Need help with Virtual zero

[misterx]

Hi, I have been using virtual zero for a while now and it's been doing real good. Well just a few cuts ago, I'll run the program and it will go to all four corners then the middle, and I take it away. When I select run file it starts and turns on the router then it goes down into the piece just a little bit before it starts to do all my set cuts. It was working fine and I didn't change the preference's for the thickness on the touch plate. So far I've only tried it with one bit a .25" endmill. I am going to try it with a differant bit in some scrap wood to see if it still does it with that bit. Has anyone else had this problem? Thanks Tim

[misterx]

Well I tried a smaller straight bit .125" and the same thing. Can anyone help me or tell me who to contact about this Thanks Tim

[4DThinker]

In the control panel, look for a setting for the thickness of the touch plate. Change/reduce it by 1/128 or so, or by how deep the divots are if you can measure them accurately.

[misterx]

Thanks 4DThinker, I set the touch plate thickness to .361 and tried it two times and no divot. I put it to 0.0.0 and could slip a piece of thin plastic, 400 thousands" under it. That won't affect the virtual measurements will it? I would think it would just be the same as before just .0130 diference all the way around the piece. I was always using the virtual zero because my bed is off level just a bit, and didn't want to run some stuff without it. Thanks again

[4DThinker]

The calculations don't really care if your plate value is accurate, they just assume it is the same thickness for all the collection points. The amount it warps the G-Code to match your actual plane should be the same. Try a few cuts with similar-depth pockets scattered around the cutting area and when done measure them to see if they are all the same depth.

I'll warn you though, that the amount of flex there is in the Shark gantry and router mount means you still may get uneven depths for something as simple as the direction the bit runs. Upcut bits will pull the cut down and downcut bits will lift it up as they go forward. You will get more difference in the Y direction than in the X direction. That has been my experience using an older Shark Pro and a newer HD 2.0.