Maybe here?

David (CNCbasher) is into exporting steel: MechMate Laser Kit Parts in the UK

Gerald
Thank you so much (again) !
How did i miss that ??:o:o
It seems that the solution is hiding within this forum for every problem
you may have during construction, you just have to DIG.

Sergio

Motors won't turn
 

Hello again
Finished the rails (phew):D and now i'm proceeding with the gantry.
Ordered my ground flat stock from David (cncbasher) thx Gerald !!!:D and....
...... received my motors from OM. (PK296AE-SG7.2)

But the good things ended when i tried to set up my kitchen table :(

I read the whole forum, contacted Steve from PMDX (waiting for his reply) and switched so many things without the motors to even blink.
I keep joging with the arrow keys on mach3 screen but no light on step & direction leds on my PMDX.
My BOB is the PMDX-125 (flame on).

Anyway,
I have attached some photo's from my mach3 setup and the wiring of my BOB-Geckos-Motors.
Any help welcomed :o



http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...iringTest1.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...iagnostics.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...putSignals.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...torOutputs.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...putSignals.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...-PortSetup.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...figuration.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/Settings.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a.../SlaveAxis.png

And here's also my .xml file from mach3.
Attachment 8255

Regards
Sergio

Sergio, it's a little tough to tell with the fuzzy picture, but it looks to me like J1 through J4 all have the "Common" from the G203V wired to "PC+5V". The G203V manual states that "Common" should wire to Ground, so "PCGND" would be correct.

This would make your control signals reverse voltage, and you'd get no motion. Doublecheck me before you make changes.

Hi Sergio, please also try change port n pins, Motor outputs to this. 9-8, 7-6, 5-4, 3-2.
As far as I remember it is not like stated in the manual. I will check when i get back to the mm and make a print. Have a nice weekend.

Brad you were right !
I did change the wiring from PC+5V to PCgnd and did achieve movement with
the boards TEST functions.
However when i tried to control it from mach3 i still couldn't move the motors an inch.
It's so confusing.

Claus
I did tried and altered the pin orientation like you said but still nothing.

Hi Sergio, maybe you could try different printrer port cable or check if all the pins have continuity with a meter.

I don't use mach3, but I note that on the screens above, you have the motors configured against port #0 ("step port" and "dir port" at the right side of the "ports and pins" screen, "motor outputs" tab. I would have expected it to be port #1, since that's the once you have enabled at 0x378.

Brad
Correct again :) THANKS :D
I feel so dumb :o:o:o
It was like i was sending signals to outerspace :D

We got movement !!!!!:D:D:D:D:D
Thanks to all the guys helping me out.

Off to metal work again.

Glad to hear it, and I'm gonna have a beer. Keep cranking, you'll be cutting before you know it.

Well done Brad! (and Sergio) :D

I'm Back

After a long break in which my wife and i were informed that 2 (TWO) :eek:
members more are going to join this family (we have allready 1 daughter) in 6 months, i started to think of adding a bed under the MM :D.

Well i finally welded the table and turned it over !!

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...elen/Table.jpg

Sorry for the bad image quality but i just can't find my camera battery charger so i used my phone :o

And here is the possible problem

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a.../tablefoot.jpg

As we turned the table over i noticed that it's not so stable as i thought it would be.
When i punch it with medium force the table is rocking a bit (2-3 times) by 5mm or so and then it stops.
The rubber feet that i've attached they seem to have LOTS of rubber on them.
Gerald
Should i leave it like this :confused: should i change feet :confused: or should i cut the rubber in half to reduce (eliminate) the rocking ??

Sergio

Sergio

Congrats on the forthcoming additions to the family.

Once the machine starts moving, there are a lot of lateral forces and if the machine can be moved now just by pushing with your hands you may have a problem later. I suggest getting a much stiffer rubber foot, one that is designed to handle the weight of the machine. Those look more like isolation mountings of the type one would use to mount a motor or marine engine. Try one of the engineering machine suppliers for special mounting feet.

Thanks Alan

Yeah i thought that even i trim the rubber they would still not be the type of feet that could do the job i need them to do.

