I am very new to the XCarve family. I am practicing my carved a lot. I noticed in two of my practice carves that there are strange “notches” where the bit goes a bit past the edge of the area to be carved. Not sure what is causing it. Oddly, it doesn’t happen consistently.
Thoughts??
seeing that, the first place I would start is checking Belt Tension and V Wheel tension.
there is more info about these calibrations here:
It also looks like you’re using an upcut bit, and due to likely loose wheels, the gantry is being pulled downward and making the stripes as well…
I will definitely be giving that a look! I really appreciate your help again!
I’m seeing to large of a step over = faster carve
shrink the step over = long carve times try 25% of cutting tool
That makes perfect sense. I don’t mind longer carve times…as long as the end product looks good!
Not sure what that means
I can’t say for sure, but there’s been a constant barrage of spam accounts dropping links to today’s website they promote, and the messages have about the same logic and relation to the post as the above one… ive reported for “off topic” sooo 
That sounds like what is happening here. Thanks!!!
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I do not believe the stepover setting would be causing that. The bit should remain within the design’s smooth edges at the top of the character no matter the stepover.
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Brandon Parker
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I’ve gotta believe that that was just something else (unrelated to my main question) that he noticed in addition to the craziness at the top of my carve. Any input I get like that is written in my notes.
do not believe the stepover setting would be causing that.
Brandon,
Try it then, 50 percent step over verse! 20 percent step over.
what would be ideal is a profile past to clean up the swag at top of “Y” and bottom.
@Ken4, you need to be a little more respectful on the forum!
I suppose it depends of what software you are using for the design work, but in my opinion, the toolpath should NEVER be generated outside of the bounding design. So, if software does that, then I would state that what it is doing is a bug. Easel does not appear to do whatever it is you are showing…
Here is Easel with a 45% step over…
Here is Easel with a 75% step over…
While the OP’s image does look like there is a raster cut going on, the software should provide a cleanup pass (or provide the option for one) around the edges that make up the letter since any bit will cause bumps like that if it is just run in straight line and picked up at the edge prior to moving to the next raster line.
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Brandon Parker
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Umm, Brandon’s correct, when one uses raster, the toolpath leaves an allowance around the inside perimeter equal to the stepover percentage and then the final pass of the shape is the inside perimeter, removing those gouges (yellow) leaving a smooth edge (red)
Which means that something is different between the final wall pass of the center of the R and the perimeter of the R. This could be Climb Vs Conventional milling resulting in more or less material removal and the gouges being missed … which is likely exacerbated by the machine not being setup to have the most rigidity possible (reference loose belts and loose V Wheels I mentioned above and Joel has yet to confirm verification that Vwheels and Belts were set properly to begin with and the issues reallllly looks like what I’d expect from very loose v Wheels)
** Correction to that: Does… the software (Easel) DOES provide a cleanup pass along that wall without the option to turn it off… Sooo there was an inside perimeter cleanup pass, it just didn’t do it’s job at the top section of the “R” and if you look closely around the “U” it’s pretty ugly as well… something is loose on the machine… AND the carve settings might be rather aggressive too which will just amplify the issue with the hardware…
@JoelEJones Can you share the Easel Project with us? In Easel Go to Project>Share> Change it to Unlisted> copy the link and then paste it over here 
Thanks!
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I will do that. Probably won’t be until tomorrow.
I appreciate all of your input.
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This. Check your X wheels and Y belts.
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Sorry. Took me a while to get to this. 65 hour week had me scrambling!
Anyway…here is what I’ve got.
https://easel.inventables.com/projects/C9ecnb3S8eaF_btBb-TZiw
Today is the day of checking everything on the machine. I really need to get this thing up and running so I can get some good “practice” sessions going!
I’ll keep everyone posted.
Thanks again for everyone’s input so far!!!
Oh gosh, the issue is the thousands of lines that make up those shapes. That isn’t a R its like 200 lines placed in a pattern to make a R looking shape…
The issue is the design, not necessarily the cnc machine. I mean if still check the vwheels, but the issue is the thousands of lines instead of a single shape for each piece…
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Makes sense. I imported it from random artwork online. I didn’t use and actual “font”…just the artwork.