[bdsorcic]

I hace been trying to adjust every axis to be properly planar and perpendicular to the other axes, and I am having one heck of a time just doing that. I must of had taken the damn thing apart thousands of times only to find something else that is off measurement. Today I think I have it, the left Y Axis is only .003 - .005 higher than the left Axis, and I am happy with that. The X asis is fine, but I spend considerable amount of time fooling witht he z azis, the mounting plate is a major joke! Holes were drilled at least .010 off one side to thae other and the rails were not straight.I had a friend mill me a new plate, and I have the K2 CnC Porter Cable 7310 router plate on order(it is the same as the Dewalt) as the one bolt hold down is a joke too! I had both of the Y axis rails off and after shiming the Aluminum T slot to be planar and perpendicular to the table I adjusted the rails, they were also way off ! after all that I cut a 20 X 30 Square .25 inches thick and the cuts were even all the way through, before I couldnt get a straight through cut on the left side on .25 stock, but the right side was okay. I guess I have every thing in order now?? Oh God I hope so !!!!

[bdsorcic]

Wanted to pass on some useful information on to all you PCnC owners, since I wanted to move my PC away from all the chips and dust of the router I decided to get a joystick to do all set up the work. I got me a XBoX360 Wireless Controller and set it up using the Xbox360 Controller Plugin off of the Mach3 webiste. It is working pretty good and with the help of Lee Davis I was able to program the controller to allow me to use the "Auto Tool Zero" feature remotely which I find extremelly useful. Lee Davis (a genius) was kind enough to decode the PCnC.set file for me and give me the Macro that PCnC used for the "Auto Tool Zero" feature. If any of you ever get a Joystick or pendant to use with your mill the code below will be useful for you to save as a macro and program it into your Joystick or Pendant. Hope you find it useful and much thanks to Lee Davis.
"Auto Tool Zero" Macro for the PCnC Router.

PlateThickness = ".322" 'Z-plate thickness DRO
If GetOemLed (825)=0 Then 'Check to see if the probe is already grounded Or faulty
DoOEMButton (1010) 'zero the Z axis so the probe move will start from here
'Code "G4 P5" ' this delay gives me time to get from computer to hold probe In place
Code "G31Z-6 F10" 'probing move, can set the feed rate here as well as how far To move
While IsMoving() 'wait while it happens
Wend
ZProbePos = GetVar(2002) 'get the axact point the probe was hit
'Code "G0 Z" &ZProbePos 'go back to that point, always a very small amount of overrun
'While IsMoving ()
'Wend
Call SetDro (2, PlateThickness) 'set the Z axis DRO to whatever is Set As plate thickness
Code "G4 P0.25" 'Pause for Dro to update.
Code "G0 Z0.5" 'put the Z retract height you want here
Code "(Z axis is now zeroed)" 'puts this message in the status bar
Else
Code "(Z-Plate is grounded, check connection and try again)" 'this goes In the status bar If aplicable
Exit Sub
End If

[bdsorcic]

I am still not statisfied with the way the machine performs. I finally worked up the guts to take it all apart again and this time I gutted the whole Z Axis head assembly. Gee, I can not believe how that hillbilly put that poor thing together, if you look at the attached pictures you will see for yourself what a crappy job he did. The head assembly Absolutely needs to be replaced! Oh boy were we ever fooled into buying such junk from that hillbilly! I am making a wooden copy of the head assembly and then will see if I can get a aluminum one made for me by someone. Enjoy the pictures and just look how sloppy the assembly is. Bill never bothered to deburr the holes and he used double plates under where the motors mount. Notice the missed welds, the whole thing flexes like paper and how banged up it is, I wonder how anyone can ever have such guts to sell someone such junk??? By the way, do any of you know a good Aluminum fabricator that can make me a new head assembly out of the pattern I will provide? Any one on CnCZone whom is good with aluminum? Will appreciate any help I can get!

[luthier]

I was wondering if we could replace the 3 wheel carriage with a 5 wheel carriage? Do you think that would offer some more stability with 2 adjustable wheels instead of one? When I took my side cover off, things shifted a bit and tighted up....That helped but it wasn't great. We would lose a few inches of Y if we did that though. Are you sure it would be worth it do make a new head. I have a guy who is a machinist that is pretty darn good if you need a name.

