V-Carve Pro/Shark HD3 depth is off

[southern pastures]

I am setting my engraving tool depth at .3". My carving is coming out with only a .15 depth. I can't figure out what I am doing wrong. I am using the "virtual set up" plate, as well as the "v-carve" tab. Any help would be appreciated.

[Bob]

Would you be willing to post your file. It's easier to check all your settings that way.
Thanks,
Bob

[southern pastures]

Would you be willing to post your file. It's easier to check all your settings that way.
Thanks,
Bob

How do I do that Bob? Please forgive my ignorance.

[southern pastures]

Did it work?

[southern pastures]

I know that in the toolpaths it says Male Trinity [Pocket] when it's in fact the male clearout. My 2 male toolpaths come out perfect. It's the female that won't cooperate (See what I did there???). If I hover over the female toolpath it says max depth is .203. But I set it at .3

[meb]

The bit you are using is a 60 deg v-bit with a .02 flat bottom. The pocket created by a V-Carve toolpath always starts on the surface (if the start depth is set to 0.00) and touches both sides of the vector being carved, this limits the width of the cut to the vectors and the depth is limited by the angle of the bit projected down from the surface at the vector. The wider the vector the deeper the bit can go until the vectors are wide enough that the whole bit can go between the vectors, then the bit will carve as deep as the angle of the bit will allow. the bit could cut through the material if the vectors are wide enough an this will give you a warning when you calculate the toolpath. If you add a flat depth then the pocket will have a flat bottom at the depth set.

The vectors you are trying to carve are about 0.16 wide so the deepest the bit would go in most places is around 0.12. At the points in the design where the vectors cross the width is greater allowing the bit to go deeper at these points. That is why the toolpath says the maximum depth cut is 0.203. In the 3d preview if you hold the arrow over the cut at any point and you can see the depth to the lower right as the Z. on the surface the Z is 0.0000, if you are over a cut area it will show - x.xxxx.

You designated a flat depth of 0.30 but the bit can never reach that depth with the vectors you are using. The vectors would have to be about 0.366 wide before you hit the flat depth.

I am attaching a picture and hope it helps you understand what is happening.

[southern pastures]

The bit you are using is a 60 deg v-bit with a .02 flat bottom. The pocket created by a V-Carve toolpath always starts on the surface (if the start depth is set to 0.00) and touches both sides of the vector being carved, this limits the width of the cut to the vectors and the depth is limited by the angle of the bit projected down from the surface at the vector. The wider the vector the deeper the bit can go until the vectors are wide enough that the whole bit can go between the vectors, then the bit will carve as deep as the angle of the bit will allow. the bit could cut through the material if the vectors are wide enough an this will give you a warning when you calculate the toolpath. If you add a flat depth then the pocket will have a flat bottom at the depth set.

The vectors you are trying to carve are about 0.16 wide so the deepest the bit would go in most places is around 0.12. At the points in the design where the vectors cross the width is greater allowing the bit to go deeper at these points. That is why the toolpath says the maximum depth cut is 0.203. In the 3d preview if you hold the arrow over the cut at any point and you can see the depth to the lower right as the Z. on the surface the Z is 0.0000, if you are over a cut area it will show - x.xxxx.

You designated a flat depth of 0.30 but the bit can never reach that depth with the vectors you are using. The vectors would have to be about 0.366 wide before you hit the flat depth.

I am attaching a picture and hope it helps you understand what is happening.

Meb I am actually using a 30 degree engraving bit with a .08 flat nose. Where do you see the 60 degree v bit?

[Bob]

I know that in the toolpaths it says Male Trinity [Pocket] when it's in fact the male clearout. My 2 male toolpaths come out perfect. It's the female that won't cooperate (See what I did there???). If I hover over the female toolpath it says max depth is .203. But I set it at .3

I used a 60V bit and changed the start depth until I could hover over the deepest area on the preview and get a reading of .3 for the depth. By using the start depth, I could force the bit to go to any depth I wanted. No math...I tried a couple of times until the desired depth was reached. It's also probably not necessary to project the toolpath onto a 3D model for this project.

Bob

Are you trying to make a VCarve inlay?..That would make a big change to my answer to your question.

[meb]

The tool you were using for the female toolpath in the file you posted was Engrave (30' 0.08" Tip Dia) but the actual parameters for the bit in your data base do not match the name of the bit.

The bit has a 0.02 flat bottom not a 0.08 flat bottom. You also need to look at the picture of the engraving bit that shows how an engraving bit geometry is configured, it has a side angle of 30 degrees for a total angle on the bit of 60 degrees. V-bits have a geometry base on the total angle of the bit.

When you create a toolpath that has a deeper start depth you will be carving wider at the surface level than the width of your vectors so you change the look of the project.

I have attached a picture of what you are using from your posted file and my explanation and picture posted before were based on the geometry of the bit you choose from your data base.

[southern pastures]

The tool you were using for the female toolpath in the file you posted was Engrave (30' 0.08" Tip Dia) but the actual parameters for the bit in your data base do not match the name of the bit.

The bit has a 0.02 flat bottom not a 0.08 flat bottom. You also need to look at the picture of the engraving bit that shows how an engraving bit geometry is configured, it has a side angle of 30 degrees for a total angle on the bit of 60 degrees. V-bits have a geometry base on the total angle of the bit.

When you create a toolpath that has a deeper start depth you will be carving wider at the surface level than the width of your vectors so you change the look of the project.

I have attached a picture of what you are using from your posted file and my explanation and picture posted before were based on the geometry of the bit you choose from your data base.

Ahhhhh I see what you mean about the .02 -.08. Thanks Meb