Originally Posted by
adprinter
Gravity is a powerful force to be reckoned with. When you start mounting things like the linear rails, and the trucks for your gantry, it's best to have things oriented as near to perfectly level as you can achieve. Then, the only force your steppers are fighting is the actual weight of the gantry (and whatever tool you are using, such as a Router). Linear rails which are NOT mounted perfectly level, will introduce a strain on the steppers, when driving the gantry in whichever directly is "up hill". And then tend to cause the gantry to "coast" when traveling in the opposite direction. This would make motor tuning the stepper motors a nearly impossible nightmare! The best results are achieved, when "all things being equal" is applied (particularly where motor tuning is concerned). Just my 2 cents worth....