[bdsorcic]

Hi luthier,
Well, I dunno if a 5 wheel assembly will help, it could, some one just needs to try it. The head flexes so much when under pressure ( I can actually see it) . I feel it needs to be replaced with something more solid all because of the design of the machine. The motors are in the housing and that creates force, the head needs to be solid and move straight when it gets the command to. What I am thinking of, actually am going to do is add another track and wheel to the 30 30 T-slot where the black band and blue tape is now. That will make it a 3 track Y axis, and with a stronger head it should have excellent X and Y movement ?? Yeah I am all new to this and pray that I am doing the right thing, and that is just my idea on how to improve the darn machine! Oh yes Please email me your machinist friend's email or address I will keep that in mind and when my wooden pattern is complete I will ask him for information. Thaks!!

[SparksStudios]

Here's another item that I wonder if people have noticed. Has anyone looked at their "about Mach3control" and looked at who their copy is licensed to?

The machine serial number in the license description is not the same as the machine I purchased. Not sure if it really matters, but what do you think?

[bdsorcic]

Mine matches.... However I e-mailed Mach3 tech support and requested a License under my name. They mailed me a license with my name as owner.
Looking at the name PCnC Automation makes me puke! I removed everything that has that name on it !!!! :cheers:
you can contact Scott Nichols to get the same if you want.
Contact Info...
Scott Nichols
License Manager
www.machsupport.com

[SparksStudios]

I am checking the Mach3 forum to see whether or not any changes need to be made with the software settings when going from bipolar parallel to bipolar series.

gjp,
After reading your adventures on here, I went and pulled the covers off my machine and wouldn't you know; I have 8-wire Keling motors like yours, wired as bipolar parallel.

I can see that the fix is fairly simple but since you have already gone through this, I have a couple of questions.

Have you noticed a performance hit after going to series?

Did you find any other changes that needed to be made besides the wiring? i.e. Mach3? or re-tuning pots on the Rockcliff board?

Really glad you put this issue up on the board here. Would have been so pissed if my controller burned up and then discover Bill isn't providing customer support anymore.

Why would he have wired it up like that in the first place? Was he thinking that more Amps = faster machine? Looks like he was trying to build-in future service calls.

-Taylor

[SparksStudios]

Mine matches.... However I e-mailed Mach3 tech support and requested a License under my name. They mailed me a license with my name as owner.
Looking at the name PCnC Automation makes me puke! I removed everything that has that name on it !!!! :cheers:
you can contact Scott Nichols to get the same if you want.
Contact Info...
Scott Nichols
License Manager
www.machsupport.com

Thanks Brian,
I emailed Scott and he fixed me up with a new license file right away. No problem at all.

[gjp]

Hi Sparks,

We haven't noticed a hit after going to series.

Our trim pots on the board are set to about 1.25 A (our multimeter measures 2 VDC, as shown on the trim pot adjustment page in the board's manual). That is the way the board was set when it arrived from Rockcliff. Everything has worked fine.

Nothing needed to be changed in regards to software. It was all a matter of re-wiring the motors, moving the wires from the old board to the new board, and then go nuts.

For those interested in seeing the damage, and I'm pretty sure you all are, because I mentioned stuff blowing up and catching fire, then check these out:

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5975/dsc01770kn.jpg
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/4784/dsc01773j.jpg
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/8440/dsc01771d.jpg

I cannot speak for Bill because I am not a mind reader, but if I had to guess I would say his goal was to build fast machines.

[SparksStudios]

gjp,
Wow, those numbers seem pretty low to me. I set all my trim pots to 3.4V at the designated check points, to get the 2.1A rating for the motors in bipolar series mode.

Everything seems to check out ok, except in high-rate travel mode on my X-axis. One on the motors seems to studder and stall at a certain point on the track. Going to play a bit with the trim pots and see what happens.

Other then that, the conversion seems to be successful.

The only other thing is I'm now more aware of some sloppy movement in the bearing rails after seeing it mentioned on here. Don't know what I'm going to to about that just yet.

[SparksStudios]

Fixed the stutter and stall I was getting on one of the X-axis motors during rapid rate travel. The problem cleared up when I tuned the pots down to 3V reference on the board, which give me 1.87A to the motors. This operates smoother then when I tried to tune them to 2.1A, which is the max. rating of these motors in bipolar series mode.

