Yes that is the box, so good not just me. ok bad news, we were 94% there and then the piece got destroyed! I stopped it…let me reset home to center and see if the bit retracts out them will explain what happened…
Here are some pics. We have what look to be tabs… it got to the top left, then came down fr there at full depth where it was hunking off the left side of the square. Then, I set home back to center. Went to move home with hopes the Z axis would retract to safe travel height…it did not, stuck out maybe 1/2 inch. I slipped finger under left side of sled to let it return to center with the bit down (router off). It got to center, retracted a little more but bit is still visible about 1/4 inch past the bottom of sled. Uhg I don’t know what is going on this is crazy!!
its almost like it is done with 4 passes (i think 4), and then SHOULD raise the bit up to safe travel height for the 5th, and it is losing track at some point where the Z axis really is (at a depth). Thinking it is returned to safe travel height, then moving to what it thinks as Home or 0,0. I think in the preview the entry goes slight up at angle to that top left corner…so thinking it wants to return same path. Now one more thing to note which may tell us something, you noticed the little nip taken off of left corner? Each part I made is doing that. They first few passes good, then when deep enough its like it forgets what safe travel height is…pauses for like 10 seconds like it wants to raise the bit high enough to NOT take off that mini nip from upper left corner…it doesn’t rise, then cuts across to just above the left corner (you can see that gap in the estlcan Engrave when it sets up path in yellow or red)…then it goes on to cut again. I think that is a problem, like Z is forgetting where it is after about 4 passes
You can see it here if pan in, left square wad yesterday, right square today. Almost identical in its destruction. Now the one yesterday didn’t cut deep enough to make the tabs before she destroyed the part, yet today the tabs were cut. You can also see the little nip on the left corner of both. Now I would say MAYBE we are wrong on the math, the Z axis is not set with correct encoder number of 600. BUT I used the same numbers yesterday for the Z as I did today, so why is today it’s accurate enough to cut tabs BEFORE destroying part, but yesterday and the other cuts it never made it to? The setting for the Z are exactly the same. Going to check to make absolutely certain now. Also I didn’t nothing more to loosen or line up that router in base…Apples to apples per say, but different depths on the Z cuts before destruction? Makes no sense right?
This actualy looks a lot better than before.
I have an idea for an experiment if you are willing to try it.
Whenever i trying something new and I get a weird cut or things go squirley I will run the program but with the router removed form the sled. Just an empty sled. This removes some major variables from the process and helpd to isolate the problems. I cna watch and make sure the left and right motors will move the sled in the correct pattern and I can watch the Z axis move in response as well. I dont have to worry about the router getting hung up or plunging eraticaly or otherwise causing me problems.
I agree, right it has tabs this time which is a new plus! Yes will to try anything 
absolutely, good idea! So run this part with no bit, and see if comes down at angle in the end and then stops right? To see if its trying to return to home?
or remove the router as well?
Ok, then take the router out of the router base on the sled.
move the sled to a clean (no cuts) section of your workpiece
Re-run your program
Watch for two things:
-
Make sure the sled is moving in what looks like the correct pattern to make your outer contour cuts
-
Watch the z axis and verify it is actualy moving in or our correctly in relation to your G-Code
-
Pay attention to when the sled gets to the point of the cut where it ran into problems before. If it happens again then we know its not hte Z axis plunging in thats doing it.
Also before I forget as I think you and Orob and dlang may want more info in this, this is the attachment was referring to for the tape. Looks like maybe just reverse a pencil in it and plug hole maybe to measure for Holey. It’s meant for a pencil to draw like cutting drywall when hold thumb on it and run down edge…check it out…
Can you post your gcode that you are using to make this square?
