- This thing is super cool!
- I used estlcam (excellent interface, worth the cost), so naturally my first cut was Tic-Tac-Toe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQw0z3NS5lY.
- I used scrap wood, which I am not sure was ideal. It was very noisy: Unhealthy noise from milling tool
- I am using the Maslow as floor mounted, on a ~250 ft^2 balcony, which is why this is so cool to me.
- I am also planning to mostly cut smaller pieces. I am not sure if this is more challenging or less.
- I didn’t use a vacuum, resulting in a large amount of dust which interfered with the Maslow. The dust got stuck in the cut area, and as more dust was added, it got thicker and eventually became an visible issue. You can easily see it in the pictures. I ended up shaving off the sides to make it look better.
- I calibrated the Maslow on a flat surface (no spoilboard, no board), so the height difference between the calibration and the cutting board was ~2-3". I am not sure how problematic that is.
- Even with the challenges I posed to the Maslow, the result was not bad at all. So I assume after I deal with the set-up it will improve dramatically.
- Software/GUI: It was frustrating that if there is an error, I need to unplug/replug/retract/extend just to allow movement of the maslow. This is also the case for when I am stopping the maslow during cut - the SW freezes and request for unplug.
- I am not sure the homing lasts a restart of the Maslow, so I ended up homing the X/Y/Z axes every time. Can this be avoided?
- the Maslow movement was a bit wobbly when changing direction. I am not sure if this is normal or if this is due to uneven surface of the bottom plate - anything I can do to improve this?
- All in all I am very satisfied and looking forward to improve the outcome.
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Agree with that
Definitely get your dust extraction sorted out. It’s not just keeping things clean in general, but you get cleaner cuts, it helps keeps things a little cooler, helps improve the tools lifespan, and some other stuff I’ve forgotten.
Key thing I kept forgetting was to put the z-axis all the way down (i.e. hit Z-Stop) before doing the calibration
Moshe wrote:
- I calibrated the Maslow on a flat surface (no spoilboard, no board), so the height difference between the calibration and the cutting board was ~2-3". I am not sure how problematic that is.
with that big a difference, you will need to set your Z settings in the
maslow.yaml file (edit the file directly, or edit it through the advanced tab)
David Lang
I am still unsure what is the difference between the Z-Stop and the Z homing buttons.
I found myself having to home the Z axis before each try. Is there a way to have it set in the setting? (assuming I don’t change the router bit).
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The maslow.yaml file currently includes the default parameters (I assume in mm).
Maslow_tlZ: 100
Maslow_trZ: 56
Maslow_blZ: 34
Maslow_brZ: 78
Should I just add ~2" to each parameter?
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Moshe wrote:
The maslow.yaml file currently includes the default parameters (I assume in mm).
Maslow_tlZ: 100
Maslow_trZ: 56
Maslow_blZ: 34
Maslow_brZ: 78Should I just add ~2" to each parameter?
adding 50 (~2") to each of these would get you pretty close. With the values
‘wrong’ due to added thickness, the risk you run into is that the belts would be
too tight (the error in position would be there, but unlikely to be significant)
the further from the corners you are cutting, the less it matters.
David Lang
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You are right, it is a little confusing. The Z Stop is when the Z axis is all the way down and you can hear the motors growl a little when it hits the bottom. This is important to set every once in awhile because its the point the machine measures all Z axis movement from. I like to reset it when I notice some slack belts or after I’ve taken the Maslow apart to clean.
The Z home tells the machine where the work surface is and so it helps determine the depth of your cut. I set the Z home before each cut.
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What Anna said.
But here’s a little extra
“Stops” are the limit of a device’s motion, whether it hits something physical or falls off whatever it is travelling along. “Stops” are ‘absolute’, they ultimately define the device’s full range of motion.
“Home” is wherever you define it to be. Usually a ‘starting point’ of some kind.
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