Hi. I’m new to CNCs and purchased a Genmitsu 4040 Pro Max.
I’m designing in Easel Pro and using UGS Platform to run G-Code I download from Easel.
I’ve created numerous test projects with an eye on cutting a wooden set of alphabet blocks for my granddaughter. I have the design I was looking for and test cuts work great on scrap wood. However, in every case, the cut starts about 1/8 too far from both the X and Y axes. Z is fine. I finally just created a simple box in a clean project to see if I’d screwed some thing up in the others where I had resized letters to fit where I want them to be on the workpiece.
When I load the G-Code into UGS, it also reflects this offset so it seems as though it is being added during the G-Code generation out of Easel. I can’t see what the grid line dimensions are set to in UGS visualizer so can’t confirm the exact amount of the offset, but it is definitely there in the displayed G-Code. I also installed OpenBuilds CONTROL to see if it was a problem with UGS, but it looks the same in that program as well.
I’ve zeroed the X and Y to the workpiece numerous times and when I return the machine to coordinates 0,0,0, everything looks correct on the machine.
I can’t think of anything else to check and am starting to get pretty frustrated and am contemplating my sanity in going down this path to begin with.
Any thoughts would very much appreciated!
You might have to adjust your settings for steps per mm in GRBL. This involves jogging a certain measurement and then measuring it. You have to do a ratio to determine how to change the current number that is in memory.
The other thing is perhaps you need to change the pull off of the home switches if you have them.
$100 and $101 are the X and Y grbl settings.
GRBL_Settings_Pocket_Guide_Rev_B.pdf
Calibrating my X-carve 1000 - X-Carve - Inventables Community Forum
Thanks for the quick reply!
Will definitely do the calibration. Watched a couple of videos about that already so will do that next.
Am not starting at machine 0,0,0 and never even close to the limit switches which are brand new and have been working fine so far. After I zero out the X/Y at the workpiece, I move the bit to center it on the workpiece to zero the Z and then have the machine return to the workpiece piece 0,0, which returns to the correct corner of the workpiece and seems line up exactly where I set it.
Will read the posts you linked in reply and see where that takes me.
Again, much obliged for the response, I’ve spent a few days tinkering in multiple programs trying to figure this out!
Another thing to check is that the motor couplers set screws are tight and not allowing the threaded rod to spin within it.
Thanks Martin,
All axes were within 5/100 of a mm when I checked calibration. I did find there was an offset in G54 which I was hoping was the issue, the numbers looked about right. Zeroed that out, but now I really thing there is something happening when I generate the g-code from Easel. I just did a simple shallow square with a 1.5 mm inset.In the below pics, you can see in the UGS visualizer that the square is a good amount more off the X and Y axis origins and the edge is pushed up and out to the edge of the workpiece. And I just noticed a dimension on the right hand side of the X axis that looks like it is showing 4.11 between the cut and the edge of the workpiece. Any thoughts about this?
Oh, and I also checked the coupler set screws. They seem to be in order.
Thanks in advance…Skip
So in UGS you are looking at the toolpath which is the center of the bit. You would have to add the radius of the bit to that to equal what you see in the easel picture… I think.
Thanks Martin, I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll have to look into how to do that in UGS but would have thought that would be handled by Easel since it knows my bit size.
Let me take a look and see if there is something happening from that perspective. Just like anything new, I waste a lot of wood figuring it out. At least it isn’t measured in board feet…$$
I appreciate your quick responses. Will investigate after work and let you know what I find…
Here is a 2” square drawn in easel with no offset on the material. The gcode is made with a 1/4” bit. UGS shows just the tool path from the center of the bit. This was set to clear out the shape to .25 deep. As you can see the outside perimeter is 1.88. Easel rounds to two digits.
I am curious how are the settings showing in the Easel machine? Are the home switches showing 0.000 when the change states? I am trying to Easel as being a source of magic movements which is why I prefer to use circles as a test figure. If an axis is dragging or skipping steps it should be quite obvious on the cut which axis is in question. I usually use a new .030” V bit gutting .050 deep to carve the circle out. I repeat the carve at least once to increase my confidence level of the machine.
Are the numbers still all zeroes after a couple of homing cycles in Easel?
This is my usual test template drawing. I make a carve in easel and then repeat it at least once without moving the material stock. You’ll notice that the concentric circles are offset from the centered material.
Thanks to both of you. In course of trying many scenarios last night, I tried a simple small circle in the middle of the workpiece. What I’m finding is regardless of what I have in the project, the entire thing is shifted to the top right of the workpiece in the g-code. I opened a support ticket at this point as it makes even less sense now. Take a look at these pics…
Martin, your pic looks like what I am expecting but not seeing.
Ron, To answer your question, yes, after I home everything in Easel’s Machine inspector is back to all zeros.
If I could change the title of this thread I would - it’s not just an 1/8 of an inch 
I just had a thought. I just realized I’ve not seen anything about how to “center” your bit when aligning to the workpiece to zero out the work coordinates. I bet I am causing the problem myself. The woodworker in me has me lining the outside of the bit up with the inside of the workpiece (flush to the workpiece but with the bit on the inside). This is a really basic question that I am afraid to ask as it makes me look silly, and if I hadn’t been routing and sawing for decades it probably wouldn’t have happened, but I bet if I center the bit over the edge of the workpiece rather than align it it will work properly. Does that make sense? Hopefully that is all it is. I’ll be trying to do that tonight…crossing my fingers…if it is I’m sorry I wasted the both of yours time…No offense, but I kinda hope I did 
Thanks again and I’ll update this thread once I see what happens…
You have few choices, cut inside the toolpath, outside the toolpath, or on the toolpath. Clear out a pocket is the other choice. Your bit diameter and the toolpath choice will determine where the outer edge of the bit will end up. Good luck…hope it is something simple. Easel has a learning curve to it and after using it a while it makes some sense. No disrespect for Easel, but learning a CAD program and importing a drawing is way easier…:-).
Well what do you know. Instead of actually processing the word “centering” your bit, relying on past routing habits when starting a new endeavor is not necessarily a good thing. Actually “centering” the bit over the corner of the workspace was all it took. This is one of those lessons I’ll never forget 
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Martin, Ron, thank you both for your advice!
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Yes it’s easy to forget the starting point position setting. I regularly change the work position setting. Glad all is well in your Easel world
