I sent off the broken motor and motor controller today. It will be interesting to see how long it takes to get parts back.
I really need a new way of mounting the router, because the current method eats up a lot of usable bit. So I needed a way to cut through 3/4″ ply. I tried using a regular drill bit for the router bit. That didn’t work.
So I put on the 1/2″ router bit, which is the longest one I have, and was able to carve all the way through a piece of 3/4″ ply. The results were cool, but a little sloppy. There’s a lot of rockin’ and rollin’ happening in the axes as things move around. I think that motor balance is probably a big deal.
I need a “real” end mill. Even a 1/4″ one (which is a bit wide for my taste, but would fit the collet of the router) would work. The 1/2″ bit is a real big object.
Then I got tired and sloppy and I left the Z axis too close to its upper limit before I ran a test. Pop! The transmission nut popped loose. That’s really the weakest part of the design. It took a few tries but I think I found an alignment that will hold for some time. The Z axis is working again.
Then I tried the thing again, and nearly ground the Y axis to dust. So I moved away in Y a little, tried again, and Pop! I popped the X transmission nut. I decided that I am too tired to continue tonight, and will leave the repair for next session.
I need limit switches if I am going to be doing tests near 0,0.
I think there’s a way to tell Mach3 not to allow the machine to go negative. But I am not sure what that is.
Anyway, end mills and limit switches. Need to put in an order.