need help making a zero cut box

[peep]

I have this job I am carving for a donation. They were given a Mahogany tree and I though a plaque might be a good idea. Unfortunately the carve has a y axis error at 17" into a 19" carve. The 19" board is in a sled.

When I try to make a zero cut box (new at it) for the first 16 1/2" then insert the board. Do a measure fine, then when I go to carve it. It goes through the bits, then after it is done it stops saying "cut depth exceeded"

Help what am I doing wrong. Can someone make me a zero cut region or what ever is done so I do not have to re-carve the first 16 1/2"

68138

[cnsranch]

Try drawing a square (or rectangle) over the area you don't want to carve, select "Carve Region", and give the depth of that Region zero.

[fwharris]

When it does the bit touching steps for finding the surface does it touch on the sled or into the already carved area? If into the carved area that is probably why your getting the cut depth exceeded message.

[eelamb]

Peep, I can not open your file due to it being 2.x version, but here are 5 images showing the steps to zero depth.
1) place pattern on board68139
2) draw a rectangle over area you wish not to carve.68140
3) click on the carve region button. This will give you a .25" depth.68141
4) click on the depth and set it to zero.68142

5) you should now have something that looks like this.68143

Hope this helps.


Edit: I was too slow, and others answered it. Floyd gave the reason for the error.

[peep]

Thanks eelamb. That is what I was doing. So I gave it another try but only to 16". It worked, but for some reason it is air carving off a 1/8". Must think the board thickness is different somehow. But its working so I will just have to put up with the longer time.

[peep]

Now this does not make sense! If I make a carve reign it does not fully blank out the scroll. So it carved a 1/8 inch off the unused edges, and I had to wait 7 hours before it got to the spot where it failed. Then it failed again with a y axis error. also if I am going to carve my centerline words after, they will be in the zero cut reign. Will they carve?

[eelamb]

No the centerline will not carve right. Since you said it failed at the same spot I have to think there is a problem with tracking.
1) Did you use masking tape on the bottom. keyboard side of the board?
2) run you finger along the bottom edge surface (keyboard side), is it flat with not indents?
3) is your board flat and square?

As to the 1/8" off, if you removed the board then that could be the reason for it measured length and maybe width different after board removal.

Another way to do this is take your original, and set the depth of the pattern a little deeper than the first. Now it will carve a small amount off the first carve, and then proceed to carve the centerline text afterwards. Again it must measure the board the same or your carving will be off.