EP 20 Onefinity CNC - How Important Is Flatness? (How to Vcarve with a V bit the right way)

Onefinity University
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Have you ever engraved a large project on your CNC and it just turned out… funky? If one part of the carve looks good and another part doesn’t, the most likely problem is FLATNESS. But hey, if there’s an easy fix, it’s not much of a problem.

When using any type of engraving bit, like a v-bit or a tapered ball nose bit, the depth of cut will significantly affect the appearance of the engraving. To get the best results out of your engraving, flatness is paramount!

In this video, we’ll run a simple test to demonstrate how the flatness of your wasteboard and your material can affect a carve. If you want better results out of your engraving projects, adding one simple step to the process can save you TONS of material, and your sanity.

Surfacing bit used: Bits&Bits Surfacing CNC Router Bit with Carbide Inserts
Use code 1F20 for 20% off at https://bitsbits.com/

VIDEO

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It’s not just large projects…

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IMG_52353024×4032 2.62 MB

I know my wasteboard is flat and thought I had run this one through the thickness sander.
The good thing is I now have my own coaster & reminder… :man_facepalming:

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One key to remember, The ‘thickness sander’ make things flat to the sander. What it does not do is make things flat to the cnc router.
It’s important to flatten on the cnc, this gives the same distance between the wasteboard and the tip of the endmill is consistent on all extremes of the CNC. The only way to ensure this is running a flattening pass with the material on the cnc machine, not through a sander or planer.

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I’m happy to be “lucky” it’s close to good enough for the projects I’ve done up to 24” by 30” :+1::joy:

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