Frage Axis Jamming

Hello there,

I have the Stepcraft II 600 and I have just built it but I am having calibration issues right from the start.

All the axis at some point they stuck and I have to unscrew the bolts in order to make them move again but then the frame gets very unstable which is not logical.
Only the Z axis works the best but still on its lower point it starts to get wobbly moving left and right!!!!

Do I have to disassemble everything? Anyone with same issues? I followed all the instructions with the most detail I could.

Thanks
Alexandros

Hi Alexandros,

had the same issues when building my SC420/2 just recently. Z axis was fine but I was not able to run the reference test properly as the x and y axis were not able to run up to their end switches.
I was able to solve this by loosening the y axis bolts in the front and the rear panel. After that move the portal to the front of the machine using the manual drive mode in your software. Do this slowly and stop a few millimeters before touching the front panel. Now tighten the front panel bolts again. Repeat the same for the rear panel.
Repeat the steps above also for the X axis.

This helped me to get my machine running, however I assume this procedure has to be repeated whenever you reposition the machine.

Hope this'll help you

greetz
Andreas

Jog machine to end of travel with the bolts holding the orange plates to the extrusions loose

jog in and out right at the end of travel and carefully tighten the bolts back up

Thank you for your help.

What I did in the end was to play by loosening and tightening the bolts in combination with what you told me and it pretty much worked.
The only issue is still with the 'x' axis, the bolts can never be tighten all the way because then the led screw gets to tight and it can't move at all.

Can you release the setscews in the coupling sleeve between stepper motor and leadscrew - you might be able to gain a mm or so there before tightening them again.

Regarding the X axis, it could be the connector between the motor and spindle (Part 58) being fractionally to long, to check try loosening slightly the bolts holding the motor, I had the problem but simply skimmed the ends of part 58, but loosening the motor should confirm this before you do anything to Part 58.

Thank you for your help.

I tried loosening the screws but then the whole x-axis becomes unstable and it is not cutting straight.
I will try loosening the motor and adjusting the part 58 and hope it will work....

Alexandros

hope i get you right.

just lose the screws a bit. jog to the lose end. thight the screw up again. hand tight. not like a giant!
do the same on the other end. jog fast and slow fwd and rev. if the axis moves propper you're done. if not do the same again!

another point of a not working axis are to tight srews on the x/z plate! untighten the screws on the braz rolls that make the x/z plate tight to the aluminium profile. but that tight that it is not unstable! these srews are adjustable srews not for giants again!

afterwards go on with step one again!

hope i could help u

What I did in the end was to loosen all the screw (x-motor and guides) and slowly play and adjust everything until I made it work.

Now everything it's much more stable, at a very good point, although not all screws are perfectly tight.

I had a similar issue, and was able to mostly resolve it using the "level machine" steps in the manual and described above in this thread. However, on my 840 the Y axis still jams near the middle (even though it goes smoothly at both ends) at a jog rate of 100%. At 90% jog rate it goes through without issue. Do you guys think I should continue trying to tinker with the screws to get a full speed run through, or is going through at 90% without any problems good enough? If other people are able to get a smooth run through of the Y axis at 100% jog rate, do you have any further recommendations?

I'm having this issue as well in X. I have tried losing everything and doing it back up but it still jams at random places. I've played with them so much that one side are just about threaded. To be honest I'm frustrated as hell. I've had more fail project than success. I just can't trust it.

Whakahere schrieb: I'm having this issue as well in X. I have tried losing everything and doing it back up but it still jams at random places. I've played with them so much that one side are just about threaded. To be honest I'm frustrated as hell. I've had more fail project than success. I just can't trust it.

Pretty much sums up my experience so far...

After having every axis mechanically tuned to perfection, I attempted a cut. Looked great for 50 minutes then lost steps due to me not using a cutter with long enough flutes.

On my next attempt, the milling bit got stuck in the stock when drilling and caused the Stepcraft HF500 control unit power supply to fail. Return to StoneyCNC in Dublin at cost of £38 to replace. No overload protection, even just a fast rupture cartridge fuse on the unit seems a significant omission.

When I cue up another cut, the X axis starts jamming! On decoupling the lead screw I find that the motor is difficult to turn by hand until it finally freed up. However the XZ module still runs like a dream in both the X and Z tracks...

I put it all back together only to find that this time the Y axis starts jamming even though it worked perfectly before. Back to loosening the end panels and going round the loop of mechanical tuning (fiddling) again...

Deeply frustrating; I've lost faith in the machine's ability to cut even a simple toolpath and wish I had spent some more money on a fully assembled unit.

At least Rory has been supportive but I feel that given the amount of money these machines cost, there shouldn't be so much guesswork in the alignment process.

Doug