sd110 calibration issues
Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 5:17 pm
Hi All. I am a new-ish owner of an sd110, and this is my first cnc. (have been playing with it for almost a month now). I have had a few issues along the way, and I realized I hadn't checked out the forums yet, so this is my first post here. Hoping to get some tips and advice! Sorry for the novel below, but I am trying to think through my journey of trying to get this machine working well so far.
My first issue was with what I later learned to be called tramming. I was getting a pretty deep "step" pattern when trying to flatten a waste board. I watched a bunch of youtube videos, and also contacted support. I was told that for this machine it is normal, there is no way to adjust it, and that I could use pieces foil to shim between the router cradle and the router mount (hopefully I am getting the terminology right). I ended up with a big ridiculous blob of foil and a router mount that was bending all over the place and I switched to just putting washers on the bolts between the cradle and the mount. I was also told that I could adjust the actual bed if I needed, but when I loosened it, it didn't have nearly enough play to get it even close, so I just went back to using washers. It is better now, but I don't know that I'd even call it "good enough"..... it is still visually off just using a 1-2-3 block, and nowhere near close enough to even think about switching to one of the tramming jigs I saw other people making. I am still not sure if this is really normal, or if I just failed to describe just how far off it is to support (I did send pictures).
So after making those adjustments, I tried cutting a simple tray to see if it was any better. The lines in the bottom of the piece from the bit not being perpendicular were noticeably better, but I could still see them (at least I can probably sand them out now? before even just across the width of a 1/4" bit they were pretty deep). Another issue that I had been having was now worse though. It seems like every time the router plunges down, it pulls toward the front of the machine or something? I originally thought maybe it was just from the bit being tilted, but it doesn't do it when it lifts up, and also I think then it would be leaving ridges on the walls as well, which it isn't.
At this point I'm really not sure what to do, I've had so many problems and there doesn't seem to be any way to make ANY adjustments on this machine. It works fine for vcarving text into things and stuff like that, but my main interest was getting into cutting out precise parts (fitted boxes for specific items, small puzzles and game pieces, and things like that... maybe even trying aluminum eventually)
Below is an image of what I am seeing. It is noticeable where it cut the tabs. The router was going around clockwise, and it pulls in the same direction any time the router is plunging, so you can see it on the piece to the right of the tabs at the top, and on the waste part to the left of the tabs on the bottom. I think tomorrow I will try taping the wood down instead of clamping it, and then cutting it with no tabs.
Thanks in advance for any assistance!
My first issue was with what I later learned to be called tramming. I was getting a pretty deep "step" pattern when trying to flatten a waste board. I watched a bunch of youtube videos, and also contacted support. I was told that for this machine it is normal, there is no way to adjust it, and that I could use pieces foil to shim between the router cradle and the router mount (hopefully I am getting the terminology right). I ended up with a big ridiculous blob of foil and a router mount that was bending all over the place and I switched to just putting washers on the bolts between the cradle and the mount. I was also told that I could adjust the actual bed if I needed, but when I loosened it, it didn't have nearly enough play to get it even close, so I just went back to using washers. It is better now, but I don't know that I'd even call it "good enough"..... it is still visually off just using a 1-2-3 block, and nowhere near close enough to even think about switching to one of the tramming jigs I saw other people making. I am still not sure if this is really normal, or if I just failed to describe just how far off it is to support (I did send pictures).
So after making those adjustments, I tried cutting a simple tray to see if it was any better. The lines in the bottom of the piece from the bit not being perpendicular were noticeably better, but I could still see them (at least I can probably sand them out now? before even just across the width of a 1/4" bit they were pretty deep). Another issue that I had been having was now worse though. It seems like every time the router plunges down, it pulls toward the front of the machine or something? I originally thought maybe it was just from the bit being tilted, but it doesn't do it when it lifts up, and also I think then it would be leaving ridges on the walls as well, which it isn't.
At this point I'm really not sure what to do, I've had so many problems and there doesn't seem to be any way to make ANY adjustments on this machine. It works fine for vcarving text into things and stuff like that, but my main interest was getting into cutting out precise parts (fitted boxes for specific items, small puzzles and game pieces, and things like that... maybe even trying aluminum eventually)
Below is an image of what I am seeing. It is noticeable where it cut the tabs. The router was going around clockwise, and it pulls in the same direction any time the router is plunging, so you can see it on the piece to the right of the tabs at the top, and on the waste part to the left of the tabs on the bottom. I think tomorrow I will try taping the wood down instead of clamping it, and then cutting it with no tabs.
Thanks in advance for any assistance!