Good day folks, I built a stock OX nearly a year ago, and since the beginning I've had 0.01" of backlash on the X and Y axes. It usually doesn't matter much since I use it to build guitars and I always add a small margin to the parts to allow for sanding. Where it does cause problems is when I'm cutting inlays and inlay pockets, as well as with small circles, say 1/4" diameter. I've addressed everything on the machine that could have been loose such as the sprockets on the stepper motors and I've set up a belt tensioning system to keep the belts tight. I've checked with a dial indicator and I get a repeatable 10 thousandths of backlash on both belt driven axes. I'd like to know if this is inherent in the belt drive system (wouldn't think so) and if not, has anyone else had this issue and how did you address it? Thanks very much folks, please let me know if you need more info from me. Brian
Hi Brian, What spindle, mount, step setting, and pulley diameters are you using? What are you indicating from? Are your motors tight? Joe
Brian, Are you sure it's backlash? If you put a really small bit in it, does it zero to the same point every time? I only suggest these things because I had/have the same issue. I'm not sure mine is fixed yet. I seem to be losing steps every so often only on the Y-Axis. First thing, I marked the pulleys and shafts to make sure the pulleys weren't slipping. Then, I upped the current to my motors just a little, still within specs. I'm not sure that fixed it and haven't been in the same city with it since I made the changes. Someone suggested it's the motor controller, but I can't check that until I get back. Supposedly, the cheap controllers randomly skip steps. The weird thing to me, anyway is it only happens on the Y-Axis and is almost always 1/16". In my case, I believe that would be 64 steps, give or take a couple. There's never a problem on the X-Axis. I guess it could have something to do with two motors on the Y-Axis vs. one on the X-Axis. Any of this sound familiar? If it truly is backlash, there aren't many places it can occur. First, I would tighten the belts. I don't know how you have yours clamped, but I had to put brass shims under the screws holding mine to keep them from tearing up the belts. Once you make sure the pulleys aren't slipping, you can eliminate that. Are the carriage wheels so tight that there is too much friction? No idea what to do after that.
Hi Joe, I'm using a Bosch router mounted with a clamp I made on the machine. Running a TinyG controller at 1/8 microstepping, and the 20 tooth GT3 pulleys. I mounted a dial indicator to a vise and mounted that to the bed in order to make the measurement. I have the dial indicator measuring against the side of the collet nut. Everything is tight - motors, pulleys, belts etc. Doesn't make sense. Brian
Hi Steve, it does look off a bit when re-zeroing a small bit. I tried that before using the dial indicator. I did have problems initially with the pulleys loosening up on the motor shafts but I addressed that with larger set screws and loctite. I also changed the belt clamping method from stock to an adjustable tension mechanism. Didn't make any difference. When the belts are removed the X and Y move freely. I don't think I'm missing steps as I'm using a TinyG controller and I haven't heard that from any of the other users. Also I'm using 425 oz stepper motors with the current fairly high. I'm scratching my head here. Brian
Thanks for the info. I wouldn't have thought a belt driven machine would have backlash. Kind of surprising. What value did you have to enter in Mach 3?
I don't think I have any backlash on my OX. The X-Axis always zeros out in the same place. I'm not sure about the Y-Axis. I have the problem I discussed earlier about missing steps, but no backlash I know of.
Brian, are you aware that there is also a very high run out on the colt's collet, that may be causing inlay issues?
Hi Julius, I'm actually running a Bosch 1617 router with a precision collet from Precise Bits. I use 0.02" end mills to cut inlays so any appreciable runout would break them. I did measure the backlash on the machine with a dial indicator so I know it's there, just not sure if it can be fixed. I was thinking of retro fitting the machine to ball screws actually.
Interesting development; one of my belts recently broke, probably due to me over tightening them in an attempt to remove the backlash. I ordered 10 meters of GT3 belt from China through Ali Express. The belt arrived the other day and last night I replaced all three belts with new ones. The first thing I noticed was that the machine is quieter. It always had made a strange noise on the Y axis; that's now gone. I set a 1000 mm ruler on the bed in order to re-calibrate the controller. As I returned the machine to zero each time I saw that it is now returning very precisely to zero as far as my eye can tell. Previously the machine was visibly off and now it doesn't appear to be. I'll check later with a dial indicator to see what the actual backlash is, but I think these new belts made a difference.
The Cable Guy Sounds like there was stretch in your old belts. Perhaps over tightening your belts was the problem? Are you using the single or double method of belt drive?
The backlash was there the whole time, regardless of what the belt tension was. I use a single belt drive.
Just a thought. You might consider the 2 belt system in the future. This is simply because, it reduces the length of belt, that is under immediate tension, to just the piece which leaves the junction of the other belt and then rejoins it! That only happens when it is forced to roll over the Pinion wheels. The rest of the belt is in, a mated, rack and pinion state and not being effected by the stress.
