# New User - Need some Help Tweaking **URL:** \ **Category:** X-Carve\ **Created:** [June 1, 2020, 7:55pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170 "2020-06-01T19:55:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrandonN](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/brandonn/32/69981_2.png) [@BrandonN](https://community.inventables.com/u/BrandonN)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 7:55pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170/1 "2020-06-01T19:55:50Z")
New user. Just got the machine put together this past weekend. I ran a few test carves over the weekend, and I’m concerned I’m missing something (which is entirely possible - i tried making sure I followed every step, but… maybe I missed something). I ran a simple carve last night, and I had a few issues. The carve is shallower on the right hand side. A whole 3mm shallower than the left. This is just a simple pine 2x6. I checked the board measurement, and it’s pretty close to equal thickness. If anything, the right side is .2 mm thicker, so I wouldn’t expect it to be shallow. Also, it looks like, for lack of a better term, the machine got sloppy at the end. It either missed a path or something, but the carve isn’t quite right. Looks like it started processing the hole in the “e” but never more than a dip. I’m clueless when it comes to checking parameters and stuff in the code, so if it’s something there you’ll have to walk me through it like you would an idiot child. Pics for reference: ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/uploads/inventables/original/3X/b/a/ba3d11b13bbc7f4d9ef8ccddf110d5dd446d59d7.jpeg) ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/uploads/inventables/original/3X/5/f/5f46b672b089242713290441433a2a25950eb25e.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![PhillipLunsford](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/philliplunsford/32/33614_2.png) [@PhillipLunsford](https://community.inventables.com/u/PhillipLunsford)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 12:55am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170/2 "2020-06-02T00:55:26Z")
You lost some of the fine detail such as the tip of the “c” and the “e” because the bit that you use was two large. Two ways to solve you a smaller bit and increase your carve time or two do two stage carving. You will use the large bit for the roughing pass and switch to a small bit to do the detail pass. You will pickup the small details. It does not matter that the board is the same thickness, what matters is that it is the same height from the bit. On possible solution is to secure the board the skim the surface to ensure that it is completely flat, then do the carve. Good luck, hope this helps ---
**Author:** ![MarkA.Bachman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MarkA.Bachman](https://community.inventables.com/u/MarkA.Bachman)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 2:39am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170/3 "2020-06-02T02:39:06Z")
His preview looked so I don’t think bit size is the issue. Possibly too aggressive with the cut depth per pass? ---
**Author:** ![PhillipLunsford](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/philliplunsford/32/33614_2.png) [@PhillipLunsford](https://community.inventables.com/u/PhillipLunsford)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 2:53am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170/4 "2020-06-02T02:53:30Z")
@MarkA.Bachman Look at the “e” it is not carving and the tip of the “c” ---
**Author:** ![MarkA.Bachman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MarkA.Bachman](https://community.inventables.com/u/MarkA.Bachman)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 2:57am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170/5 "2020-06-02T02:57:44Z")
The preview is much different than his actual carve. ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/uploads/inventables/original/3X/4/6/4677fa2875c889382b66896ab67de6e70b8ff00e.jpeg) ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/uploads/inventables/original/3X/9/4/94a736b89969bd957472ba6ead412abe5887c6b2.png) That is missed steps. ---
**Author:** ![PhillipLunsford](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/philliplunsford/32/33614_2.png) [@PhillipLunsford](https://community.inventables.com/u/PhillipLunsford)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 2:58am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170/6 "2020-06-02T02:58:50Z")
You are right, I see your point. I missed that ---
**Author:** ![BrandonN](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/brandonn/32/69981_2.png) [@BrandonN](https://community.inventables.com/u/BrandonN)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170/7 "2020-06-02T16:02:19Z")
So… what am I doing wrong? ---
**Author:** ![HaldorLonningdal](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/haldorlonningdal/32/72377_2.png) [@HaldorLonningdal](https://community.inventables.com/u/HaldorLonningdal)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 5:05pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170/8 "2020-06-02T17:05:29Z")
Depth difference is probably due to spoil board height variations. (Lower one one side or corner) ---
**Author:** ![RussellCrawford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/958977/32.png) [@RussellCrawford](https://community.inventables.com/u/RussellCrawford)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170/9 "2020-06-02T18:54:50Z")
How did you secure the board to your wasteboard ? Your board may have moved ---
**Author:** ![BrandonN](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/brandonn/32/69981_2.png) [@BrandonN](https://community.inventables.com/u/BrandonN)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2020, 12:10am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170/10 "2020-06-03T00:10:02Z")
I thought maybe that too, but it was clamped down tight, and didn’t move during carving. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonN](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/brandonn/32/69981_2.png) [@BrandonN](https://community.inventables.com/u/BrandonN)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2020, 12:10am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170/11 "2020-06-03T00:10:53Z")
I’ll check spoil board height. Checked both sides of X axis and it was very close to even (about 0.1 mm difference). I’ll check around the board. ---
**Author:** ![HaldorLonningdal](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/haldorlonningdal/32/72377_2.png) [@HaldorLonningdal](https://community.inventables.com/u/HaldorLonningdal)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2020, 6:15am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170/12 "2020-06-03T06:15:56Z")
> [@BrandonN](#): > > I’ll check spoil board height. Checked both sides of X axis and it was very close to even Check relative to bit height, as in move the gantry to one corner and lower it to a specific height above the surface, then move the bit around and check height in various places. ---
**Author:** ![AvyGrewal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@AvyGrewal](https://community.inventables.com/u/AvyGrewal)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2020, 10:09am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170/13 "2020-06-08T10:09:49Z")
Have you considered the bit may have moved deeper into you router when carving the earlier section? ---
**Author:** ![DavidSchneider](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/davidschneider/32/67226_2.png) [@DavidSchneider](https://community.inventables.com/u/DavidSchneider)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170/14 "2020-06-09T14:59:55Z")
Things to inspect: Spoil board parallel in the Z axis to both the X and Y directions. I chuck a pencil into the router collet and bring the tip to the surface of the board, and then up .0001. Then tram X left to right. Move back on the y 1" and tram right to left. The pencil will mark the board where it is high (or break the point). Check the tightness of the cutter mill in the collet. Reduce the cut per pass and make multiple passes. The skipped steps is because the machine is pushing the cutter faster then it is cutting the material, and the steppers skip. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonN](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/brandonn/32/69981_2.png) [@BrandonN](https://community.inventables.com/u/BrandonN)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2020, 5:02am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/new-user-need-some-help-tweaking/93170/15 "2020-06-10T05:02:34Z")
I’ll check out the cut per pass next time I run a larger setup. Probably shouldn’t have cut that deep anyway. I adjusted the x axis. It was high on the right. Think I have it really close now. I also noticed the right side Y axis is dragging a bit. Read around, and made a bunch of the tweaks suggested in the forums. I adjusted the belt on the right side, cleaned the wheels, checked the wiring for Y2 going into the board, checked to make sure the dials on the board were set even, and checked to make sure the ribbons were seated firmly. Still getting drag on the right side. Any thoughts? Video for evidence. And the sample I was cutting to show what it’s doing to my pieces. ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/uploads/inventables/original/3X/4/d/4da2ede8c82d5685a911bad62e4b52018a2c17ec.jpeg) [Video](https://youtu.be/LEWVng1_mgs)