Makercam to Mach3 Pocketing question/issues

CAD/CAM Software Tips
1

Hi guys!
So I’ve been getting to know my way around my 6040 cnc the last few months. I’ve done a lot of engraving but hardly any pocketing…for a few reasons. I haven’t had a chance to address this till now and I can’t seem to find the answer.

So, I’ll create a font through Jasc (a photoshop type program), use Inkscape to make my svg and then makercam to make my gcode and end at Mach3. So all is perfect when I create just the outline of my font. No problems at all! When it comes to the pocket, makercam makes the gcode just fine, but once Mach3 runs it, it’s nuts!

Ok, for example, when it starts to pocket, it literally will jump around from one letter to another, without even completing the first letter. Then go back eventually to pocket MOST of it. When it jumps around, it will choose a random letter here, then go all the way down to the bottom and pocket, then come back up. There is no structure to the way it pockets. I’ll have to post a video if you need to see wackiness. It takes forever to pocket when it jumps randomly like that.

Another thing I noticed is that no matter the size of the drill bit I enter into makercam, Mach3 refuses to pocket the entire letter. It seems almost like it feels the bit is too large and stops short from pocketing the rest of a letter. It does this with large to small font. Doesn’t matter the size, it stops short of pocketing entirely.

It also sounds like it’s torquing the hell outa my machine. It sounds like a lot of strain compared to just the outline it does. Because of this, it throws my x, y and z off kilter by anywhere from 2mm to 40mm. Pocketing with my machine, using this software has proved to be impossible!

If anyone has ANY experience with these issues, please please help a gal out! My busy season is beginning and I’m preparing for my horror conventions so this machine has to pocket starting now. It’s stupid for me to only get a carved outline and that’s all from this thing. It’s still leaving me to use my Dremel to pocket. That’s absurd!

So, any help would be greatly appreciated!

2

makercam might not be what you want to use for that.
i think jscut has more control over order of operations, otherwise it’s on to something like fusion 360 or another full featured CAM.

1 Like
3

Ok, so I have some validation that I’m not crazy nor did anything wrong. It’s the program itself. That’s easy to fix, I’ll check out those 2 you mentioned. Thank you!

4

I’ve been using makercam and wanted a little more features and just started using jscut. I’m getting some odd gcode output from jscut that makercam does not do. I’m wanting to make a puzzle map of the US and I’m learning how to draw the map. I’m using Inkscape to trace state borders on a google map with freehand lines. In this example I started at the NW corner of CA and stopped at the SW corner of NV (click mouse button, draw one line, release mouse button).

In makercam:
Makercam does exactly what I expect by starting and stopping exactly where I started the freehand line. I’m wanting to cut out each state so I selected the “follow path operation” with the following settings:

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image.png702×353 25.9 KB

State_Test1.nc (45.5 KB)

The gcode looks good in ncviewer.com; 1687 lines:

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image.png1564×772 308 KB

In jscut:
It makes a line directly through the work piece before even creating an operation. I tried to duplicate the settings but maybe I’m doing something wrong.

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State_Test1.gcode (65.0 KB)

This gcode is 2737 lines (compared to 1687 in makercam). Once it gets to the bottom corner of CA and NV, it jumps all the way back to the beginning (NW corner of CA), goes down the coast a bit then jumps over to the NW corner of NV.

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Stat

What is going on with this?