New User
Moderators: al wolford, sbk, Bob, Kayvon
New User
I received my Shark Piranha last week and went through some of the videos from Vectric Cut2D. I created a simple program to surface my scrap MDF board (setup shown in photo) This is the first time running the machine. The scrap board is 12" x 13" and I'm running in the air with the router off. I noticed that the x- (left) axis motor made a noise just at the transition from x to y in the pocket. This didn't happen when it started in the center of the board. I also noticed ,when zeroing the z to get tool zero there would be a slight drop in the stage. I can take the z stage and move it up and down about 1/4" . Is that normal? The only other test I made was to manually run the x, y and z stages from the pendent to make sure they worked. Do you have any ideas? I have a video of it doing this but it is 17mb and it may be too large to upload.
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- Piranha setup
Re: New User
My first guess is that you are trying to cut outside of the machining area.
Did you try to carefully jog to the XYZ limits just to see where your cutting area actually is. (It won't match the actual table area.)
You only have about 3" of Z travel available. When you add the spoil board and the cutting bit there's not much room left.
Bob
Did you try to carefully jog to the XYZ limits just to see where your cutting area actually is. (It won't match the actual table area.)
You only have about 3" of Z travel available. When you add the spoil board and the cutting bit there's not much room left.
Bob
"Focus"
Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek (Developer of the microscope.)
Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek (Developer of the microscope.)
Re: New User
I checked the coupler set screws and they were loose. I then tried to move the Z stage and there was no play.
In fact I started going around to the stepper motor screws(x and y) and some of them were loose (only about a quarter of a turn). That solves the problem with the Z but I still don't know what is causing the x stage to "chatter" like when you hit it's limit. I guess I'll run it in the air again and see if it happens again.
How do you set your router in the holder? I set my router to clear the table with a 1/4" end mill installed which is 1-3/4" cutter length. But if I put a smaller cutter, let's say, 3/4" cutter length , I can't reach the table. The book says 1-1/2" from the bottom of the clamp, that looks high?
I created a probe to get the Z on the machine. I have attached a picture of it if anyone is interested in building one. I built it from parts laying around in my shop. How it works is that there are two wires one attached to a magnetic disk , the other to a brass plate. I measure the thickness of the plate, in this case .032. First check continuity with probe by touch it with the plate. Then slowly bring the Z stage down until the jumbo led lights. Then I zero the machine Z axis. Bring the Z up to release plate, then enter -.032 then hit "move" then zero again. It will give you a very accurate Z dimension. I plan on cutting printed circuit boards and to get good results, the boards must be flat and the Z very accurate because the traces are only a few thousandths.
In fact I started going around to the stepper motor screws(x and y) and some of them were loose (only about a quarter of a turn). That solves the problem with the Z but I still don't know what is causing the x stage to "chatter" like when you hit it's limit. I guess I'll run it in the air again and see if it happens again.
How do you set your router in the holder? I set my router to clear the table with a 1/4" end mill installed which is 1-3/4" cutter length. But if I put a smaller cutter, let's say, 3/4" cutter length , I can't reach the table. The book says 1-1/2" from the bottom of the clamp, that looks high?
I created a probe to get the Z on the machine. I have attached a picture of it if anyone is interested in building one. I built it from parts laying around in my shop. How it works is that there are two wires one attached to a magnetic disk , the other to a brass plate. I measure the thickness of the plate, in this case .032. First check continuity with probe by touch it with the plate. Then slowly bring the Z stage down until the jumbo led lights. Then I zero the machine Z axis. Bring the Z up to release plate, then enter -.032 then hit "move" then zero again. It will give you a very accurate Z dimension. I plan on cutting printed circuit boards and to get good results, the boards must be flat and the Z very accurate because the traces are only a few thousandths.
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Re: New User
When you say but I still don't know what is causing the x stage to "chatter" like when you hit it's limit. I guess I'll run it in the air again and see if it happens again. DO NOT hit the limit, that is what is causing you to lose your reference.
Tony
Tony
Buffalo,NY
"What will matter is not what you bought but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave”
Aspire 11.015, photo vcarve, cnc mako shark extended bed with the new upgraded HD 5 gantry with Led pendent.
"What will matter is not what you bought but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave”
Aspire 11.015, photo vcarve, cnc mako shark extended bed with the new upgraded HD 5 gantry with Led pendent.
Re: New User
Icorig,
It is hard to tell from your post if you are near the x limit when it chatters. If so you probably just exceeded machine limits and need to avoid that. If you are not near the x limit when it happens could you paraphrase your description of exactly when it happens to help people on the forum understand better what circumstance it is occurring in?
thanks, Mike
It is hard to tell from your post if you are near the x limit when it chatters. If so you probably just exceeded machine limits and need to avoid that. If you are not near the x limit when it happens could you paraphrase your description of exactly when it happens to help people on the forum understand better what circumstance it is occurring in?
thanks, Mike
Re: New User
I went into Cut2D and checked the tool path and I noticed the "jog" at intersection of X and Y movement (picture). I enclosed the screen from the pocket tool path. Why is it doing that? I changed the tool path to "Raster" and viewed it again. It looks better but I haven't run it yet on the machine. I guess I don't understand what the difference is in the Offset vs. Raster. The operation and tooling are definitely my weakness and that's why I'm here.
