Right now I am still using the carbide controller, I have a vacuum jig I have done my best to surface flat.
I am engraving 24x24 sheets of material. Some sheets seem to lay flat while others have peaks and valleys that are greater then I can handle with the tiny engraving endmill, which wastes a lot of time and sometimes even material.
I have been looking at this upgrade for other reasons, however I have done some googling. It looks like the Masso can probe the surface like a 3d printer might a bed plate and create a surface map that it can follow? This would be a huge boost in my productivity it that works.
Has anyone tried this before? Ideally I only want to engrave 0.25mm into the surface of the tag I have so wiggle room but the shallower I can take a reliable pass the faster I can drive then endmill to a point
Has anyone tired this with the Masso before? What kind of probe did you use is there a write up somewhere?
Thanks!
**EDIT**
Hmm I did find this which answer a lot of questions, but it still stand I am curious about first hand experience with this method and how well it functions. It looks like the file need to run through a post processor utilizing a map generated by the masso controller.
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I recall seeing someone use a surface mapping process with a Masso, but I can’t find the video now.
If you’re engraving into metal (like brass), here are two alternatives to surface mapping that come to mind:
- Use a surfacing bit (or even a fly cutter) to flatten the material, similar to how we level spoil boards.
- Try a different process, such as a spring-loaded diamond drag bit, which compensates for minor surface variations.
For the drag bit approach, I highly recommend the WidgetWorks engraving bit. It’s a bit pricey but built to exceptional quality standards, and the replacement tips (available in multiple angles) are very affordable. I purchased mine from Bits & Bits ( Spring Loaded Diamond Drag Bit for Engraving - BitsBits.com ), and as shown in the photo below, it produces a permanent, durable engraving in metal. It may not cut a full 0.25mm deep, but think the results look fantastic.
Ah sorry I should have specified I am milling dual color limacoid material which is a plastic
The white surface is only about about 0.1mm deep, A drag bit may be able to scratch through it but it would not look good. I have to mill through it using a 0.4mm endmill that has a very limited depth.
Your metal engravings look fantastic by the way, I will definitely look to do that if any metal tags come my way.
I am 5 sheets deep and have a few more to go before I finish the job. Having to babysit keeping my eyes on the sheet like a hawk for 3 hours is making the process very difficult. There are up to 270 tags on a single sheet for some sheets.
(And yes I need more work on my packing algorithm took a week just to get it that stable, but that is also 3 seperate stations which need to be bagged separately)
Side note I found this, even if I cant get it to work directly on the masso (which some more reading I think I can) I could try something like this, might even work with my existing controller for now until I can get the upgrade
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