Ok, Her is one for all of the pros out there. I have just gotten into the cnc hobbie. I have a JGRO design and trial version of Mach 3 and trial version of Cut 2d. Here is the problem. I try out the wingspar in cut 2d. It cuts it out great but it always cuts too deep. I have tried to set it to like 1/16" deep and it still cuts to like 3/8". on the DRO's it shows it is cutting at 1/16". Z & X Axis are great. I have re calibrated the z with the axis calibration in Mach 3 and have all of that set. No matter what depth I put in it always goes it seems like to the same depth. Cut 2d will allow me to change the plunge depth, but it does not change when doing the job. First chips tonight and it was SO COOL.

Thanks for all of your help.

Gerald

Can you post the g-code?

If you are saying that Mach 3 says you are cutting at 0.0625 and you are infact cutting at 0.375 then you would appear to have an offset working - either a tool offset, or a machine offset.

You do not say whether you have fitted home switches - but I will assume you haven't. I do not know Cut2d but you must make sure that you do not put anything in the program that is a tool offset, or length.

Jog your axis to where you want to start your program - i.e.the X0 Y0 Z0 position of the program. This is usually, but not alwyas, the bottom left hand corner of the table, with the cutting tool resting on the workpiece. Check that this is correct for your program

Press the Machine Code button on Mach 3, the surround will light - "RefAllHome" and the Machine Co-ordinates will go to zero. Press the button again, and the surround will go out. The display is now showing Program Co-ordinates - these should be zero - if they are not, zero each one by pressing the zero button at the side of the DRO.

You now have Machine and Program co-ordinates all at zero - i.e. there are no offsets on your machine, and if you check Config/Fixtures the table should be clear. Check, while in there, the tool table - this should be clear as well.

If you jog your cutter clear of the work, and press cycle start, it should now cut at the correct depth. If it does not, Cut2d must be putting in some offsets. Stop the machine and check the offsets table and see if anything has altered.







 




 

Check your Cut2D GCode for G50 (reset scale factors) and G20/G21 (units Inch/mm) and correct if necessary.

Hope this helps.

Tweakie.

I have solved this problem. My z axis was locking up and when cut2d was wanting to move up 2.0" before the coming back down to the material. It was only moving up 1.0" and then when it came back down it was off by 3/4". I hope that made since.  Anyway it is solved and on to the next problem.  Here is what it is.


Ok, I have two computers with mach 3 and cut2d, both have of the softwares are trial versions, One is a laptop another is a desktop. This is the problem. When I load one of the trial version files in cut2d and capture the toothpaths and save it as a mach2/3 arch (.txt) file on the laptop it loads into Mach3 perfect When I do the samething on the shop desktop computer It only Loads one letter the "C" from the sample nameplate file "ROCKET" and some of the surrounding area.

Re-save the file in 'notepad' by copying and pasting as a .txt file - see if that becomes more universal to both computers.

Bill C.

Are there any error messages in the ticker at the bottom of the screen when it fails to load?
Hood

No error messages that I can remember, I will look again when I get back to the shop computer. I will run what it grings up in the toolpath window. It is just part of the job?

If it loads a toolpath display then it has run through the code, maybe there is a M30 halfway through your code?
Hood

M30? Please explain, remember Beginner here. When it laods the toolpath it is only part of the toolpath not the whole thing. On the office laptop it loads the whole toolpath... Very weird