How is Clearance Height Calculated & How Does One Change It?

[ivxcvi]

Hello,

The title basically says everything. I am trying to use FreeCAD to output GCode for a Maslow CNC--which has minimal clearance & Safe Height. Right now Clearance is calculated at over 21mm. I would like to have that down to 6mm. I'm just not sure what I need to adjust to do that. Documentation doesn't appear clear on that issue.

Much appreciated,

[chrisb]

Have a look at Job->Setup->DefaultValues.

[RatonLaveur]

Be careful that in FreeCAD Clearance Height and Safe Height are inverted with regards to conventional machinimg nomenclature. So double check the heights and the travels.

[Kunda1]

Welcome, please keep us updated on your progress with FreeCAD and MaslowCNC. Thanks!

[geant]

Be careful that in FreeCAD Clearance Height and Safe Height are inverted with regards to conventional machinimg nomenclature. So double check the heights and the travels.

Thanks for saying that "out loud"; this has been bugging me for years!

[RatonLaveur]

Yep, Safe height is supposed to be the height for which any lateral movement in the machine will clear both part, features and fixtures.
Clearance height is a reduced retraction used to clear features on a single work-piece or work-piece area (typically, move from one pocket to another).

An overly cautious machinist or hobbyist will probably accept Safe height as the only default parameter. A machinist more interested in optimizing cycle times (or who likes to live dangerously) will happily rapid around at clearance height.

In FreeCAD: both are inverted. Hence why Clearance Height is by default higher than Safe Height. Since the automatic generation of travels was coded this way, I would not mess with their relative positions to "try" to emulate correct nomenclature.

[ivxcvi]

Hello,

I found that my issue was that I was padding my designs in a positive direction, causing the clearance height to be well beyond the Maslow's Z-height threshold. Padding designs in reverse & sticking to default values solved my issue.

Also of note for anyone getting started with FreeCAD+MakerMade/Maslow CNC, don't forget to set your feedrates & rapid mm/s (42 for H & V Feed, 100 for H & V Rapid). After I figured out the Z-height issue, I was wondering why my Maslow stalled before the first cut. Big thanks to Walt_Moorhouse over on the Maslow CNC forums for the FreeCAD guide which has helped me overcome these issues.

Thanks!

[chrisb]

I see that there is a FreeCAD world outside of this forum. As you are active there, would you mind directing the author here or submit the following:

May I kindly suggest some corrections and improvements?

Issues:
- The sketch is created outside of a body adding unnecessary work
- The sketch is not constrained (not really a problem only an issue)
- In Step 6 you create already a body before even having a solid

I suggest:
Step 2: Open PartDesign workbench and create a new sketch. (This creates an enclosing body.)
Step 3: choose XY plane as before, but it will look different
Step 4: I would recommend to add dimensions for, lets say an 8mm bit
Step 6: move the images to the job creation step.

[ivxcvi]

Thanks for the input. I've submitted the suggestions with a link back to your post. Much appreciated!