Hello, all. I am in need of guidance to help troubleshoot an issue and see if anyone else has run into similar problems. I recently installed a Onefinity toolsetter and z-motor brake to my elite foreman, and have suddenly experienced problems with cutting to the correct z-height when doing relief carvings. I have a PWN CNC 2.2kw water cooled spindle installed, which is now becoming the bane of my existence since Onefinity will not provide any support beyond telling me to uninstall the tool setter and motor brake.
On three different jobs, it appears the machine flawlessly carves a finishing pass up until the 40-50% mark, and then it slowly raises the z-height to the point it does not carve deep enough to remove roughing tool marks and show the detail of the carve. Unfortunately, the carve takes 6 hours, and I have no idea when I start the carve if it will be successful until at least the 3 hour mark. I have carved this file previously without issue. I have completely removed dust collection to rule out any issues with that, the bit is tight in the collet, and there is nothing resting on the table while thr finishing pass is running.
I am extremely disappointed from the Onefinity support i have received. I understand not providing support on the spindle, but they are unwilling to troubleshoot any of their equipment while it is installed, and have said I need to install a supported trim router before they will help me any further. They won’t even commit to exchanging the tool setter or motor brake. I have no Makita router, nor do i have a 65mm mount since i ordered the machine with the heavy duty slider and 80mm mount.
I apologize for the long message and appreciate any help I receive so i can use an otherwise very expensive paperweight. Uploading: 20240421_194100.jpg…
We do not support aftermarket, unsupported items (like your spindle), which is stated many places.
Tech support is limited until your able to have your machine in a factory configuration, with the Makita router.
After you return the machine to supported configuration, and if a part is defective determined by support, it will, of course, be covered under warranty!
Spindle shim sold here (physical and digital file available):
If removing either the touch probe and/or z-motor brake resolves my issue, with its current configuration, will you replace the items since they were only received a few weeks ago? I do not own a Makita router, and I do not intend on purchasing one just to perform a test.
If your answer is no, then you should go out of your way on the sales side to note installing any spindle and purchasing your accessories essentially nullifies any warranty or return policies.
At the end of the day, I just want my investment (machine) to work as it should.
I’ll try to give some help. It appears your model height is at the top of the material, so it is imperative, when it’s at the top, that the material is flattened prior to carving, Just a couple of thousandths out of flat will make this happen. It may be your holddown plan lets it move in the vertical as a bit passes, as it only takes a 1 or 2 thousandths to make a difference. If you do a flattening of the top using a 1 or 2 inch flattening bit, then set your Z height to the top of the material, now you have eliminated one potential problem. You could also set a couple (.004 or .005") below the top of material for your model height, and that would also account for a non-flattened material, if it is appropriate.
I’d have to say it’s not the Pwncnc spindle, the bit setter, or the motor brake that is causing this, it wouldn’t make sense at all. The hold down of material, the flattening or the model height is really the issue. Personally, I’d go with the material being shallower at one end than the other, or a flexing hold down issue.
Thanks for the reply, Jim! I thought about the possibility of the material not being perfectly flat, but I set the model position in Aspire to be 1/16th from the top and bottom. I also left .03 of material between the roughing pass and finishing pass. I typically flatten all my boards on the machine prior to carving, but i have not with these due to the thickness of the material i am working with. With the model parameters I’ve set in Aspire (.03 material for finishing pass), i would think that would account for any variance in surface leveling.
