a one inch square, with a .250 deep carve area. Run that design and make sure your edges are crisp (not jagged). This will eliminate some of the possible machine problems (but not all).

Also go to my "Download" link, below, and review my lesson on "Making a Triangle with a Gradient or Taper" .
What you want to watch, starts about 12 minutes into the lesson. That is where I clean the edges to eliminate un-wanted or noisy edges. A sister lesson is "remove Noise from a personal pattern".
AskBud

[AskBud]

cwestwood,
Al sent me your MPC. I'm running a test as I type. It will take a few minutes to determine your potential problem.

My first guess is that you imported a photo and failed to use Pattern Editor (properly) to clean up the edges.
While we are waiting on the results of my test, I want you to design a one inch square, with a .250 deep carve area. Run that design and make sure your edges are crisp (not jagged). This will eliminate some of the possible machine problems (but not all).

Also go to my "Download" link, below, and review my lesson on "Making a Triangle with a Gradient or Taper" .
What you want to watch, starts about 12 minutes into the lesson. That is where I clean the edges to eliminate un-wanted or noisy edges. A sister lesson is "remove Noise from a personal pattern".
AskBud
cwestwood Quote:
Holy moly! Didn't realize I was gonna launch the forensics team! Let me know before the van's and helicopters get launched, better give the wife a heads up, haha.

When I zoom in, the edges look perfect. The background is created in corel draw as a solid black box put behind the artwork I draw (same project, just put as the backmost layer). Shouldn't have any uneveness or irregularities to it, unless they are somehow introduced during the export/import process. If that is the case, why only on that one side? Thanks again for everyone's input. END Quote

OK!
I just confirmed your recent finding, above, by doing my test.

As to cleaning the Y-motor. If it aint broke, don't fix it!
AskBud

[cwestwood]

Ummm...not sure what you confirmed. Is it my artwork?

[AskBud]

Ummm...not sure what you confirmed. Is it my artwork?
Yes, I think so!

Review the lessons. I presume that you have Pattern Editor, I think it will be fasted than cleaning Corel.
AskBud

[cwestwood]

I do not have the editor software and can't spend $200 right now for it. Any ideas on how to export and import the image from corel that won't introduce this noise?

[dbfletcher]

Save as png... but if the image is already been saved as a jpeg.... you would have to recreate it. jpeg is a lossy format and that is where the "noise" gets introduced (ie. you cant open a jpeg, save it as png and expect the final image quality to be better). There are other lossless formats as well, but png is probably one of the most popular.

[cwestwood]

OK, I'll try the .png format. I create the artwork orginally in Corel so I can export it as anything, just didn't know what to use. Thanks all.

[AskBud]

If you run into more problems, with this project, you could pass the Corel file to Al or me and we could edit the edges for you.
AskBud

[cwestwood]

OK, I exported the image as a .PNG file and the same thing happened. Still uneven edges. The more I look at it, both edges are a little rough, but he left side is worse. Thanks ASKBUD for offering to clean the image up for me, but I'd rather learn how to fish myself, so to speak. Any ideas on where to go from here?

[mtylerfl]

OK, I exported the image as a .PNG file and the same thing happened. Still uneven edges. The more I look at it, both edges are a little rough, but he left side is worse. Thanks ASKBUD for offering to clean the image up for me, but I'd rather learn how to fish myself, so to speak. Any ideas on where to go from here?

What resolution are you saving your PNG? Higher resolutions are generally better...more pixels=less "roughness" (pixilation). Try to make your design at the "finished size" prior to saving the PNG at a reasonable resolution (300dpi to 600dpi are good places to start). Having your design already at your finished size will help reduce overall "roughness". If you are enlarging your design after placing it on your layout, any pixelation will be more pronounced (i.e., more roughness). If possible, save your PNG as a 16-bit grayscale (instead of the typical 8-bit).

You may need to experiment to find "your formula" for what works best using the software you have.

[cwestwood]

I think you guys figured out my problem. I was exporting the image at too low resolution. I was exporting my images at 300dpi, but was having to stretch them several inches to fill out the board (thus making them less than 300dpi). I made them full size in Corel, and then exported them as an 8-bit grayscale (16-bit was not an option) at 600dpi. Now edges look much better. I haven't run a whole project, but based on the initial few inches of a carve, it looks great. Thanks all of you for helping. Craig