Issue with Spoilboard Resurfacing

[tunacnc]

Hi, I recently got an AR8 Pro for hobby use.  I created a custom Spoilboard Resurfacing file using vCarve since I wanted to take advantage of a Whiteside 2" Spoilboard cutter (6220) that I had bought. The Raster Pocket cut works fine but when I it does the outside edge profile toolpath to clean up the edges I notice that it cuts deeper so there is a definite ridge across the back X axis.  The file is using the same bit and cut depth.  Any ideas of why it would be cutting deeper? I attached the vCarve file so you can see if I'm doing something wrong.

Thanks

  FlyCut - Norm.crv (46 KB)

[gerry]

Use one profile. If the center of the bit is within the table size, the extra width of the bit will clean up the edge. Why bother? The program that comes from Axiom (and is already on your handheld) does an excellent job.

[Mezalick]

Apr 22, 2019 8:20:12 GMT -5 tunacnc said:

Hi, I recently got an AR8 Pro for hobby use.  I created a custom Spoilboard Resurfacing file using vCarve since I wanted to take advantage of a Whiteside 2" Spoilboard cutter (6220) that I had bought. The Raster Pocket cut works fine but when I it does the outside edge profile toolpath to clean up the edges I notice that it cuts deeper so there is a definite ridge across the back X axis.  The file is using the same bit and cut depth.  Any ideas of why it would be cutting deeper? I attached the vCarve file so you can see if I'm doing something wrong.

Thanks

  

I agree with Gerry suggestion...
But,,,If you want to do some testing, reverse the order of your tool paths and see if you still get the edge..
It may produce different results..

Michael

[gollyrojer]

Apr 22, 2019 16:09:18 GMT -5 gerry said:

The program that comes from Axiom (and is already on your handheld) does an excellent job.

I am just about to surface my spoilboard, and I read the instructions for using Advanced Processing|Mill Plane|Scan. I assume that's the program you mention. According to what I read, I'm supposed to set the spindle at 0,0 of the area I want to surface and then tell it the X,Y dimensions. But nothing is said there about entering Z, nor does it mention the stepover--what its default is or how to set it. Frankly, I'm scared to use it without knowing more about it. How does it know how deep to cut? How does it know how far to step over?

Could you elaborate, please? I'd rather use this than gcode, but only once I understand what's going on.

[johnb]

Check out this thread with a note from Axiom about the defaults axiomprecision.proboards.com/thread/929/setting-depth-surfacing-bed

[gerry]

There is a surfacing mmg gcode that Axiom puts on each controller specific to that machine model. Mine is 'AR8SFC.MMG' for my AR8 Pro+.

[gerry]

There is a surfacing mmg gcode that Axiom puts on each controller specific to that machine model. Mine is 'AR8SFC.MMG' for my AR8 Pro+.

[gollyrojer]

Thanks, johnb and gerry. I found my file. Imagine how useful it would be to mention the existence of that file in the manual! In the link that johnb posted, the user Axiom Tool Group states, "The Mill Plane function is not generally recommended." Maybe this should be mentioned in the manual as well, right in there with the description of the Mill Plane function. As it is, it appears to the new reader of the manual that the Mill Plane function has been provided specifically to surface the spoilboard.

Anyway, I appreciate your help, guys.

[johnb]

There is a truism in the IT industry that goes something like this..."Anyone capable of writing software that actually works is guaranteed to be incapable of documenting it". This appears to be the case with machinery as well. I just finished putting together my 3hp Laguna C/Flex Cyclone dust collector. Were it not for the 37 minute video that I happened to run across, I never would have gotten it together. As it is, portions of the video were out of date, but not too much. The manual was sadly incomplete and tended toward mentioning things like "remove two of the bolts that you put on in the previous step"...of course, there was no such previous step. It was spot on in one regard, however...at the beginning it said "you will need a helper" and "plan on 5 to 6 hours to assemble".

Since the file protocol for these processes limits the number of characters available for a file name, you have to be pretty imaginative when naming things like files and tools. Sometimes, what you run across is not particularly intuitive.

[gollyrojer]

Having spent over 20 years in IT, I'm fully and sadly aware of that truism. It comes as a surprise to find it in the manual for such an expensive machine, however. For $10,000 I think I'm entitled to expect a complete and current manual. Ah, well, such is life.

By the way, congrats on getting a Laguna dust collector. I've had mine for about four years and it's never given me a bit of trouble.

[tunacnc]

Apr 22, 2019 16:09:18 GMT -5 gerry said:

Use one profile. If the center of the bit is within the table size, the extra width of the bit will clean up the edge. Why bother? The program that comes from Axiom (and is already on your handheld) does an excellent job.

Thanks Gerry, I will try a single profile cut on the edge and see if I get different results. The main reason why I created my own surfacing program rather than using the one that comes with the controller was because I wanted to see if I could get it done quicker with a 2" bit, and the one built in seems to be designed for a 1.5" bit. Do you know if there is a way to modify the gcode on the controller for the larger bit? I had purchased my AR8 as a floor model and the spoilboard was a little dinged up and was taking a lot of passes to get it down to a smooth flat surface.

[tunacnc]

Apr 23, 2019 18:26:26 GMT -5 johnb said:

Check out this thread with a note from Axiom about the defaults axiomprecision.proboards.com/thread/929/setting-depth-surfacing-bed

Thanks for the link, the job setup sheet is helpful. 

[gerry]

Remember, if your spindle is not perfectly perpendicular to the spoilboard, an edge of the bit will dig in. The larger the bit, the more anything off axis will be accentuated.

I just zero my bit to the spoilboard, then if I want a shallower cut, I raise the bit 0.5-1.0mm and tell the controller to zero at that height. I normally start with a light cut to see what the surface looks like, then take more cuts if needed. Before I start, I pencil the boards to make sure I'm getting everything.

If you screw up a board on the spoilboard with bit damage, then just loosen the board and turn it around so the bung is on the other end. I don't use the far end near as much. It's good enough to keep a board flat.

I'm 1.5+ years using this CNC. I figure I've got till at least the end of the year to replace the spoilbard. Once every 2 years is pretty good. I figure I'll cut the boards on my table saw, drill and countersink holes on CNC, and round corners on belt sander. Less than a day of shop time. Every 2 years.

[Axiom Tool Group]

I feel that I must personally apologize for any shortcomings of the manual.

While tasked with writing manuals for all things Axiom, that simply is not my specialty and it generally results in manuals that are constantly evolving in small ways.

A more recent version of the manual includes a disclaimer on the mill plane feature...we even considered removing that section, but we know that many of you will stumble on it in the controller and ask even more questions regarding why its not mentioned/how to use it. And I do feel that it is a somewhat useful function, just not for surfacing of the machine....

Also included in more recent versions of the manual is a more detailed section covering surfacing of the spoil board as well as a Job Setup sheet to aid in running that included file.


As always we value your opinions and hope to continue making improvements to the manuals and other documentation to make the user experience better.