Troubleshooting: Cutting Issues

"Hooking" on horizontal cuts at the top of the build area

Example

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Causes and Solutions:

  1. Sled is too heavy: Reduce the weight on the sled
  2. Power supply is insufficient to keep up: Try lowering the feed rate. Also check the voltage of the power supply when this situation occurs. If voltage drops, then consider upgrading power supply.
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Downward cut wanders instead of being straight, square corners come out rounded

Examples

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Causes and Solutions

  1. Sled is sticking: Sand sled, wax it, or add a layer of HDPE.

Not cutting to full depth

Causes and Solutions:

  1. Router bit not long enough: If the router bit can’t be extended to the desired cutting depth, you need a longer bit.
  2. Define zero incorrect: If you have defined the zero point incorrectly on the Z-axis, the depth will be inaccurate.
  3. R22002 router head hits the Z-Axis motor bracket: Check to make sure the Z-Axis motor mount is not interferring with the movement of the router. For the R22002 router, the head is larger than the body and depending upon how you position the Z-Axis, the part of the mount that the motor attaches to can ever-so-slightly catch the head of the router at is descends. This will stop the router and the height adjustment arm will pop out of the groove in the router body. The arm will continue downward but the router won’t. As the arm raises back up, it will snap back into the groove and then start raising the router. Everything may appear fine if you aren’t paying close attention to what the router is doing (i.e., focusing on the turning of the height adjustment leadscrew and not whether or not the router is actually descending). Try to turn the position of the Z-Axis mount such that the mount does not strike the router head.

Inaccurate cutting after previously accurate cuts

Causes/Solutions:

  1. Chain slipped on the sprocket and now the controller has an incorrect chain length value
    • Reset your chains by running Actions->Calibrate Chain Lengths
    • Look at options to eliminate/reduce chain skips (Add link to post when available)