I would certainly share the Full SolidWorks Assembly & Part files with the OpenBuilds Team and let them share it if they want
Drew in the parts only for my own personal use, and don't know the rules about posting CAD files of OpenBuild parts.
Maybe you can ask Mark Carew OpenBuilds Team ~ Cause I just want to respect OpenBuilds propriety wishes ... However, it would cost WAY MORE to make the parts than just buy them at the OpenBuilds Store (VERY GOOD PRICES) ... so the SolidWorks part files really don't help other than for designing new projects which would generate more business for the OpenBuilds Store, but I will honor their wishes whatever they say ... but I do think it would be helpful for those that want to design items in the computer and know what parts to order because I named all the parts with their SKU Number and Name.

CHEERS!!

 

I have some nema23 motors on the way but have a question on the C-beam kit. Does it come with everything needed but motors and controller

 

Has anyone tried double sided duct tape. It is nasty sticky stuff and a bit thicker than carpet tape. So one could use a 1/2 inch Plexiglas or acrylic bed and just cut down into the tape. Should be able to stop before actually hitting the bed.
Just a thought. I am a newbie and just kinda thinking out loud. Please feel free to correct any thing I say that seems incorrect.

 

OK thanks Jonatan Rullman. Ya I knew about the drivers and such. The cable ways are a nice touch and I will definitely be getting me some of those. I also will not be needing liquid coolant. Only will be cutting wood and thin Aluminum. I can lightly dose a layer of kerosene on the surface before starting an Aluminum cut. Thanks

 

I'd not order a VFD until you decide on a spindle, and as a person who stuck a water cooled spindle and VFD on a Shapeoko - I'd not suggest you go that route unless you REALLY are into self abuse. They are WAY overkill unless you really KNOW you must have one. A Dewalt DWP611 or the Bosch equivalent are far better choices IMO. The 300-400 watt spindles are a reasonable choice unless you plan to do a lot of metal cutting and even then, they may be just fine. It just depends on your feed rates. I've been running a 400w spindle on a small mill (a miniature Ox) that I only use to cut plates with and while you can't hog a lot off with it, it cuts just fine with the 1/8" single flute upcut cutter I use in it.

 

BTW, I should have added that I mostly cut wood, it seems . My metal cutting is always a challenge of plugged up cutters and lots of adjustments trying to get feedrates right. Recently I contacted a endmill cutter sales office and was given some numbers to plug in that work with my cutters. YMMV

 

I finally built a machine that was sized to fit the water cooled spindle;

 

Yep. Should have bought a 2kw since they can utilize 3/8 bits, but it works great for the price.

 

Not sure if I grabbed the wrong type of carpet tape - but it did its job of holding the work well, but left a residue that is a bear to remove. I need to get more strategic with my placement of the tape so that it remains mostly on the waste material - and not on the part.

 

AGAIN Mark's video is EXCELLENT and really should be followed.
These comments may reflect on how I do things more than anything else, i.e. My particular learning experiences.

Here is a mere "sequence suggestion";
Leave the Y axis assembly OFF until after the X axis gantry is mounted and reasonably squared.
It is a lot easier to handle the frame if there isn't a stepper motor that needs to somehow be hung off the front edge of the work bench - at least with MY hand/eye coordination skills it SEEMS to be easier.

Pre-load;
It isn't clear just how much Mark loosens the end blocks before locking down the lock collars, I've watched the video several times and it seems to be about 1/4 turn, maybe less.
There is another variable, just where the grub screw bites the acme thread - and as we know "stuff adds up".
It CAN grab the screw and walk it's way OUT toward the bearing, THEN you can finish up with too much pre-load.
On my Y axis assembly I had a roughness when turning the screw by hand, it wasn't at the same position every time.
I thought it might be it a bad bearing at first, or a rough spot on the screw, so I took it apart.
Each part seemed good, so I reassembled and found the trouble to be too much pre-load.
I don't think I have done any damage in less than a dozen very slow turn, but if I had left it I think there would have been premature wear.
{edit; Just thinking about this some more, a small plastic plug between the set screw and the acme screw might eliminate the "walking" - maybe, maybe not, just a thought}

Anyway, I am searching for a different way to get the right amount of pre-load.
I don't remember who posted the audio file of their machine making horrid noises, but I'd bet there is too much pre-load on at least one bearing in that machine.

