Maslow/Easel /Z axis

I am having trouble my new maslow machine Im using easel to generate gcode for gorund control. In easel ive set my material thickness and t depth everything else when it goes to cut the router bit just hovers higher than wood makes the shape and lowers slightly every time by the time it finished the has only about a 1/4 in down instead of 3/4 inch. I have recalibrated my z axis twice and the test cuts seem to work ok is this an easel problem or zaxis problem Ill leave it to the brain trust

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if you are using the Ridgid orange router, probablay a z axis issue. You can zero it before you work on stuff, but if you dont’ have a bungeee over the top it can drift out of percision. And don’t make the bungee too tight or it will strip the plastic piece and can cause a fire. when the router plunges into the wood.

I can try the bungee but its starting to high and working it way down instead starting at the defined zero I set

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Welcome to the Forum @jsegerstr! As a new user it will take a few likes and comments until you can upload a file here, but perhaps you can drop the g-code from easel on a giggle-drive or so and post the link, so we can check.
G-code viewers (online or installed) can give you a graphical view if the z-moves are in the code.

Kind regards, Gero

Intro to Easel.nc (428.4 KB)

heres gcode the file from easel if anyone can help I’m this close to have a fully working machine ugggg

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This does not look like a complete g-code to cut the sled.

The z-moves seem correct. so hardware issue could be involved.
Still check what happened to the hole for the first brick.

G-code viewers exist online and downloadable to verify.
Giggle assists to find the tool to have a visual before cutting.

Quick question when I assembled the temporary sled I didn’t realize I was supposed leave off plastics from bottom of router and installed it on bottom of my board could that lead to my depth problem even after I calibrate it

No need to use Easel, if you have a 0.75 thick plywood, just download this file final_sled.nc then open it up in GroundControl -> set your Z-axis zero-> and click Play, that’s all.

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Still wondering the plastic bottom from the router I installed on temporary could be the problem with not getting right depth

sure if you calibrated with that on its’ going to raise the z axis same amount. about 1/4"

It should not be a problem unless you’re bottoming up the z-axis.
Whatever depth your router bit is at, as soon as you click “Define zero” the machine will start counting encoder pulses as it moves away from that position, so it should be able to return to it when commanded.

Try this

  • Remove the plastic bottom (not needed).
  • Make sure the leadscrew tab can move up/down freely without reaching the ends.
  • Ensure the motor coupler isn’t loose
  • Click on Z-axis (main screen) and lower your bit till touches the wood, then click “define zero”, now move it away (up) an inch and click on “Go to Zero”. It should return to zero.
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is the gcode to this file ok im getting an oval sled ive rechecked my measurements twice and calibration

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Good +:100: for observation, Bahrain .nc forensics has loaded the file to FreeCAD and drawn precise circles over it. The is a doubt on this file.

Next step is to find the highest/lowest-x coordinate and the y. Having those numbers will tell for sure if this sled is thinner then it is tall.

I only figures it out from cutting in wood I got this shape

the bottom circle is from and easel file the other is gcode sled posted

This is not the size of a sled :frowning:
The posted file is inch {G20 specifies Imperial (inch)}
If you manage to cut that in mm, (should not work because the G20 is in the file, could explain the size.
However, the other ring of that file is incorrect. The inner circle looks good and the drilling holes also from a first look. Makerverse approaches a non cutting calibration by measuring for the edges of the sheet.
Would not work well with this file.

Im trying to find a good sled file having a rough time any

I can feel with you. You are going to cut amazing stuff, so maybe you should design your own sled.
F360 seems to have come paid now. Want to try FreeCAD?
https://www.youtube.com/user/sliptonic has so many videos for learning and I’m here to help if something does not work as you want. Check out .svg to CNC i made for a member using FreeCAD.
https://youtu.be/ILhkJRJt17A

@Gero Does freecad hang on you? I’ve tried 0.18 and 0.19 and I do a couple operations and the interface stops responding. Running in windows 10. Not sure why it gets confused and stops responding.

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Have been using it since .16 or so. It crashes, often on the >un-do<, it takes ages to do something and a few other things you need to take care of. There are different ways to do things and some crash.
Having that said, I was always on the >bleeding edge< at some points at >nightly builds<.
For the video i used the FreeCAD0.18.4 that seems stable on Ubuntu.
I use nothing else for my desktop cnc running linux-cnc and do not plan to change that for the Maslow.

Edit: If it is Easel that is responsible for this


Instead of using a radius one line g-code, then i can’t think of it of be recommended.
Hope it has setting to change adding hundreds of g-code lines that are pointless.