Letters shifted in design

[TK@BullseyeGSD]

I ran this simple VCarve file and the letters "ORC" in "Motorcycle" shifted. You can also see where it started to change direction on the "Y" as well. I'm 99% sure the work piece did not move on the table...especially that much. Please disregard the centers that are missing. My fault for not gluing them down properly. My question is what could cause this shift. Is it in the artwork? File transfers? I design in CorelDraw, import into VCarve Pro, download the tap file into a zip drive, and load the tap file into a laptop in the garage. Also, the laptop that the control panel is running off of powered down for a short time. I thought I had all of the power saver options switched to "never" but I did not. Don't know if that would have anything to do with it. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks-

Troy

[Wolffie1]

A couple of thing are possible.
Could the router have hit something that moved the 0 positions?
It has happened to me a couple of times that something got in the way of the movement of the router and, whilst the router was stationary, the counter kept going and shifter the zero position.
Sometimes I have also had a hiccup in the control panel and the zero position has shifted.
If it happens again, try sending the router to XYZ0 and see whether it has shifted.
I know that is meagre comfort when a piece has been ruined but, unfortunatey, bad things happen sometimes.
Were you watching the machine whilst it was carving?
The model is loaded into the card in the control box and run from there, so If the powersaver kicked in, the program would have stopped displaying on the line where the power was lost and, possibly, restarted when the power came back but it would not have shifted the router.
If the preview was right, then it is not in the program.
Hope this helps
Wolffie

[jeb2cav]

Hi Troy,

It could be a couple of things - but before you get to the 'Shark part' - did you see this in the preview from VCarve Pro (this uneven edge on the word motorcycle)?

The laptop powering down would not cause this for what it's worth. Once the file is loaded, the control box is the part of the system 'driving' the Shark. The laptop is getting updates so to speak and posting that on the control panel. If you ever get into this again - as long as it is cutting as desired, you can choose to let it finish and it should be fine.

As I don't have the VCarve Pro project to look at - if the 'ORCY' were last to be carved, then the only thing to add to the previous post is
- Have you lubricated the lead screws on all three axis lately?
- You may have a somewhat loose coupler screw (motor axis to lead screw coupler) along that axis.

[4DThinker]

I've had a few occasions where without realizing it I accidentally moved a shape or vector within a drawing while processing it. Invariably I would see the error in the cut, and then find exactly where I'd screwed up back in the drawing. I keep VCarve on the same PC I run my Shark from, and typically leave it open on the file I'm cutting while it cuts. There errors, then, are quickly found and fixed and made into a fresh TAP file to try again. The letters that are out of place look like they may have moved one arrow keypress out of line before you saved the TAP file.

That's all I've got. The error is either a mechanical slip or a flaw in the drawing. If the part was at the bottom edge of your cut area then those letters may be "out of bounds" and as such reset the Shark's Y value when it started to cut them. Make me think they were the last to be cut as well.

[BillK]

It looks like you hit the axis limit at 1 which caused the shift to take place and carve the rest of the Y letter at 2 higher then the other letters at the adjusted coordinates. When the limit is reached, there is no further axial movement but since the stepper continues to turn the controller "thinks" it's at the correct coordinates. When the machine moves off the limit, zero is reset in the axis the limit was hit in.

[TK@BullseyeGSD]

Hey guys-

First I just want to say thank you for the time you took to help me out. I really appreciate it.

To make a long story short, this was the very first router file I have ever run at any level so I am very green! Still trying to figure everything out so it's nice to know there are people out there willing to help a rookie out.

Bill was definitely right. I had my work piece to far to the front of the table. Thank you so much Bill! I placed the routed work piece back on the table on it's original spot and ran the router out to it's furthest point and voila! Problem solved. I'm sure I'll have more.


Again, thanks Wollfie, Jeb, Joe, and Bill.

Troy

[Eagle55]

BTW Troy, what kind of material is that?

Roger

[TK@BullseyeGSD]

Roger-

It is 1" MDF with 1/8" aluminum laminated on top. I glued the aluminum to the MDF with Lord adhesive. The centers on the letters flew out because I didn't spread the glue evenly. I wasn't planning on routing this piece. It was meant for a totally different project and never got used.

Troy

[TK@BullseyeGSD]

4D Thinker-

You pointed it out as well about the letters being out of bounds. I was in a hurry writing a reply and forgot to thank you as well. My apologies.

Troy