Business is booming. I've been making and selling lots of kayak paddles, and a few local (BIG) companies have tracked me down with lots of ongoing work. So far, everybody who has tracked me was through connections I made at TechShop Detroit.

I'm hunting for a building, and may be building another machine or 3. I've not found anything I like better than the MM.

Up late Chuck....:p
Glad & envy your.....growth.
Indeed. The Cnc world does have this potential to create......wonders & growth...;)
All the best....Robert

Awesome! I love to hear that someone is being successful with their MM. Keep it rolling Chuck!

Intresting. Can you put some photos of them? I am doing same job for one customer.

hello Chuck #125, i have seen that you have made a vacuum table, have you some photos to share perhaps?

Yannick.

Here'a a pic of some of my paddles.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/To...n=w512-h908-no

Sadly, I was in too much of a hurry to take pics when I built my vac table. I have 8 zones, but the table is pretty generic. I did use these valves, which I like MUCH better than the typical gate valve. It's powered by a ShopVac. Not ideal, but good enough for what I'm doing.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Nice! I see what you mean about being "busy". Thanks for the tip on the valves. Maybe you could share a picture of your completed vacuum table setup. I'm one of those still "thinking" about a vacuum system.

Chuck can you post a picture of your "Mechmate", for me. or point me to a pic on the forum?Thank you.

Never mind there Chuck #125. I found it.

Question-

A few weeks ago, I was getting mis-aligned cuts, which I tracked to a loose belt in my Y axis drive. I tightened the belt, and all was good.

I'm now getting the same problem, so I assume it's the same answer. I'm away from my machine for a bit, and just had a customer notice a stepped cut from a few days ago. (parts are still acceptable- it helps to have great rapport with customers!)

I've been running my MM long and hard- do belts have a life? Or am I just not tightening things well enough?

Cheap belts will have stretch more than a quality belt for sure. However if you did not put blue loctite on the grub/set screws it can cause this also. There is a lot of torque being applied on the pinions so I would look there first.

I do have Locktite on the grub screws (added after some slippage early in MM's life), and everything is tight. (As of when I checked 3 weeks ago). Customer says I'm out about 15-20 thou.

My belts are these from B&B manufacturing and are neoprene/fibreglass.
https://www.bbman.com/catalog/product/162XL037G

I'm ignorant of the quality of belts, and not really price sensitive. The machine has gotta work :-)

Any recommendations?

Thanks!!

Working in maintenance we found that Goodyear belts held up the longest to the abuse of heat and work stress. They were acquired by Continental a few years back but still make a quality belt.

If you have an indicator that you can use, running a test to see which axis is the problem. I am unfamiliar with your drive setup without some in depth reading. If it is a gearbox drive then a backlash problem can be present.

If your motor is mounted only with four bolts, it could be pulling it back. Mounting a small steel block with a pusher screw to keep the motor in place is a good option as well. This will keep the belt tension constant.

I'm running the 3.6:1 belt drives supplied by Metalhead.

It appears the Y axis is the problem. No detectable error in X. Most of what I'm cutting has square profiles, so it's mostly only moving one axis at a time.

Yup- only mounted with four bolts. I should have thought of the block & pusher screw, but didn't.

Thanks!! I will fab up a pusher block and bolt, and track down some Goodyear/Conti belts.

For what it's worth Mate (Chuck) !!, in my case, I tend to get this (of alignment, or out off spec) occasionally !
In my case, what cause this, is mostly on my "Y" as it get out of alignment.
Many factors I've found through time ( aside others) is, for me, being in northern east Canada, seasoning ( temps changes creates expansion & contraction ) of everything !
Metal, the concrete slab on what the machine sit, indore temps & humd changes with seasons..... on....& on !
So, in a nut shell, through all these years ( 10 now with my babe :eek: )....i've learned not to neglect recheck at least 2x per yr (if not 3 x ) the "realignment" !!

Sure, belt may be an issue?!?, not questioning that, but never had for me @_@!!

My 2ct & situation though I'd shared !
All best bud....;)