ok you got it, great idea!! Removing now and will run. give me a few to run it…
yes, here you go…
(Project Part 1 test square v8)
(Created by Estlcam version 11 build 11.224)
(Machining time about 00:05:35 hours)
(Required tools:)
(Downcut 1/4)
G21
G90
G94
M03 S10000
G00 X0.0000 Y0.0000 Z2.9997
(No. 1: Engraving 1)
G00 Y104.7750
G00 Z0.5000
G01 Z0.0000 F900 S10000
G01 Z-3.1750
G01 X42.6212 F550
G01 X58.9788
G01 X101.6000
G02 X104.7750 Y101.6000 I0.0000 J-3.1750
G01 Y58.9788
G01 Y42.6212
G01 Y0.0000
G02 X101.6000 Y-3.1750 I-3.1750 J0.0000
G01 X58.9788
G01 X42.6212
G01 X0.0000
G02 X-3.1750 Y0.0000 I0.0000 J3.1750
G01 Y42.6212
G01 Y58.9788
G01 Y101.6000
G00 Z2.9997
G00 X0.0000 Y104.7750
G00 Z-2.6750
G01 Z-3.1750 F900
G01 Z-6.3500
G01 X42.6212 F550
G01 X58.9788
G01 X101.6000
G02 X104.7750 Y101.6000 I0.0000 J-3.1750
G01 Y58.9788
G01 Y42.6212
G01 Y0.0000
G02 X101.6000 Y-3.1750 I-3.1750 J0.0000
G01 X58.9788
G01 X42.6212
G01 X0.0000
G02 X-3.1750 Y0.0000 I0.0000 J3.1750
G01 Y42.6212
G01 Y58.9788
G01 Y101.6000
G00 Z2.9997
G00 X0.0000 Y104.7750
G00 Z-5.8500
G01 Z-6.3500 F900
G01 Z-9.5250
G01 X42.6212 F550
G01 X58.9788
G01 X101.6000
G02 X104.7750 Y101.6000 I0.0000 J-3.1750
G01 Y58.9788
G01 Y42.6212
G01 Y0.0000
G02 X101.6000 Y-3.1750 I-3.1750 J0.0000
G01 X58.9788
G01 X42.6212
G01 X0.0000
G02 X-3.1750 Y0.0000 I0.0000 J3.1750
G01 Y42.6212
G01 Y58.9788
G01 Y101.6000
G00 Z2.9997
G00 X0.0000 Y104.7750
G00 Z-9.0250
G01 Z-9.5250 F900
G01 Z-12.7000
G01 X42.6212 F550
G01 X58.9788
G01 X101.6000
G02 X104.7750 Y101.6000 I0.0000 J-3.1750
G01 Y58.9788
G01 Y42.6212
G01 Y0.0000
G02 X101.6000 Y-3.1750 I-3.1750 J0.0000
G01 X58.9788
G01 X42.6212
G01 X0.0000
G02 X-3.1750 Y0.0000 I0.0000 J3.1750
G01 Y42.6212
G01 Y58.9788
G01 Y101.6000
G00 Z2.9997
G00 X0.0000 Y104.7750
G00 Z-12.2000
G01 Z-12.7000 F900
G01 Z-15.8750
G01 X42.6212 F550
G01 X58.9788
G01 X101.6000
G02 X104.7750 Y101.6000 I0.0000 J-3.1750
G01 Y58.9788
G01 Y42.6212
G01 Y0.0000
G02 X101.6000 Y-3.1750 I-3.1750 J0.0000
G01 X58.9788
G01 X42.6212
G01 X0.0000
G02 X-3.1750 Y0.0000 I0.0000 J3.1750
G01 Y42.6212
G01 Y58.9788
G01 Y101.6000
G00 Z2.9997
G00 X0.0000 Y104.7750
G00 Z-15.3750
G01 Z-15.8750 F900
G01 Z-19.0500
G01 X42.6212 F550
G00 Z-17.5514
G01 X58.9788
G01 Z-15.8750 F900
G01 Z-19.0500
G01 X101.6000 F550
G02 X104.7750 Y101.6000 I0.0000 J-3.1750
G01 Y58.9788
G00 Z-17.5514
G01 Y42.6212
G01 Z-15.8750 F900
G01 Z-19.0500
G01 Y0.0000 F550
G02 X101.6000 Y-3.1750 I-3.1750 J0.0000
G01 X58.9788
G00 Z-17.5514
G01 X42.6212
G01 Z-15.8750 F900
G01 Z-19.0500
G01 X0.0000 F550
G02 X-3.1750 Y0.0000 I0.0000 J3.1750
G01 Y42.6212
G00 Z-17.5514
G01 Y58.9788
G01 Z-15.8750 F900
G01 Z-19.0500
G01 Y101.6000 F550
G00 Z2.9997
G00 X0.0000 Y104.7750
G00 Z-18.5500
G01 Z-19.0500 F900
G01 Z-19.5580
G01 X42.6212 F550
G00 Z-17.5514
G01 X58.9788
G00 Z-18.5500
G01 Z-19.0500 F900
G01 Z-19.5580
G01 X101.6000 F550
G02 X104.7750 Y101.6000 I0.0000 J-3.1750
G01 Y58.9788
G00 Z-17.5514
G01 Y42.6212
G00 Z-18.5500
G01 Z-19.0500 F900
G01 Z-19.5580
G01 Y0.0000 F550
G02 X101.6000 Y-3.1750 I-3.1750 J0.0000
G01 X58.9788
G00 Z-17.5514
G01 X42.6212
G00 Z-18.5500
G01 Z-19.0500 F900
G01 Z-19.5580
G01 X0.0000 F550
G02 X-3.1750 Y0.0000 I0.0000 J3.1750
G01 Y42.6212
G00 Z-17.5514
G01 Y58.9788
G00 Z-18.5500
G01 Z-19.0500 F900
G01 Z-19.5580
G01 Y101.6000 F550
G00 Z2.9997
G00 X0.0000 Y0.0000
M05
M30
Again, you want to watch the sled when it get to the points where the cut veered off on the last attempt. See if the sled veers off again. If it does, its not a Z-axis problem. If it doesn’t, its probably a Z-Axis problem.
sure thing…I think the veering, may be it trying to return to the home position for the cut…going to cut in a sec, but wanted you to see this quick…one sec, let me get a screen shot…
So I think it’s trying to return to home for that cut, but the Z is not raised to safe travel height. And it’s funny after 4 passes or so the router won’t rise over that left corner and clip it just a touch…before going over to the start of next path run, BUT knows enough to go down enough to now not bury itself…like it leaves that thin tab…you know I mean? So I think Z, and we will see what happens with this test, running now
