Don't think they changed, but than again i should just check to be sure! and yeah i used mm. To be honest i didn't calibrate my machine cause from the start it was spot on and only now after 20+ cuts i get this. So i didn't even bother (i know stupid me trying to cut corners) But thanks a lot for your reply and i'm going to check it out once i get home.

Thanks Craig!

 

Ok so I am confused again. I just bought shielded wiring to ground the CNC since I was having issues with the board. Sometimes things would work and other times it wouldn't. So how do I go about grounding my CNC? I am so close to chucking this electrical setup and go with something compatible with MACH3. I've gone thru the github page for the CNC xPRO and theirs nothing on grounding. I'm not sure what I am doing wrong....Why am I not getting this piece of **** kit to work....
1) I checked voltage
2) I checked wiring
3) I rewired everything with new wire and solder.
4) replaced the xpro v3
5) replaced steppers
- but: my limit switch's don't work, my probe don't work, the positioning of my x/y is not working.
- steppers are intermittent and sometimes work and other times do not. I have to shut everything down and reboot the system completely.
- I followed instructions on the C-beam video and I haven't made a single thing from this crap machine.
Absolutely frustrated

 

Hello
Thank you for responding. I found that I need to look into #2

I have used the machine to draw that indian provided in the sample files. But aside from that, it has not done anything else aside from manual movement. Thank you for the links to grounding I have already read it. My understanding was that I had to ground the mobo also? Since my enclosure is all wood, and CNC frame is aluminum kinda don't know how to proceed. I'll reread the document I'm sure I missed some information.

The other problem I am having is the steppers. They sometimes work and sometimes don't. The x would go out or the y would go out while running a g-code file. I don't understand this since I gave proper voltage per the x-carve github site. It got so bad that both steppers just permanently went out and would not turn back on after rebooting the entire system. Thus I swapped them out and now the new steppers are showing same symptoms. So I replaced the mobo and same issues persist. As soon as I am able I'll upload pictures of my wiring.

 

I am building my C-beam machine and I came up with a variation that increases the z height by 20mm with the stock components. I am wondering if this is wise and will the change affect the accuracy.
My change is to put the 20x60V channel on top of the rear crosspiece rather than behind it..

Ideas?

Stan

 

I was able to square the 250mm sections by sanding the ends on a piece of 220 grit sandpaper on a flat surface. You can check squareness by standing both pieces on end, aligning the bottoms and seeing how far off the tops are. Rotate one piece 180 deg and recompare. Sand the end of each leaning toward the high side. You will need to do this until both the long and short sides are square. It only took me about 15 min.

Stan

 

Ok I'm back. Was tied up with school and now am free again.

Things I am still having issues with.

1) intermitent working steppers.

I have stopped using the limit switch's and probe like you suggested. But I am still having the same issues.
What now?

Gus

 

I have a CNC xPRO v3. I don't have a fan on it, I have extended wires to place it on the outside of my enclosure. Ugh...I want to switch to something else. I give up on these crappy boards....

 

I have gone back and sheilded my wires via this video: I have no idea if it's correct. I imagine I have to have a ground wire that goes from the foil to a earth ground on the 3rd prong of an outlet.

Also I am pairing the wires of the steppers. I am hoping this will solve my issues.

 

Hi all. I have seen some posts about mild steel in the thread but thought that I would try again. My C-Beam is just great. I have been making key chains and fidget spinners out of aluminium with no problems at all.

I fancy making a small pocket knife out of 1095 annealed (softened) high carbon steel (NOT stainless). I use a variable 1.1 kW Kress spindle (1050 FME-1).

GWizard suggests 0.6mm depth of cut, 110 mm/min at 5000 rpm.

Do you guys think that the C-Beam could cut the outline of the knife? To be honest, I am sort of afraid to try :-(

Any ideas/suggestions and/or most importantlly, WARNINGS?

With thanks,
David

 

Can someone please help me! I built my C-Beam about a year ago and I'm having the hardest time trying to get it to work properly. I am trying to use Grbl panel release 1.0.3.0 with Fusion 360. I have an Arduino uno with a V3 shield. The problem I'm having is in trying to cut a simple pocket, 1" dia x 1/8" deep with maltible depth of cuts. The first cut looks great but when the bit retracts and moves over to start the second depth of cut it rapidly plunges into the part and at other times it will start the second cut in a new location. I have checked the code and the code appears to be correct. I have a 2.2 kw spindle with a cutting speed of 15,000 rpm and feed of 20 inches per minute and entry speed of 8 inches per minute. I am at a loss and ready to give up again.

 

My C-Beam machine is missing steps on the X and Y axes, especially the X axis. If I jog 10cm to the right at 100 mm/s and return at 1000 mm/s I end up about 1cm short of where I started. I get the same problem going at 50mm/s and returning at 100mm/s, just less pronounced.

I'm using an Azteek X5 Mini WiFi controller running Smoothieware. It has the same DRV8825 motor drivers as the recommended xPRO, so theoretically there shouldn't be an issue there. The stepper motors make an unbearable high-pitched whining sound and the heat sinks on the motors get too hot to touch.

People on the Smoothieware IRC told me that my motor drivers are far too small for the NEMA 23 standard (not high torque) steppers included with the C-Beam kit. They recommended the DQ54MA external drivers instead.

Will I just have to bite the bullet and buy the DQ54MA drivers, or am I doing something wrong with my machine? What I've tried so far with no noticeable impact:

• Loosening up the drive mechanism. I reduced the V-wheel preload, took out the anti-backlash tension in the nut block, and made sure I didn't have too much preload in the leadscrew. I can easily jog the X and Y axis
  
• Pointed a fairly powerful fan at the motor driver heat sinks.
• Let the machine cool down overnight (not plugged in), then ran the test (with fan) as soon as the machine was powered on.

