Carving air while using easel

Software Help Easel
1

I am experiencing the bit running above the material and not carving. Cannot figure out what nuis causing the bit to not cut into the wood.

2

Hello @OPIE and welcome to the forum!

First thought is, does the setting for setting Z zero in Easel match what you did to zero the Z axis? Make sure that Easel is not set to zero on the spoil board if your setting Z zero to the top of the material. That would cause it to run high and cut air.

I’m not familiar with Easel but I have a question or two. Are you using Easel to control the mill? Can Easel export G-code to work with another sender? Does Easel have different post processors? Are you using the correct one for your mill? What kind of mill do you have?

If Easel can export G-code files, then you can post your G-code file to the forum and I will take a look at it and see if I can spot any problems with it. Not sure what file extension your G-code will have but if the forum won’t take it then zip it into an archive because I know the forum will take .zip files.

Edit: Spelling

3

Also check if there are physical limitations, such as your Z-axis running out of travel or something jamming up. For example if you mounted your router/spindle too high in the holder, it might not physically be able to go down any further.

2 Likes
4

Hello! I appreciate the help. I really don’y understand your first suggestion. I don’t believe that I have the capability to set the zero for the spoil board. Yes Easel controls the mill. I can export g-code to gsender. I don’yt understand post processors. I am using longmill. I will certainly send you the gcode.
Thanks
Opie

5

I have checked that and it is able to move down.
Thanks
Opie

6

What program do you use to design?
Opie

7

Mainly Vectric VCarve Desktop but I also use OpenSCAD, FreeCAD or Blender to create .stl files if I want to do 3D work in VCarve. Everything I mentioned above except Vectric VCarve is free and open source. Inkscape is a good free vector graphics editor if you need one as I’m not sure how much you can do in Easel.

I also use gSender to control my LongMill.

Edit: You should be able to drag and drop the g-code file into a forum post so myself and/or others can look at it.

8

I just signed up to Easel and poked around a bit to see what is has and doesn’t have. You can disregard anything I said about zeroing off the spoil board or post processor as Easel doesn’t have the option to zero from the spoil board and only outputs GRBL so doesn’t need post processing.

Just FYI but my understanding of post processors is that some more advanced software can output different dialects of G-code and selecting the post processor for your machine takes some intermediate representation and turns it into G-code of the dialect your machine uses.