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Okay the veterans will think this is stupid…but we are all new once.
I don’t have anything special to set home. I have found that after a carve easel returns to x0 y0 but not z0 which seems to stay at the retract height. So I have to somehow calculate and set the z axis before the next cut…which is never perfect.
Also I would like to be able to verify a position of a pocket before carving.
I have several paths I need to run and I’m afraid to change bits…but somehow they never align properly. I’m so sick of this…I have to run each path > 7 hours only to find that the next tool path is slightly off.
If all I have to go off is x/y I’m screwed.
In addition why is the simulator view not synced to the cutting position? Kind of useless isn’t it?
I’m not getting the finer details of pulling together a project.
Have you set your machine to $1=255 in machine settings? this will keep power to your stepper motors during a bit change so you cant move the carriage and lose your position.
In addition to what Steve mention, also make sure dip switch #4 for each axis is =OFF.
(#4 govern Idle Current Reduction, located on the red switch blocks inside the Xcontroller housing)
Open Easel - Machine Inspector - locate Console window:
Type $1=255 and press Enter
To list the current $-values simply write in Console $$ and press Enter
Thanks HaldorLonningdal i’ll do that tomorrow.
Had a project that didnt go as expected. I think because the XY moved on the finishing stage every so slightly.
I certainly appreciate the helpful tips!!! Ty all.
I know easel allows a feed rate increase up to 200%…but is there anyway to go higher? My situation is that something is limiting the feed rate in my Gcode. It is running at 400, but I have tested it up to 1200, then backed it off to 1100 and done several successful carves. But when I’m doing my guitar body it is painfully slow. It took 7+ hours to do an adaptive clearing pass. But since I can’t send a command after I start I’m stuck at 400.
I’m installing the homing switches tonight, and I have a z probe.
So after I do the machine homing, I would use that as work homing as well?
Have you considered a Triquetra 3 axis touch plate to set your X Y Z axis zero position all at once? I’ll tell you up front that I make and sell them so yes, there is some bias here so don’t take my word for it. Search this forum and some of the Facebook user groups for the X Carve. If you aren’t familiar with it, what it does is probe a touch plate to locate the corner where your three axis meet, That set of coordinates are stored and remain intact. When you have a bit change mid project, all you need to do is reset your Z axis height which can easily be done with the Triquetra as well. If you accidentally loose your X Y location during a bit change or just stop for the night, or a week, you can use the Triquetra to re-establish the exact same X Y Z zero and resume your next tool path with confidence that All three axis will be set just as they were on the first tool path, Even if you move your work piece to a different location on your waste board.
One thing that I didn’t see addressed in your original post was about the Z axis not returning to zero with the X and Y axis. This is perfectly normal. You Z zero location is still in set. If you were to run a different tool path without changing anything at all using the same bit you would find that your Z axis will still be correct. When you change a bit between tool paths, your X and Y will still be valid as long as you don’t move the gantry with brute force. Jogging the gantry is perfectly fine though. It won’t cause your X or Y to be lost. Your machine is smart enough to know where it is at all times except when you move it by hand. Changing a bit for a second tool path is not something the machine can figure out. It is likely that the length of the bit will be different which invalidates your Z zero position. As you have discovered already, getting your Z axis back to the exact same location is very difficult. That is where the touch plate comes in. It can quickly and easily restore your Z axis height by probing a touch plate. With a touch plate, the tip of your bit will always be set the same relative to the height of your material. With a three axis touch plate, all three axis will find the work zero position and it is absolutely repeatable, meaning that it will always find the corner for you.
Okay let’s say I stop the process to modify the feed rate in the gcode but I am an hour in. Is there anyway to do this continuing where I left off…so I don’t need to run the whole file again
Easel dont allow one to edit gcode, but you could draw a shape over the already carved parts and set depth = 0 for that area. Easel will then ignore the shaded part.
The only other way is to edit the gcode manually, by removing the already carved part of the code. Care need to be taken, especially for Z.
