Surfacing with G Sender

Getting ridges

Help, i was cutting at .5 mm.

Tram is off a little. Loosen the bolts holding the spindle, re-tighten and try again. It is a process. If you have a digital level, that saves some time.

@Bill You look to be burning. If so, your feeds and speeds are off.

What is your stepover? It looks to be too large.

I changed the bit, stoped the burning, stepover is was 40%

Looks a bit better but still wavy

Size: X 787.4 Y 844.55
Bit 22mm
Stepover 40
Depth First try .5 second .6
RPM 16000
Feed Rate 1500

Settings except for depth from Sienci Web site

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I had a similar problem the first time I made a spoil board. Check all of your v wheel adjustments. If you have to much play in them you will get those lines, or at least I did.

Good luck.

MikeH

More attempts, readjusted all the wheels, they are slightly tighter than before. When I lift up on the gantry the wheels are all difficult to turn but turnable. every thing seems tight and I still have waves, in examining the grooves it appears to be cutting deeper on the rear edge of the bit, is there way to shim it? I am getting weary with this.

Current appearance

Machine stopped, disconnected at 51%

I am wrecking my new spoil board, this is becoming way disappointing.

Your last few pictures look way better. Can you actually feel the ridges?

I have heard people shimming the router with tin foil layers to get the router perpendicular to the spoil board and I think it was done behind the mount or in the clamp on one or two sides of the router to get it at a 90 degree angle front to back and side to side. You can probably search for it in the forum. It has been a while since I have seen it.

I used a small machinist square from Menards (you can use a rafter square or engineer square too) and eyeballed the front for vertical and both sides for vertical. I loosened the router clamp slightly in order to barely be able to move the router left/right/front/back and made the adjustments until it looked ok. Tightened it up and checked again. The square was short enough to check the spindle of the router when I had it raised up on the Z. I suppose you could use a magnetic angle finder too.

Part of my maintenance was to periodically check the router for 90 degree to Spoil Board every so often, just in case it somehow came loose.

Menards - Home Depot/Lowes may have something similar

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@stevendq that was exactly what I did must have read your mind, I placed two layers of tin foil on the front side of the router clamp, it has not stopped again, and the ridges are a lot closer together so not sure if that’s progress yet, going to let finish so I can experiment on some scrap. Thank you for the suggestion. I did relocate the router to the lower mounting holes since I use a lot of 1/8" bits and they are shorter. I am wondering if that had any effect here. I have that very square and will get to it after if finishes. What a mess since no dust shoe since I can’t get to the far right X with it on.

Machine disconnected and stopped at 71% this time, got it connected and the rest manually. Makes me wonder How I ever carved anything before. this machine is becoming a total PITA!

Wow, that sucks on the stopping. Looks to me like your feeds and speeds are OK for the surfacing and so is your depth, many use 1mm.

Do you have your USB ports set to never sleep? I think others have also removed the router power cord from the drag chain. It may be interference.

Others have also changed USB cables with some success. Hopefully others can chime in on this one.

I know it’s a pain - we just want it to work, but once you get it dialed in…awesome!

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@stevendq , I just get frustrated. I have been using it for almost 3 years and decided to spruce it up and nothing but issues.

I think I found the wave issue and again it what the Z gantry wheels, not 100% sure but if they are too tight it seems to tilt the router, loosen them up where there is just the slightest clunk when you lift it.

So, too tight problem, too loose problem also. I wonder if there is a machine that does use v wheels. lol

@Bill all machines are a PITA and that’s why we love them.
Maybe just don’t surface with gsender. I never have. I only surface the jigs with a file from Vectric. No offense to anyone but the surfacing thing has gotten out of hand.

@RickW lol, first time i’ve used it for this. I was thinking longmill has been flaky for a bit, i mostly v carve seldom even large pockets, re surfacing brings the setup issues to light.

Yep, no point surfacing unless you are doing 4x8 cabinet things with vacuum hold down. Not a setup issue, just don’t worry too much about it unless you are making machine parts. Tinkering with the spindle mount bolts worked out ok.

Mount a test board and no waves, good to go, not going to resurface any more, just use it. Next is a re design of the dust shoe I have a love hate relationship with.