Tossed in a few before and after pics.

Now, anyone have any other fixes I can do easily that doesn't involve the use of a major machine shop?

[bdsorcic]

my order for one wisecarver 36" rail and one 3 guide wheel plate arrived today. upon inspecting the movement on the factory new rail and wheel, it was as smooth as a baby's arse with no flop at all! the ones on my machine shake and roll like jello. it is so obvious that Bill never took the time to adjust them for us and he just put them on as he picked them out of the box. I am glad I also purchased the special flat adjusting wrench to adjust the eccentric guide wheels. They are so easy to adjust with the right tool and now all my wheels operate smooth with NO flop at all! Put the new track in, and looks like I will be getting a more rigid and straight 'Y' axis ride. Did you know that Bill used two 3 wheel guide plates instead of one 5 wheel plate for the gantry 'X' asis movement? I was surprised myself and thought he used a 5 wheel assembly, but no! I am still working on the trolley head, it is coming along but will be awhile before it is complete.

[SparksStudios]

bdsorcic,
With that new rail in place, what did you do with the zero reference switch that would have been in the way?

[luthier]

Did you go for the steel wheels or the poly wheels? How much did the extra stuff cost if you don't mind telling us?

[bdsorcic]

To replace the magnet bolt (that is all it was) I used a 1/2 inch dia, adhesive backed neodymium magnet, I figure it will do the trick, if not there is still enough room between the rails to drill and tap the bolt back in its place, you will need to reposition the pick up reed switch on the head to be in alignment with the new position... see pix. Cost for the parts is as shown below, I used the cheaper nylon wheel plate, and still it is not cheap
Pricing is as follows:
Wheel plate size 1 PW - Part # UT1WPAP - $66.69 ea
Track plate size 1 – part # UTTA1, 1 Pc @ 36 inches - $43.81 ea
Size 1 wrench – part # WR1MI - $16.78 Ea.
When you add the third rail you will discover how badly out of alignment the bend metal head assembly is... as I see it there is obsoletely NO way I am able to savage the metal head and will simply just have to build a new one, it is not going to be a cheap fix but I can not think of any other choice. You should also check the side rails just to make sure they are in alignment and are the same height on each side and parallel to the table. Mine were not, they were higher in the front and lower in the back and not the same height on each side. Oh boy, everytime I see something else out of alignment I kick myself in the arse for being such a dope for buying such junk in the first place!

[luthier]

Hey Brian,
You have to remove the carriages to adjust them, right? Or can you do it while they are on the guides? I wonder if the sheet metal head could be stiffened up some without replacing it completely? Thanks.
Marty

[bdsorcic]

Marty,
Best way to adjust the wheel guides is while they are on the track, and all weight off them. That way you can feel the smoothness and resistance of the wheels against the track as you adjust them. Believe me you can get them to be very smooth and with no flop at all in any direction.
Trouble with my bend steel head is that it is not square at all! If it was square in a few places maybe I would try to savage it, but it is so out of wack that I do not think it is worth trying to bang it back into place. Maybe yours is better build than mine, mine was probably build on a Monday after one of Bills many weekend hangovers! :cheers:

[SparksStudios]

Maybe yours is better build than mine, mine was probably build on a Monday after one of Bills many weekend hangovers! :cheers:

I think mine was the last one built in Texas, Bill carried it up to Vevay when he moved. I havn't seen near the number of issues you have, (but I'm afraid to look too close!), so depending on how he numbered them, maybe only the ones above R-1010 were built using drunken high-school monkeys.

[jslade]

Hello all, new to site and sorry to say another Bill Johnson/PCNC victim. Ordered 36X48 early Oct. After many promises; no machine, no software, no Bill. Last talked to him mid January; "1 more week BUDDY" Ha! No contact since. Same old story. Seems we all got different story about his vanishing in December. Told me he was in Tx jail and keep that between us, and please don't call vetric. Kept my end of deal, now owe him no favors. I operate small 1 man wood shop and cnc was to help production, now has just added another note to pay for nothing. Have contacted Richard Lock at Switzerland County Ind Sherriffs Office and sent all PCNC transactions and full statement Urge others to do same if not already.