Woodworker Cutting Area

I believe the cutting area for the ‘Woodworker’ is 816mm x 816mm. However, I’m trying to do a profile cut to those dimensions with a 3.175mm (1/8") bit. When I load the file into the controller it shows a ‘No Fit’ error message on both X & Y axes.

Do the cutting dimensions not take into account the diameter of the bit being used?

TIA … Dave

Hey Dave,

with a g-code model that is exactly the workarea, you have to be sure your probed or manually set workpiece zero is really where it belongs. The smallest deviation will produce an error. Where is the workpiece zero in your 3D model, on left front corner? Or in the center like in the Onefinity video? I remember this thread the other day where exact workpiece zero positioning (probing or manually setting) was the problem.

Regarding bit diameter, CAM software takes bit diameter into account when producing a toolpath, but this is not necessary as there is enough reserve space around the workarea boundaries.

I set the origin point at the centre of the spoilboard (408 x 408mm). Have also set the file to cut 815 x 815mm being the perimeter of the spoilboard but still no joy. Perhaps I need to cut it slightly smaller again to get within the limits of the cutting area?

Dave

Hey Dave,

no, you can mill the entire 816 x 816 mm. If you have the workpiece zero in the middle, then you need to put the milling motor exactly in the middle and then press the zero button on display for x and y. Are the x and y offsets then 408 in the “offset” column?

What does the limit error exactly say?

Hey mate

Have attached Controller Screenshot & gcode file to make things a little easier. LOL

Cheers … Dave


Spoilboard Profile.ngc (1.0 KB)

Hey Dave,

I meant a screenshot of the limit error window, but anyway, your .ngc file says what’s wrong: It contains

G0 X-409.087 Y-409.087

which is out of the workarea. You have 816 x 816 mm workarea on the Woodworker machine, so the middle is at x=408, y=408, so from center you can go at maximum to ±408 mm for both X and Y. 409.087 is too much (the 3D simulation shows the wrong height in workspace because I did not probe Z, but ignore that)

Also you have to zero the machine at the 3D model’s workpiece zero first. You move the router bit to the middle of the workarea and then you press the zero button for x and for y. The “offsets” column should say 408 mm for x and for y then.

Alternatively, with g-code commands, this is done with:

G0 X408 Y408
G92 X0 Y0

or simply by:

G92 X-408 Y-408

The CONTROL page should show 408 mm for X and Y in the offsets column:

Hey mate

So, in fact, the cutting area is badly worded in the documentation for the ‘Woodworker’ when it states that the cutting area is 816 x 816mm as this just the centre of the spindle/router but does not take into account the diameter of the bit being used.

If I home the machine, then issue the command, via the MDI, G92 X-408 Y-408 this takes the spindle/router to the middle/centre position whereby it can only move left/right/front/back by the same 408mm. Whether I use a 1/8" (3.175mm) or 1/4" (6.35mm) bit only matters by how much smaller the 816mm would be.

I had worked out that by using 6 pieces of MDF cut to 120mm in width plus 5 lengths of T-Track at 19mm wide would equal 815mm which would fit within the 816mm cutting area but it now seems that I have to recalculate to allow for the diameter of the bit I will use.

No big deal I guess, but I’ve learned my lesson now and there are very few times I would need that full 816mm cutting area anyway.

Thanks for your time and patience … Cheers Dave

Hey Dave,

the information on the working area of a CNC machine always refers to the coordinates that the machine can move to, as the additional bit radius is not known when selling the machine. To be more precise, it is also not a working area, but since there are three dimensions, a working space.

In the case of the Woodworker machine, it is 816 x 816 x 133 mm (163 mm with Z-20 slider) for X, Y, and Z.

You get a “no fit” error if one of your g-code commands want the machine to move to a coordinate outside these three-dimensional coordinates. They are defined in the corresponding MOTORS pages under ‘min-soft-limit’ and ‘max-soft-limit’. When loading a g-code program, the Onefinity checks the program for fit.

In fact, however, the area that you can mill is larger, as you can see here, because the bit radius can be added on all sides.

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