I am using vcarve pro and am just starting to learn 3d designs. I successfully set up a rough pass with a 1/4" end mill. When i switched bits to do a finishing pass i only probed for z knowing x and y were the same. The rough pass took off about a 1/2". When i started the bit, it moved to its location and plunged all the way down as if it thought z was what the original thickness of the material was. Why did it do that? I figured the finishing tool path would know that the roughing tool path took several layers off. Do i need to probe z with a scrap piece that is the original thickness of my material?
You will need to probe from the same location/thickness as you did with your roughing bit, if that was the top of the workpiece that is no longer the same since the roughing pass then you could use something the same thickness as the stock you started with. Alternately you can set up the base point in your CAD/CAM application to use the bottom of the stock and probe off the bed of the machine. This assumes the CAD model is the correct thickness (Z height) as your finished product.
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