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joethegasman
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- Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2014 8:06 pm
Re: New User
As I understand it, And I am recent new piranha owner as well, offset is where the tool is moved in a circular fashion "offsetting" to one side of the previous path.
Raster travels back and forth in a diagonal line from one corner of the work piece to the other.
I too have hit the end of travel in each axis , and heard the chatter. It does throw your 0's off. limit switches would have been a nice feature. I wonder if one could install them on a piranha? Hmmm.
I dont know if hitting the end of travel and having the motor chatter is doing any harm to the machine? It's really difficult to move to the end of travel without chattering the motors.
Raster travels back and forth in a diagonal line from one corner of the work piece to the other.
I too have hit the end of travel in each axis , and heard the chatter. It does throw your 0's off. limit switches would have been a nice feature. I wonder if one could install them on a piranha? Hmmm.
I dont know if hitting the end of travel and having the motor chatter is doing any harm to the machine? It's really difficult to move to the end of travel without chattering the motors.
Last edited by joethegasman on Fri Jan 23, 2015 8:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: New User
Are you zeroing the x and y from the center of the cutting area or from one of the corners? I usually use the center as my starting point for most of my projects because it's easy to find center and the tool, if you set things up correctly, never runs into a clamp.
That said, if you're using the center of the bed, make sure you're in the exact center. Jog the router to he far left or right, front and back of the bed and look at your readings on the computer screen. Once you jog it all the way from one side, zero the, for example, x and run the router to the other side of x. Your new reading will be the total length of x. Split that number in half, run the router back to that number and that's the center of your bed. Do the same with y. If you are off by not to much, you will come to the end of the x or y and you'll get the chatter you heard. After you make sure your set up the x and y reference correctly, make sure your toolpath doesn't exceed the x and y limits. You shouldn't get any chatter when you run the cut program.
That said, if you're using the center of the bed, make sure you're in the exact center. Jog the router to he far left or right, front and back of the bed and look at your readings on the computer screen. Once you jog it all the way from one side, zero the, for example, x and run the router to the other side of x. Your new reading will be the total length of x. Split that number in half, run the router back to that number and that's the center of your bed. Do the same with y. If you are off by not to much, you will come to the end of the x or y and you'll get the chatter you heard. After you make sure your set up the x and y reference correctly, make sure your toolpath doesn't exceed the x and y limits. You shouldn't get any chatter when you run the cut program.
Rick
Re: New User
I'm a beginner at this, so I could obviously be wrong, but the jog the original poster is showing us looks odd, yet is in the software preview, so it couldn't be a machine problem. Could a more experienced poster comment on whether the preview posted looks normal or not?
thanks, Mike
thanks, Mike
Re: New User
Hi restina
I'm zeroing the tool from the lower left corner using a 3/8" cutter in the router. I'm not too interested in getting an exact edge because I'm just facing my scrap stock (so if it leaves a slight edge it's okay) and because the material is only 11" wide, I'm within the max cutting area. The 13" dimension is at the max area so that jog would definitely go beyond that. But I did notice that when determining the max X Y Z, I noticed that , for instance, when locating the max z- (with a 1/4" end mill above the aluminum bed) the edge of my tool was inside the bed and when checking max z+, the tool edge was "outside the bed. To make matters more confusing , in Z- (towards you), the tool is 2"outside the table. I read on the forum this is for adding extra stock for cutting. I "kind of" understand this but can't get my mind around it yet. I know this CNC 101 but I hope some more experience user could help me(us) out. I still haven't cut any stock yet. I'm afraid I'll have a flashback to the "old days" when, if you made a programming mistake and the machinist didn't pick it up... well when a 25 horsepower lathe crashes a tool into the part...the "whole machine shop knows about it"!!
I'm zeroing the tool from the lower left corner using a 3/8" cutter in the router. I'm not too interested in getting an exact edge because I'm just facing my scrap stock (so if it leaves a slight edge it's okay) and because the material is only 11" wide, I'm within the max cutting area. The 13" dimension is at the max area so that jog would definitely go beyond that. But I did notice that when determining the max X Y Z, I noticed that , for instance, when locating the max z- (with a 1/4" end mill above the aluminum bed) the edge of my tool was inside the bed and when checking max z+, the tool edge was "outside the bed. To make matters more confusing , in Z- (towards you), the tool is 2"outside the table. I read on the forum this is for adding extra stock for cutting. I "kind of" understand this but can't get my mind around it yet. I know this CNC 101 but I hope some more experience user could help me(us) out. I still haven't cut any stock yet. I'm afraid I'll have a flashback to the "old days" when, if you made a programming mistake and the machinist didn't pick it up... well when a 25 horsepower lathe crashes a tool into the part...the "whole machine shop knows about it"!!