[dfiction]

Hi!

i've got one of those nice, cheap, beige aluminum 6040 cncs that i picked up second hand—it had never been powered on, so i scored it on Craigslist for a mega sale.

I am running everything off an esp32 using esp32grbl!

It's not cutting quite right. y and z axis is working great. but the x axis is repeatedly losing steps—or it is drifting.

i'm cutting with a 4mm bit, and after 10 passes, the job shifts up to 10mm in a 28mm thick stock cut. this is over a 400mm length. i feel much more confident with the software side of errors, i'm not sure where to start in taking apart and making sure my machine is working correctly. any advice?

I'll attach a picture here. you should be able to see clearly that the x axis is drifting in one direction only.

I have also been able to replicate the problem just by using g0 x0 / g0 x400 numerous times. Jogging the machine in the air, the axis still drifts the same.

has anyone solved a problem like this before?

best
daniel

[dfiction]

no one?

[RaderSidetrack]

Post more photos -- and more information about the machine. What does the rest of that piece of wood look like? How is the stepper motion transmitted to the carriage? With all power off, can you move the table smoothly by hand? Depending on the design, you might need to remove a stepper to be able to push the table. Can you feel any irregularities in the motion?

If you don't get anywhere, one possibility is to swap the X and Y steppers around and see if that makes a difference.

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
another possibility is that the software is calling that the steppers move faster than they are really capable.
Try reducing the g1 cutting speed to 1/10th of what it is now, and repeat the experiment. If the situation improves then that suggests that either the drivers are too lower voltage or the
steppers are too high inductance....or both.

Craig

[awerby]

Try reducting the acceleration by half, at least for the X exis.

[Ashley-techprolaser]

This may be the problem with the control system or the motor drivers. Is the acceleration of the X-axis set too fast, or the motor is faulty.