I know I am doing things out of sequence, I'm going BACK to the MDF board.
If you make the diagonal as suggested there is no need to take the lead screw nut block off to sight through the center hole.
Just sight through the corner holes and pick up the diagonal lines - you KNOW it is both centered and square when you have all four lined up.

Change of subject;
I can't get universal g-code loader to run.
I suspect that my java is messed up, but it has been so long since I did anything with/in java that I'm having trouble even getting started.

BTW, the machine jogs in all the right directions by about the right amount, so I know it at least communicates with grbl-panel.


later,

 

Not sure about a specific product for label removal - but I look around. Thanks.

We have plenty of products that claim to remove this type of crap - GooGone, Goo-off. Plenty of products with Goo in the title

I use acetone for most stuff. But this glue seems to be ornery.

 

That's a huge difference in those parts! I wasn't aware there were any clones out there except the Inventable's wheels and they are nothing like the Open Build wheels. I've even gone back and replaced most of those wheels I'd bought before and replaced them with Open Builds wheels. They are far better quality.

 

I can report that using the carpet tape sparingly (as in, not COMPLETELY covering the bottom ) works really well. At least for something light like 1/8" G10.

 

@Jonatan Rullman

Just had the exact same issue in my case I had to make 5.40mm spacers to take out the deflection if you would like to message me who you got the kit/bundle from that would be good - did you get the spindle mount with the kit, any missing parts yet ??

 

Acetone should work well for aluminum. I am also thinking a quick hit with a heat gun would loosen it up and make it a lot easier to wipe off without any solvent at all. That's my next test.

 

3m citrus based adhesive remover. Pricey but good. I think you'll be surprised how poorly acetone works for this job.

I've unfortunately spent a fair bit of time removing adhesive residue in my life....

 

HELP! I am using the xpro board. All of my axis work except for the y axiz. When I try to move the y though the grbl panel software the motor just ticks once. I swapped the motor out for another with the same result. Any suggestions on what to try next?

 

Is your stepper plug wired correctly?

 

Yes. I've checked the connections several times. It is wired exactly the same as the x axis.

 

Are the steppers identical? Sorry to question this, but it really does sound like a wiring problem. One test you can try is to use a wire to jump between the first and second pin holes and see if there is a marked difference in how easy the stepper rotates by hand. A correct pair shorted together will cause a dragging of the stepper rotation. You don't even have to un-mount the motor, just unplug it from the board and short out the two pins closest to one side of the plug.

If you can't feel any difference, then you'll need to determine which wires are a coil and makes those pin 1&2, the other pair will be obvious.

You may be right and they are perfect, but I hope it's this easy.

 

have you tested the motor off the c-beam as your lead screw may be binding up, have you checked the grbl settings and/or setup the interface correctly ?

Silly question have you adjusted the current adjust for that axis ??

 

I was thinking the current pot as well. The description sounds similar to what they describe for tuning the TinyG - when the pot is turned all the way down too low.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

there are trim pots on the xpro what can bee seen here, http://openbuilds.org/builds/cnc-xpro-driver.643/ about half way down the page

 

I tried adjusting the pots last night with no luck.
I did make sure I had the pairings correct by shorting two wires and finding the poles.
Going to disconnect all the steppers tonight and start reconnecting,checking each as I reconnect. FYI it is the y axis giving me the problems. Attached is a photo of the stepper connections.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

If the board has a 4th axis driver (I thought that it did) you could swap the wires to that one and test it there.

 

I'm looking at the board photo as blown up as I can get it and bare in mind I'm not familiar with it at all, but are the motor leads on the right side reversed?? Not sure that would cause any problem apart from directional control if it were reversed.

I'd second trying it with the 4th axis. If there is a problem with the board, that might help determine if it's that. You could also hook the y stepper to the x port for a short test. If it moves at all correctly you will know that your problem is y axis driver. Connecting the x axis to the y axis port for a test would also point to the problem.

Assuming everything else is right, I'm wondering about the firmware. Could it have gotten scrambled? Perhaps a re-flash might be called for???