Thanks!

 

Howdy,

Not sure this is a C-Beam issue as much as a Fusion and G-Code issue. This topic may need to be moved to a new forum?

Sounds like it's less in your "code" and more in the feeds and linking settings in Fusion 360. There are a couple things that you said that have me thinking this is the issue.

"The first cut looks great" - what strategy are you using? Adaptive 2D? Adaptive 3D? Pocket? The reason this is important is that you need to look into the "Passes" and "Linking" tabs in Fusion. Your stepdown depth at each pass could be too dramatic. Second, your "Ramp Feedrate" sounds like it's not set correctly.

The second cut starting in a new location is a strange one. I assume there's nothing odd in the Simulation animation for the cuts. There could be a lot revealed there if you haven't been watching the operations before you post the code.

 

Hello, new member here seeking some help/advice.
I need to produce a single 35 diameter counter bored hole in a piece of 25mm thick plywood, my concern is the piece weighs around 5kg. Is there a safe working load for the C-Beam machine, I can't find any information about the what the maximum weight the machine can handle.
I am about to order the full kit but just wanted to check.

Any help and advice will be gratefully received.

 

Hi guys. I did not read every post. Is it possible to increase the Z travel to 6 inches useable? I want to cut foam fuselage for rc planes, and I will need at least 3 inches in Z. Extending Y looks pretty easy, or cuts can be made in sections there. My other option is a mini mill and lots of sections.

 

its possible, just increase vertical extrusiuon length, you will likely get more deflection this way, add as much hardware as you can to keep everything rigid

 

What controller are you using with the DQ542MA drivers?

 

So a couple of years ago I bought a c- beam And built it. But never hold it up. Life got in the way and the project was dropped. Shop now me and a friend are going to each build one and I have returned to to forum for safe advice and wisdom. I have a tiny g controller I will be using but don't remember anything about how to set it up. Guess study is in my future

 

Fantastic thanks. I just could not remember. My friends and I are going to use these machines to make pieces for our high power rocketry projects.

 

I have some c-beam actuators on the way. What is required to turn them over and keep the c channel down. Looking to mount my work surface to the back side. Parts list would be great. For just one.

OK I just found the info I was looking for. It is the C-Beam Gantries. https://openbuilds.com/attachments/x-gantryass-v9-png.18622/

 

Help. I am getting totally confused with my co-ordinates. Due to space considerations I had to swap the stepper motors on the X and Y axis so my C-Beam Plate Builder could fit in to a corner.
Now.. Z works fine as I have not ad to configure that but my X & Y are weird. I did a simple "hello World" and the writing came out rotated 180 degree's in the X axis.
This is my Config file

$0 = 10 (Step pulse time, microseconds)
$1 = 255 (Step idle delay, milliseconds)
$2 = 0 (Step pulse invert, mask)
$3 = 4 (Step direction invert, mask)
$4 = 0 (Invert step enable pin, boolean)
$5 = 0 (Invert limit pins, boolean)
$6 = 0 (Invert probe pin, boolean)
$10 = 6 (Status report options, mask)
$11 = 0.020 (Junction deviation, millimeters)
$12 = 0.002 (Arc tolerance, millimeters)
$13 = 0 (Report in inches, boolean)
$20 = 1 (Soft limits enable, boolean)
$21 = 1 (Hard limits enable, boolean)
$22 = 1 (Homing cycle enable, boolean)
$23 = 7 (Homing direction invert, mask)
$24 = 500.000 (Homing locate feed rate, mm/min)
$25 = 500.000 (Homing search seek rate, mm/min)
$26 = 255 (Homing switch debounce delay, milliseconds)
$27 = 5.000 (Homing switch pull-off distance, millimeters)
$30 = 255 (Maximum spindle speed, RPM)
$31 = 0 (Minimum spindle speed, RPM)
$32 = 0 (Laser-mode enable, boolean)
$100 = 800.000 (X-axis travel resolution, step/mm)
$101 = 800.000 (Y-axis travel resolution, step/mm)
$102 = 800.000 (Z-axis travel resolution, step/mm)
$110 = 500.000 (X-axis maximum rate, mm/min)
$111 = 500.000 (Y-axis maximum rate, mm/min)
$112 = 500.000 (Z-axis maximum rate, mm/min)
$120 = 100.000 (X-axis acceleration, mm/sec^2)
$121 = 100.000 (Y-axis acceleration, mm/sec^2)
$122 = 100.000 (Z-axis acceleration, mm/sec^2)
$130 = 500.000 (X-axis maximum travel, millimeters)
$131 = 360.000 (Y-axis maximum travel, millimeters)
$132 = 200.000 (Z-axis maximum travel, millimeters)

Everything from $24 on is ok. I use microstepping and the co-ords are ok.
I would like Home Position to be Bottom Left.. When I put the spindle to that point I am reading X -495, Y -355. The plate is at the front of the printer and the X is on the left hand side.
I also use homing switches so $20 to $22 are ok.

I believe the values $23, and $2, $3 are my problem but as the bed moves in the Y axis I am stumped.

Can anyone help me..
Many many thanks in advance.
Dave

 

Where would be a good place to list my C-Beam for sale?

 

The cbeams are 250 and 500mm long and the lead screws are the same length. But on assembly video the lead screws are few cm longer than cbeams. What are the exact sizes??