CNC Shark Forum

Do you have an old gcode file you could test with? You don't have to actually cut anything, just run it and see what happens. That would allow you to rule out the gcode and vcarve immediately, then we can focus on the control panel and hardware.

I've had this occur in two situations: 1) I didn't secure the bit in the router's collet tightly. This can go either way--sometimes it ends up too high, not making contact with the piece, and sometimes the rotation pulls the but out farther, destroying the work piece rather than traveling above it. ...

edowney wrote:if I try to tell it to go above 1" it complains

Can you elaborate on this? What's doing the complaining, VCarve or Control Panel?

For those interested, here is a modified post-processor file that uses 0.002" precision rather than 0.01" precision. In all other aspects, it's identical to the arc-inch post processor. Be sure to check this and any post processor file before using it. Just because it works for me doesn't mean it's ...

Rando wrote:The values in the CNCShark-USB files is either 0.1 (3dcontour) or 0.01 (Arcs).

Yikes. I had forgotten what the actual values were. I think I'll create a third file to use when accuracy matter a lot (e.g., when I'm cutting all the clock gears I just finished cutting ).

Aspire/VCarve will allow you to create your own bits, so I suppose the smallest bit size is 0.001". I've used it successfully with bits as small as 0.8mm (0.031"), but there's no reason you couldn't specify smaller if you needed to.

Bob, how did you get started with demoing units? Do you work for Rockler? It sounds fun. :) I can see this being a common question. For me, securing down the material has always been the most difficult part of using the CNC machine once you have a design. It's not the same solution every time, eithe...

I saw a video on youtube where this guy puts down a strip of masking tape on the spoil board, and and a strip under the work piece, puts glue on one side, and glue activator on the other, and presses them together... The work piece doesn't move at all and when you're down, you just pry the board an...

Does the router start up when you plug it into a standard outlet, rather than the control panel? If not, you have a router problem, of course, and maybe need to replace the brushes. If it does start up in a standard outlet, you have either a control panel problem or a G-code problem. Open the .tap g...

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