Just restarted a job that i couldn't finish on Friday, no problems with accuracy as it's just some cut lettering for a sign but when I did run from here the cutter went down into the material and cut a line htrough the previous lettering!

I have the safe Z setup to -5 and the box checked for machine coardinates so surely it should have gone up to -5 on the machine coardinates?

I've now set it to +5 and checked work coardinates and this worked as expected (5mm above work zero)

I'm using mach 3.042.020 and this has been working fine so I didn't want to get the latest and end up with other problems but perhaps I should get the latest one?

Mind you it doesn't matter now as the computer locked up and lost position so I'm going to have to start from the begining anyway, glad the material is cheap!

Steve

Did you home the machine first? Could be for some reason machine coords were not where you thought they should have been as it had not been homed?

Hood

Hi Hood

No the machine hadn't been homed, this one doesn't have switches as I wanted to keep it simple, but I'd sent it to work zero before shutting down on Friday and I checked it again before starting today.

Which has just made me think, your right. I'd checked the work coordinates were zero but the machine coordinates will have been at the same zero hence the move into the material.
Good thinking Hood, that's that one down to operator error 

Now about to start again after being bothered by customers wanting to collect and PAY for jobs, don't they know their supposed to leave it at least 90 days before bothering with that sort of thing!

Spell checked this time :-)

Steve

Yes I get these kind of customers as well but even worse are the ones I have that stand over me when I am trying to do their work. Its the kind of work I do, I mainly repair fishing boats and these guys are usually waiting for me to finish so they can get back to sea, they are not trying to hurry me on but just that they have no place else to go so they come and stand and wait, bit of a pain especially if I am trying to write code etc but I am used to it now and only make a few cockups

Hood

Oh yes I'm used to them, I'm a sign maker and quite often have to sign write a van with the customer hanging around for a few hours.

I've still not managed to get the router going yet, more customers!
Hopefully now.

Steve

Just restarted a job that i couldn't finish on Friday, no problems with accuracy as it's just some cut lettering for a sign but when I did run from here the cutter went down into the material and cut a line htrough the previous lettering!

I have the safe Z setup to -5 and the box checked for machine coardinates so surely it should have gone up to -5 on the machine coardinates?

I've now set it to +5 and checked work coardinates and this worked as expected (5mm above work zero)

I'm using mach 3.042.020 and this has been working fine so I didn't want to get the latest and end up with other problems but perhaps I should get the latest one?

Mind you it doesn't matter now as the computer locked up and lost position so I'm going to have to start from the begining anyway, glad the material is cheap!

Steve

I'm assuuming this is a router.  If so, it would be conventional for negative values of Z to be into the work, and positive values to be above the work.  So, your -5 SafeZ setting *would* cut into the work.

Regards,
Ray L.

Ray
 -5 in machine coords will be very near the uppermost of the Z Axis as it is likely Bowber is using mm rather than inches.

Hood

Ray
 -5 in machine coords will be very near the uppermost of the Z Axis as it is likely Bowber is using mm rather than inches.

Hood

Hood,

But isn't SafeZ in work coordinates?  That's certainly how it works on mine....  And, since he doesn't have home switches, who knows where machine zero is.

Regards,
Ray L.

You can set it in machine or work or just incremental, up to you which you want.
  I use machine coords as it is a known position for me as  I always home to switches.
 Bowber did say his was in machine coords but as he doesnt have home switches then it is probably not the best and was actually where the problem was. The machine went to the correct position just that the correct position was not where Bowber was expecting it to be.

Hood

Yup, as I said operator error 

My mill has hoe switches so I home that every time, the router though doesn't as I just home it until it hits the stops and back off with a tap on the keys, not recommended on an expensive heavy mill but the router is light weight.

Steve