CNC Shark Forum

The X and Y axis rails in the ProPlus are marginal. I calculated that the weight of the gantry, Z carriage, and router will cause a deflection of .027" in the center of the table. The result is that if you put a dial indicator in your chuck, a perfectly flat table will look like it is .027" high in ...

If you bought a Shark, it should have come with VCarve (although possibly not the latest version). Contact Support@Vectroc/com and explain your problem. They can explain how to transfer the license for a low cost. The demo programs (VCarve, etc) are free at Vectric.com and can be used to figure out ...

My touch plate is set in the File>Preferences to .375" thick. That is what it measures. But after running some VCarve toolpaths, I realized that the bit was cutting too deep. I'm using Control Panel 2.1. I tested the touch plate by first flattening a board with a 3/4" bit cutting a .06" deep pocket....

One can loosen the table top extrusion bolts and slide the top over far enough to access the Y axis coupling. The bolts and the top do not have to be completely removed.

The Join Vectors tool will not work on grouped vectors. Probably because if the vectors are grouped you can't select them one at a time.

Rather than tracing an outline with a digitizer, try taking a photo of the object against a white background, import the jpg, and trace it. Use the Set Selected Objects Size tool to adjust the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the trace to match the original. You can then use the Vector Boundary...

One challenge with the Gear gadget is that the space between the teeth has square corners, which of course you can't cut with a round bit. My method of constructing a gear with a round root space is here: http://forum.vectric.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=21084&hilit=gears On the second page of the thread...

When you plunge, machine deflection causes the end of the bit to move, usually in the -Y direction. One way to demonstrate this is to use the bit to make a hole using the drill toolpath. You will find the hole is not a perfect circle, even though you told the machine to move straight down. Also, pul...

I don't believe the shark controller has any means of turning on the router independently of a toolpath file. I have, however, plugged it into the wall and used the jog function to make sure an alignment board edge was exactly parallel to an axis.

This can be done using closely spaced lines and the fluting tool. For this example the lines start at the edge and end at the center. As the bit has a flat end, there will be a slight flat at the bottom. A 1/2" ballnose would eliminate the flat. The actual cut will extend past the line ends by the b...