Noticing seasonal effects on CNC results

[KukuiAlola]

This winter has been interesting for my CNC. I’m running the same jobs I’ve run all year, but tolerances don’t feel as predictable anymore. I didn’t touch the machine setup, which is what makes it frustrating and kind of fascinating at the same time.

It’s made me pay closer attention to things I usually ignore like shop temperature and how long the machine sits before the first run. Nothing is broken, it just feels like winter quietly shifted the rules.

Did colder months ever change your CNC accuracy even when your setup stayed the same?

 

[JonathanLaw]

Seasonal changes made me realize how much the shop matters, not just the machine. Temperature swings and how long it’s been sitting idle seem to show up more in winter. Nothing dramatic, just enough to remind me that consistency takes more effort this time of year.

 

[Alan]

That’s a really relatable winter CNC problem. Same program, same setup, but the results feel slightly less repeatable once temps swing. Are you seeing the drift mostly on the first parts of the day, or does it stay inconsistent even after the machine has been running a while?