Setting Starting Point

[historybuff]

Hi,

A newbe here. I have a small piece of wood that is 3.625 wide, 2.5 height, and .75 depth. I am creating a pocket toolpath so I have added 1/2 inch to all sides. The wood is slightly off perfectly flat, so I am resurfacing it (the original size.) I have added a rectangle of the approxiate final resurface piece. In the "Job setup", I have set the larger size at 4.0 x 3.0 and thickness to .75. I have tried setting the XYZ "Origin position" one, by one at each corner. I have also tried setting "Use origin offset" from 0.0 and up to 1.0 in small increments. In the "Preview" mode, the toolpath DOES show the proper corner I set the origin point at. However, when I jog the router through the Control Panel to the appropriate corner to the previously set corner to start, the router bit starts somewhere else and goes way (2 inches or more) off the set size. I did notice that on "Drawing view" ruler, 0.0 is on the far right of my piece of wood and the far left is at the 4 inch mark.

I am under the impression that when you set the XYZ to all 0.0 that that is the starting point of the router bit, but appearently not. I prefer the routing to start in one corner as oppossed to the center. Also, on the "Drawing" mode, I have also tried each combination - "Align object" to center in material, center object, align left, align right, align top, align bottom, center horizontal and align vertical. Twenty different setting combinations and it still does not start at the proper corner and about half off the routing is completely off the wood piece. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance for your kind assistance.

Rick

[fison]

Rick,

In the Job Setup menu you have 5 options for x/y zero location and 2 for z zero location. Normally you will place your router at the zero position you have indicated in this set up (you can change it but you have to recalculate all cut paths if you do). When you set up to cut you need to place the tip of the bit at this zero location and 'zero' the shark using the control panel. This is done with the 'XYZ0', 'X0', 'Y0', and 'Z0' buttons. Depending on what you're cutting you can zero them all at once or separately. Normally when you change bits you only need to rezero the 'Z' axis.

Hope this helps.

[historybuff]

Paul,

Here we are 7 more attempts later to resurface a block of wood that is 8.75 wide and 13.75 high. In the drawing screen of VCarve Pro, the top left ruler shows 0 and 0. I created a rectangle of the same size. The pocket tool path is set to the top left corner (I also tried the other 3 corners.) In the Control Panel I have set XYZ0 to all zeroes. I have NOT clicked "Offset."

Take a look at the image below. The light tan is the area that DID route. The dark tan is the area that DID not carve. What am I doing wrong?



Thanks in advance for your kind assistance.

Rick

[Buc]

Rick,

I'm not sure I fully understand your question. SO I will try to answer as I see it. First you have to tell the shark where the center of your work piece is at. I set zero here. Next you want to move the 'X' axis half the distance of (8.75") or (4.375). 'X' position on the shark panel should be (X-4.375). Next move 'Y' axis half the distance of (13.75") or (6.875"). 'Y' position on the shark panel should read ('Y' +6.875"). Reset 'X' and 'Y' to Zero. Your tool should be positioned at the top left hand corner of your work piece. Make sure you chose the top left hand corner of your work piece in V-Carve also.

Hope I helped you more than I confused you. If not send me a PM or zip your file and post it here on the forum.
Buc

[historybuff]

You are correct. I am confused First I jogged to the top left corner, then set all to 0. Next, I jogged X and Y to 4.376 and Y to 6.877. (These are as close as I could get. It is hard to depress the button and only have it move 2 or 3 numbers.

It didn't make sense to me, but as I interpreted your last post, I then reset the X and Y to 0. Lastly, with the router bit was set much higher than the top of the wood, I set it to run. Nope! On the top left, the bit went a good 3 inches beyond the wood for the X axis. Also, 4 to 5 inches off the wood on the Y axis.

Next, I did as above, left it with X and Y centered on the wood. I set it to run again, with similar results - X and Y much beyond the actual wood.

Please go here: http://www.historybuff.com/game/blank.zip to download a ZIP file of the crv and tap files I used.

Thanks again.

Rick

[fison]

Rick,

I just looked at your files and don't see an issue. I'm running an aircut right now and it looks fine.

Based on your V-Carve and tap files you've set zero at the upper left with left being the direction the router goes when you jog -X and top being the direction it goes when you jog +Y.

You should start the cut with the bit just touching the wood in this location and it should work. If not give me a call some eventing between 5 and 9 pm Pacific Time and I'll try to help you. If that's not an option keep plugging here and we'll try to help you.

[Buc]

Rick,

Ran your .TAP file this morning and it ran perfectly.

Buc

[historybuff]

By accident, I think I may have found the problem... I think

I have the CNC Shark and not the CNC Shark Pro. The travel active bed is X: 13" Y: 24" . I have been testing it with the drawing upright - that is, 8.75" wide and 13.75 in height. Then put the board to be routered in the horizontal position, the is 13.75 wide and 8.75 in height. The band it does not router is .75" However, I tried creating a new drawing so that it is horizontal and then the pocket toolpath. Unfortunately, with the image "flipped" the width is .75" too wide, so it still leaves .75 of the total board not routered.

Thanks for all of your kind assistance.

Rick Brown

[historybuff]

I think I have figured out the problem. I have the non-pro CNC Shark. From the start I assumed that the routered area was centered both horizontally and vertically. It is NOT! When I moved my wood up vertically instead of centered, it did the full presurfacing! Thus, by originally having the wood centered, it left the bottom edge beyond the router area.

Thanks for all of your kind assistance.

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization

[fison]

Rick,

Glad you got it figured out. Let us know if you have any other issues.