[Killjoy666]

Bought it 6 months ago and at this point it's collecting dust

I got it cause I wanted to start doing case modding for Xbox 360, shell barely fits I know should have gone with 3040 but at this point it's to late to return it and seller didn't help me out with crap.

so I can control the axis with keyboard side to side and up and down that's fine, but the machine when I run a test a gcode it goes all the way to the side and starts making a ugly sound at this point I turn off the machine.

been looking and I don't think I've set soft limits and also the gcode in Mach 3 doesn't show up at all on the little path follower

if anyone can help I would appreciate it a lot!

[A_Camera]

Sound like a configuration issue. There is plenty documentation about how to set up Mach3 with a CNC so you have to start there. Don't expect to be able to run just any code, especially if it is not your code, first you must be sure that the configuration is right.

- Units used: this can be an issue. If your machine is set up for inches and the code is for millimeters then it is likely that your machine will run off the ends.
- Wrong steps per: This is also very common. You have to set it up for your own machine. The defaults may not fit the reality. Issue simple codes to test. G0 X1 moves X axis to 1 unit position, so if you have zero approximately in the center of the table than it will move 1inch or mm to the positive direction. Likewise G0 Y1 will move the Y axis 1 unit, as well as G0 Z1 will move Z. Issue G0 X0 Y0 Z0 and all the axes will return to the original zero. If that's not the case then start looking for problems.
- Configuration of the driver: Even if Mach3 has the right "Steps per" value, if the switches on the drivers are wrong the steps per unit will be wrong.

All that plus much more can be wrong. Try reading and following the manual, google if you don't have any. I include two here, one short one and one official manual (don't know if it is the latest).

[Killjoy666]

I have the machine set to mm

And I've notixe the machine moves pretty fast it isn't slow like it was in the beginning when moving side to side.

I'm sorry just really confusing oh and the gcode I've tested was the one that the Mach 3 came with for testing.

[awerby]

Your machine might also benefit from motor tuning. In config/motor tuning you can test each axis motor and set it to the values that make it move smoothly but without errors. Pick an axis, and use the up/down arrow keys to try the motor. Settle on something that sounds good, then derate it 25% or so as a safety margin. Set the acceleration at about 10% of the velocity to start with; if it works well you can try giving it more later on. Remember to press "save axis" before going on to the next one.

As Mr. Camera points out, each machine should run G-code written especially for it. A canned program might exceed your router's physical limits, try to go too fast, or take a bigger bite than it can handle.

[deucekazoo]

I have the same machine and I know your pain. It did not really come with good instructions. But I hope yours did come with a cd. Once you install Mach3 make sure you restart the computer. That is very important. I did not do this the first time and it did not work right and all the menus were in Chinese. Once I reinstalled and then restarted the menus were in English. Really helps when you are trying to set it up. Also search through the CD. There should be a folder that has names of different machines. Mine is the 3020 but the closest folder I found to it was the 3040. Double click on that file because it installs the settings for the motors. Most setup info I found online mentioned the motors being on pins 1-7. On my machine the X motor is on pins 17 and 18. It all depends on how they wired up the machine who ever put it together. It also sets the motor speed and frequency and all that fun stuff. Also this might be common sense to most people but to new people getting into CNC it might not be. The front of the machine is having the wire chain guide on the left side with the Y screw nut on the front. You will also see the spindle motor facing you. That bottom left corner of the bed is your home X Y Z. So X+ goes to the right, Y+ goes away from you and Z+ has the spindle motor going up. This might be the reason why you are hitting the machining area limit. You have your home in the wrong spot. Also when you install Mach3 it ask you what units you want to be in. I selected MM but once you open up Mach3 for the first time you have to set this again. It has English units in it as default. Its under the CONFIG drop down menu, the first option. Make sure that is set to the units you will be working in.
After this you will just have to experiment to see how the machine works. Hope some of this helps.