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Next step is to figure how to control an engraving last (3w) using the hardware I have. I know Mach can do it with a plugin, but in respect of the BOB and whether I need another PWM driver etc.

I...

Thanks, I hadn't tried setting the home switches to also be limits, but when it occurred to me I wasn't sure if that's something people normally do?

I'll set them when I get home tonight though as...

Well, I finally made the machine carry out its first cut just now and nothing went horribly wrong thankfully.

First things first, I made mounts for 3 home switches and fitted them to the zero...

Good idea thanks!

Had a fault with the auto zero with the height the tool was retracting after I put in the code from an instructable/youtube video.

I've sorted it and it was fairly obvious actually. I had a tool...

Thanks

No, I haven't joined there yet (at least I'm pretty sure I haven't yet!) but I'm sure I will be doing.

I've made a probe and wired ito to pin 15 on the bob:
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I've enabled it as active low in the inputs screen.
I've set up one tool in the tools table, although I don't have all the...

Thanks for the info - it's really helpful and appreciated.

I did get it figured out in the end cheers, and here's an awful quality clip of the 'action':
...

Thanks guys - that was exactly the problem!!

I was watching a youtube video for this seeing the mouse click from one field to the next so I was doing this but obviously the guy was hitting enter...

I've finally got my machine set up and running now in Mach3, it has soft limits, is calibrated and homed etc, so it's ready to roll basically (Estop installed!!), but I want to try making it just...

Update - the steppers get to 40C max it seems, this has been constant for some time now but it's all been running for several hours. Doesn't seem unreasonable I don't think.

I have set up soft...

Well it's still behaving perfectly now. So far anyway....

So I've now calibrated the axes.
Was quite amazed that the X axis moves 0.01mm out over 20mm, so about 0.4 thou out over 20mm. I...

Never mind - I believe I have it fixed now. I think it was interference between the power feeds to the drivers, and the signal lines to the drivers. I moved them apart slightly and it began working...

Update - I think I may have resolved this fault, at least temporarily. I've just moved some wires around in the box a bit, to try and put a little space between the power feed from the PSUs to the...

I've read that wiring faults or interference can cause this sort of behaviour after some searching.

I can't find any issue in the wiring re' connections etc, and while I could accept say one of...

Well I managed to get everything hooked up to move all 3 axes moving with manual keyboard commands, which is good, and the newly fitted Z axis appears to work nicely.

HOWEVER.....

There's some...

Bugger, thanks for saying though Hoss.


I've ordered a 5m parallel cable so I can hook up to the pc on the opposite side of the garage. Would much rather have the machine next to the mill though...

Right, everything is secured on the Z stepper now.

The case for the electronics is coming on now too. I'm hoping that tonight I can get the rest of the wiring finished and try plugging it all in...

Ok, so the Z axis is now fitted, and I just about have the stepper attached.

Here's the bits at the top of the Z ballscrew and its a bit of an awkward shape to fit the stepper mount to....

Thanks Hoss, I hadn't seen the pages with the enclosure like that. Wow, that's impressive!
I'll have to figure something out.

Well I got the Z axis mounted now, I just need to make a bracket for...

BTW Hoss, if you happen to read this, I see from the pics on your page there's no coolant tray under your machine - do you run without coolant and is this ok to do?

99% of the time it'll be...

Update - the ballscrew/nut and the end bearing blocks plus ballnut housing block thing came today so I'm really excited now to get the hardware together for it.
I need to make 2 adaptor plates to...

Actually, after a bit more looking, this ballscrew looks a much better bet as it includes a nice housing for the nut to help attach to the milling head for the same money basically.
Plus it says...

I have got an idea now for the Z axis that I'm going to do it at the right side of the column, using a 400mm ballscrew (as below), and I'll knock up the necessary brackets for this. My mill already...

Now we're in business! X and Y axes are now armed & fully operational, running on bearings, and seemingly smooth enough too. No idea how I'm doing the Z axis yet.
Time to get researching (goes off...

Et voila:
YouTube

Well I'm a little ashamed to admit what the failure was (other than my brain of course), but it was somewhat more fundamental than that.
I was right in thinking along the lines of a communication...

Really? How dumb of me - I could have sworn I had that open last time but I guess not. It's ages since I tried it though.

Me goes off back to the garage to try again - thanks Hoss!

I've put the saddle back on to test it now and see if it binds at all or is correctly aligned, but I can't get a pulse to the steppers now for some reason. I've wired everything back as it was...

Ok, it's on at last!
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:D

Next thing is to refit the saddle, then try to get the alignment correct so that it turns all the way from end to end without any binding.