I'll start searching :D

Sergio

Nice progress with your Family and with the MM, too.:)

Congrats to your family new member!

You are progressing well. Keep it up!

Change to solid feet... Mine didn't move a bit.

Oh well, you DID get some time together! Congratulations!

I have some experience of soft feet on a MM and it wasn't a problem if the whole machine rocked as a solid unit. I would suggest that you leave those feet alone for now.

(My son had his MM directly above my office on the next floor (concrete) and the stepper noises were loud. Then we added soft feet to eliminate the noise and there was no difference in cut quality)

LOL :D:D:D Gerald

Well, captains consider to be very strange mammals.
We usually breed on winter time and spent half the year away from family obligations.
The rest of the time they found themselves amused working on things that they don't grow at sea and with machines that can cover up the female screams.
When both fails they seem to be hiding in Acropolis Bar or Lido Bar located somewhere in the streets of Durban.:D:D:D

Sergio

That is a very solid looking build, so nicely done. Once again thanks for the tip on the spindle bracket, it makes it so much easier if someone can identify an issue before you come across it yourself.

I'm a big fan of vibration isolation to reduce unnecessary noise so now you have me thinking about that as well.

Congratulations on your family news, another chance to pass on those multi talented genes - The world can use plenty more captains and CNC machine builders.

Regards
Ross

Thanks everyone !!!!

I will post pictures of the twins in 6 months :D:D:D
And i have found what will be my first project when i finish my MM.

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...bird_cribs.jpg

Sergio

Sergio, from now on you allways have to "think twice" ...:):):)

Almost There !
 

Finally after struggling to find some time for my MM, i've reached to the last
steps. (Wiring, Tuning, etc..)

I have enjoyed the build soooo much, and gained knowledge for things that i was completely ignorant.

Here are some pics of my almost finished MM.
More to come upon completion.

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...helen/SM10.jpg

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...ohelen/SM9.jpg

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...ohelen/SM8.jpg

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...ohelen/SM7.jpg

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...ohelen/SM6.jpg

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...ohelen/SM5.jpg

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...ohelen/SM4.jpg

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...ohelen/SM3.jpg

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...ohelen/SM2.jpg

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...helen/SM11.jpg

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...ohelen/SM1.jpg

The acrylic plates for the MM logo was not an exaggeration, but the Decals wouldn't stick on that kind of paint :mad:.

Another thing i wanted to ask is how tight must i screw the motor mounting plate bolts. (The ones that have the teflon washers).
I mean if i tight them too much then i think that the spring won't have a strong effect of keeping the pinion to the rack :confused:.

Sergio

hi.. are you going to do a lot a dust? cuz i dont see to much life to that fan over there.
thats a computer cooler system?
BTW nice paint and car.

Nicely done Sergio! You should be proud of your accomplishments. :)

Great progress!!

About as tight so that you can move the motor with one hand, but so that the motor does not fall under its own weight. It is not a critical setting.

I would build a second one and put this baby in the showroom :)


Beautiful build! Congrats!

Thanks everyone for your comments,
i wouldn't have made it this far without your help.

@ Fernando. Yes that's a computer cooling system for my chinese spindle.
What worries me most is not if i'm going to change a fan and how often,
but how long my Bruce Lee spindle is going to last.
Nothing is dustproof in a MM environment ;).

Sergio

i dont have a spindle or a MM yet.. maybe another user can tellyou if is nesecesary that system or a pump and a reservoir its enough..
iam trying to do a desing to avoid all fan coolers. dust and fast moving parts are good friends.!!
maybe replace the plastic cooler for a metal one. plastic coolers gets dirty more often. and you can find 110 or 220v fan coolers that can blow your hat! use a hat for scientific test only.

No More Cushy Feet
 

BTW i forgot to mention that the title is no longer valid since i switched
to feet with less rubber.

The small rocking is completely gone. The table is as sturdy as a wall.

You can see the stiffness of the table in the following picture where i lifted the table with a car jack from one end, for changing the feet, and the whole side went up !!:eek:

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...en/NewFeet.jpg

Gerald for once more Congratulations for your wonderfull design.