Board ejected from machine?
So I have a large sign I am making, in 3 carves; each about 9.5" by 41", carved from a 10.5"x48" board (3 48" 1x4's glued up).
The first board carved and cut out just fine.
But the second board, while it carved just fine, it did not handle the cutout so well.
After I changed the bit to the cutting bit, and watched it start the carve, I left the machine (and my shop) for a bit.
A few minutes later, I noticed the lack of sound from my shop - just the dust collector was running.
So I went to see what the problem was (or to check if I had lost track of time and what seemed like 5 minutes was closer to 30 and it was done).
And I came in to see the board on the floor next to the carvewright. Uncut.
I examined the board - it had a small dent on one corner, but the carving was fine.
It just had not cut anything at all with the cutting bit.
So then I rush to check the machine (and bit).
The carving bit was fine.
The machine was showing the normal job complete message, about 30 minutes faster than expected.
I shut it down, blew out the little sawdust left in the machine, pulled out the bit - my standard post carve maintenance.
I came back in to my computer, loaded up that board in designer, and deleted everything but the cut path.
Double checked and triple checked everything was set properly.
I go back out, load the physical board in the CW.
Load up the new project.
Double check and triple check everything is aligned, measuring the same size, etc.
It seems kosher.
But I have never yet had a board carved or cut right, after it had been removed from the machine.
And this was no exception.
The first pass, it traced the outline fine.
I set it to 0.24" passes, it makes three passes for the 0.72" boards I have.
The second pass seemed to be going fine.
So, I left the shop again.
I'm a stay at home dad of a 2 year old.
I can't stay in the shop to babysit my machine, no matter how much I would like to...
It finishes carving in about the expected time.
I go check on it.
And, as expected, somehow something screwed up.
There are two distinct cutouts, one shifted about 0.5" (slightly less) offset from the other.
The first, which I had watched, and then a second (the third/deepest pass) shifted so it ruined the board.
SIGH
Glue up another board.
Double check.
Triple check.
Load the original project.
Hours later, it is carved just fine.
Switching the bits...
I watch it move the board into position.
Slightly offset from where I expected it to start the cut.
But I have seen it do that before, and end up fine.
The cut motor spins.
The flex shaft hums.
The bit is spinning as fast as it can.
But the bit never descends.
The board slowly - oh so slowly, is being moved to the left of the machine (facing the keypad).
If I wasn't staring so closely, I could not have seen the movement.
If I didn't put my hand on the board, I would not have been sure.
It slowly fed the board out of the machine.
This time, I caught it, rather than it falling to the floor.
I waited a minute more, the belt still slowly advancing ... nothing, now... through the machine.
The bit never descended.
And then it ended the carve, about half an hour early.
I have NEVER experienced this before.
I tried once again to run the separate cut out only project I had created.
I noticed right away it was slightly off, and would ruin the board.
So I stopped/aborted it, and am now going to attempt to hand cut the shape.
But I am BAFFLED by the behavior.
I am attaching the MPC.
I already carved an identical but larger version of this sign - it was on 4 2x12's and came out to be 3.5' x 5' - and it carved fine.
I have carved dozens, possibly hundreds, but definitely dozens, of signs and similar projects over the years.
And I have never seen this behavior.
It just slowly, probably the smallest step it can, continued to advance the board to the left (facing the keypad), until it was ejected from the machine.
What causes this?
I have not yet run another project.
It was late, and I was already frustrated.
I will try something else tomorrow, see if I get the same odd result.
I am attaching the MPC to see if it is something I set up in there.
Just hoping for some kind of answer!
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