[imaracingmom]

I bought a used acra mill that was converted to CNC. Thought it was a good deal, now I'm starting to wonder. It has burned up 2 gecko's so far, both on the X axis. I don't know anything about these. It's a benchtop size machine.

Thought I'd help my son, who's been laid off from work at a machine shop, and has a kid to feed. Figured, give him a way to make money on the side, instead of just throwing money at him. What do they say, give a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach a man to fish, he eats for a life time? But this mill I bought is giving the whole family a headache!

Talked to a tech person at gecko. Nice person, really nice tech person to be so patient to a Mom who doesn't have a clue what she's talking about. Tech person suspects we might have a bad motor.

The motors that are on it are OLD. They are big and round. They are nema 34, 400 oz, and 3/8th" shafts - dual shafts at that. Does anybody got any for sale out there? Used is fine if they still run. Like everybody else on earth with a sad story of tough economic times, the lower the price the better. My kid would like to convert to servo's someday, but will stay with more affordable steppers for now, while it's on Mom's loan company, until he is on his feet enough to buy better stuff.

Also, if anyone has any advice on what to check out on the machine, I'd appreciate it. I suggested the bigger hammer method of machine repair, but everybody must be over frustrated, because none of my family found that funny.

If any of you are in Minneapolis, MN area and are good at fixing, building, diagnosing these things, I know a young man who would like to be your best friend.

Thanks!
Skip
imaracingmom AT yahoo DOT COM

[jalessi]

Skip,

Ask your son if the power switch on the mill is switching the a.c. or the d.c. side.

If the D.C. is being switched the Gecko's will be severely overloaded.

There have been a number of mills wired incorrectly, causing lots of damage.

Jeff...

[imaracingmom]

Thanks Jeff, I will.

I just got up. My son is still putzing with it, trying to get things to work.

The Mill came with g201 gecko's on it. We bought a G203 and put it in the spot where the other 2 quit working. X was then working beautifully for a while. Then it stopped, started again, but messed up the part. He's just trying the parts out of wax for now.

After I feel asleep, he tried another part, It then ran the x, but the y stopped. Not sure what he messed with. But the good news is, no other gecko's fried. I have 2 here to send to the nice folks at gecko - so am crossing my fingers we don't fry any more of them!!!!

We need to figure out what all the possiblities are and eliminate them 1 by 1.

Can these motors be tested somehow? Is this something a person can do themselves, or should they be taken off the machine and taken somewhere to be tested? If you can take them somewhere to be tested, what kind of business am I looking for that would do such a thing?

Does it matter what computer is hooked up to the mill? Could it just not be gutsy enough and is bogging things down?

He is running in wax a part that he designed, so I assume that he also has to go through that line by line and make sure something's not programmed wrong there? But the "problem" is not happening in the same place everytime, so I'm assuming it's not his program.

[imaracingmom]

Jeff,
Thank-you!
Mom