Let there be life...

[kendallickes]

Ok... I have officially brought my machine to live! I have made a couple practice cuts and have had minimal problems. Grumpygeek predicted that I would have a problem with my home made couplers and he was right… one of my X axis couplings is giving me a load of trouble. I’m going to have to rework my coupling system. One other problem is that my lead screws aren’t quite lined up correctly which gives me some binding when I get close to the ends. It’s all fixable problems and if I get time I’ll be putting a video of my first real cut this weekend! Just thought I’d let ya’ll know 

[realrouter]

Hi, for line up my lead screw with each end of Y, X or Z axis I use a dart tip for wood burning. I put the dart at the end of my lead screw with the runner about 3 to 4 inches from the end of any axis and I put pressure little bit by pussing the lead screw to make mark spot on the end wood support, that way I drill the hole very center line. To give me some ajustment at the end I drill the hole big enough to put a ball bearing and to make the ball bearing tight I roll some carpet tape around the ball bearing and pushing it inside the hole with a piece of pipe and using a bigger washer to prevent damaging the bearing.
To éliminate the space around my lead screw that is smaller than the ball bearing opening I put a washer, a lock washer and a nut on each side of the bearing. That way you can ajust or center your lead screw if it still not center line.
Before doing all that you will be able to see if your nut in the runner is ok or not.

[curmudgeon]

I may have as much time in to "fine tuning" the axes and other stuff as I do in building the basic machine. Then once you get the mechanical issues resolved, you move on to fine tuning the motors and NC settings, once you get those resolved, you start fussing with the g-code, once you get those.....