Types of mistakes, cut failures. Looking before we leap

[johnm]

Hello All -

Okay, we find out very soon... Hope to order a PRT96alpha in the next couple of weeks. The wife and I were talking and were wondering what kinds of failures were common in working with wood, plastic, etc.

We gather than the machines are pretty reliable. We would be getting a spindle equipped setup for lower noise and better/faster cut quality.

Aside from file problems, what are the biggest bug-a-boos in day to day operation? Material slipping? Programs crashing? We want to look at all of the possible failure scenarios and mitigate what we can as we are getting set up.

My sister says that I'm the kind of guy that wears a belt and suspenders, and maybe that's true- I just want to minimize any problems that I can, as I know I'll create plenty of my own in getting things set up.

Thanks in advance!

John Moorhead

[Brady Watson]

John,
The biggest bugger in the mix is the human element...

The best and worst thing about having a robot is that it will do EXACTLY what you tell it to with no discretion as to whether it makes sense or not. If you tell the machine plunge 17" in the Z, then it will try it's hardest to accomodate you with no regard for your nice new spindle...

-Brady

[Mike Windsor]

My biggest boo-boos are machining through c clamps that I use to hold down the work . At the end of the file a lot of programs will insert a JH ( jog home ) command on the last line of the cutting file. ---That is when I've mannaged to machine a few clamps as the router passes diagonaly over the work. I now edit out the JH command from the end of the file

[jhicks]

John, Congratulations, you're about to venture into the land of OZ. The only,limit is your imagination. From My perspective there are many challanges. In fact every new job is a new challenge and that's what I love about it. If I had to isolate the one thing that I wish I had a real good universal solution for it would be hold downs. There are many mechanical ideas and options and of course the vacuum solution but each job has its unique charactisteristics that seem to require a unique approach and strategy. Especially when you want to do it quick and move on.
The # 2 recommendation I have to eliminate a lot of head scratching is,Get the set up as close to PERFECT as humanly possible!(you'll figure out later there are better and more precise ways anyway so don't let it hold you back but strive for perfection). Experience is the best teacher so "Run test parts and learn". Spend the extra time to make sure every axis is square, perpendicular, and/or parallel. It seems tedious but in the end, the machine can only do what you tell it to do (within tolerances) and if one or more axis are "Not perfect" you'll wonder why and be sure it's something "you did" or "it didn't do" but set up is key to consistent quality and repeatability. Like they say in Chicago, "Vote early and vote often. (replace Vote with,"check set ups")
# 3 is Don't try to know it all before you take a job or a leap of faith. Let the customer fund your education and make sure you get it right but, its better to work and learn on a real order than use your own time and material trying to predetimine every potential challange you will encounter next. Be brave and you CAN make it happen. Especially with all the input and experience available on the forum. It's your virtual design review board and at large consulting group.
Best of luck and let us know when you have ginger bread designs available for sale.

[paco]

Hi John!

Beware mostly of yourself... and clamps... most carbide don't really like to bite forged steel at jog speed (mostly Alpha jog speed)... and since clamps are often needed...

"Double checks" (and triple) has been a friend to me at start up... and still is...
3803

[kevin_reid]

I am have been known to cut clamps (cut one last week). I get cheap aluminum clamps from Harbor tools. Bits go right through with only damage to my pride.