How do you make sure your cnc is cutting the actual size you program for?

Community Discussion 📄 General
21

I agree the vCarve is capable of creating the parts. It’s just not as efficient as a dedicated CAD program. If it’s all I had, then I would use it. But since I already own qCAD, and have experience with it, that’s usually my starting point.

A well designed DXF file will work just fine with vCarve. But as they say, garbage in, garbage out. You can’t start creating random vectors and hope everything will work out. Vectors need to be joined properly at their nodes. For a file you create yourself, that should not be a problem. Creating a DXF file from an image will give you terrible results and will require a lot of manual post-processing to make it suitable for vCarve.

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22

it’s not a problem of the software, but instead of the machines and parts we hobbieists use. you have to take in consideration the motors, open loop , closed loop, servo motors, back lash of the lead screws, dinamics of the machine, stiffness and so on

23

It’s been mentioned but double check the size of the endmill is what it’s programmed as, don’t measure the mill just cut a slot with it in some scrap and measure the slot with some calipers. I have one 1/4” end mill which is actually 0.26 instead of 0.25 and that makes a difference when making interlocking parts