Hi Guys,
I read this whole thread learning new things with every post. I also have a servo 3925 machine with all the axis on thompson rails and ballscrews on the x+y. I am a CNC rookie.
My machine was seriously beat up in shipping. We had the machine crated and sent nearly assembled by freight truck. K2 did a decent job crateing the machine but a lazy driver litterally pushed it out the back of the truck. Absolutely brutal handling. With a little luck, the freight company may have bought a good portion of this machine for me.
I have a couple questions....
How quiet should the ballscrews be? It seems that they are making a bit of "tinking" noise at 75 - 150"/min. Should the machine just make a "whine" noise when operating? I am not sure if the shipping damage is causing the extra travel noise. I lubed the ballscrews with lithium grease. I do NOT think the X or Y is bound at all, powered down I can spin the axis fairly easy by hand, even with the belt on. I can even push the carriage and the servo motors spins... I think the axis is free enough, but I am worried about the noise. The Z is dead quiet even though the lead screw is bent.
Is the best method to ensure a flat base surface to simply routing a wood base flat? By chucking up a 1/2 end mill and making a zillion passes this will create a perfectly calibrated Z axis base plane. Is there a better way?
I have the Hitachi 12V router and I am looking for a 1/8th collet without using the spacer collet in a 1/4 inch unit. Does anyone make a ope-piece (no adaptor) 1/8th collet? Will a Porter Cable or Makita work in a Hatachi?
Using MasterCam and Mach 2, it seems that there is some kind of post-processor issue when completing a drilling sequence. It seems that after canning the drill cycle (G80), it starts to contour without lifting the z and initializing a rapid transit movement (G0). Any one have any tricks to fixing this issue? Right now it requires manually adding a G0 after every G80 to rapid jog to the start point of the contour cycle.
Are most of you using soft limits? Or do most put micro switches at each end?
I am sure I will have some more questions, thanks in advance for your information.
Mark