MODELA INSTRUCTIONS
by Scott Ananian

1) press up/down simulatanously on the modela to get it to clear whatever program it's working on.

2) always check the 'view' button! if the modela doesn't seem to be responding, it's probably in view.

3) to change bits, use the little allen wrench in 'tools' cubby. it fits the little set screw right above the bit. loosen, and the old bit falls out. put in your new bit. bits (properly, "mills") are in the cubby marked "endmills". Reasons you may want to change the mill: your piece is especially deep (some mills have larger cutting areas), you've got extremely fine detail (some mills have smaller diameters), you want smooth curves (ball-end mill) or flat-bottomed grooves (end mill).

4) the modela toolpath-generator knows nothing about tool lengths, and will not warn you if your piece is unmachinable. be careful! (measure the length of the cutting area on the mill, and make sure you are not making any cuts deeper than this)

5) you can cut all the way through your foam w/ the modela as long as you've got it mounted with doublestick tape and you've been *very* careful with your Z-axis zero! The tape is 1/16" thick, so if you cut less than that past your part, you won't gouge the bed. Also --- if you've attached your part with double-stick tape, then it won't go anywhere after it's been separated from the workpiece block. But just to be safe: Stop your "draft" cut about a tenth of an inch (for a 1/8" mill) above the bottom of your part. Wait for the finish cut to go all the way down. (It's usually safe to cut a depth equivalent to the width of your mill in one pass; i.e. if you're using a 1/8" mill you can cut the last 1/8" of depth in the "final" cut.)

6) a good way to set Z on the modela: the foam scrap left over after you make a piece is often shaped like an L. Look at the Modela player app and note how tall it says your piece is. Make a mark this height up one side of the L (use calipers to be precise). Now tape the L on the bed next to your workpiece, using the same tape you've used to secure the workpiece. This will make sure the offset above the bed caused by the tape is the same as that of your workpiece. After you've set the X and Y in the Layout menu, set Z by bringing the tool near your L and matching the bottom of the (spinning) mill to your mark. You can take the L off the tape and out of the modela now, so that it won't accidentally interfere with the tool motion during machining (especially if your L is taller than your workpiece). If you need to reset Z (something crashed, etc) just stick the L back on the tape to repeat the process.