Tiddy CNC.

[TonyD]

Thanks Si, yes I suspect the same, I found that thread on the Zapp site but wasnt sure what he meant by pull the plug. In any event I think I'll order another cable wait and see.

[EddyCurrent]

Eddy, I've been playing with Protune on my XP machine today. I kept getting the error that you show. After a bit of research it turns out that it is due to the file stored in RAM on the drive being generated in a different language (probably from a Chinese machine).

If you go to Control Panel - Regional and Language Options then click the Languages tab and tick 'Install files for East Asian Languages', once it is applied you won't get the error message anymore.

Si.

Si, that's an excellent find I can't wait to try it !

[TonyD]

Eddy, thanks. It does seem to be COM 1 but thats becuase I only have one physcial port on the machine and I do get someting out of it when it find a port that works. I plan to go and get a RJ12 crimp too tomorrow from Maplins and have a go at building another cable, I'll post as to my progress.. :)

[TonyD]

Thanks Lee for moving these threads under the build log.

[TonyD]

It was the Cable! Thanks all for the advice and support. :)

[firetrappe]

Glad you got it sorted out in the end Tony.

Si.

[TonyD]

So. frustration with the electronics over and frankly the "is that it?" feeling from ProTune in the rear view mirror (apart from the fault codes which were interesting and somewhat revealing) I took a look at the mechanicals again as there was some resistance/binding on the right hand X Axis. I attached the fixed and floating bearings on the frame using the link to the gantry to support the alignment and did the best I could do at the time. The problem is there is no adjustment in the design, mainly becuase it was made using hand tools/small press drill and one or two trips to people with milling machines (for the slot in the front Y Plate, and a small pocket on the inside of the Z Axis).

So I'll need to come up with some plates that allow the fixed and floating bearings on both sides to connect to the frame with some (mainly horizontal) adjustment, its about 1mm out end to end currently. More on that when I get some time..

[JAZZCNC]

So I'll need to come up with some plates that allow the fixed and floating bearings on both sides to connect to the frame with some (mainly horizontal) adjustment, its about 1mm out end to end currently. More on that when I get some time..

If it's out that much then Be very careful not to run the gantry right upto the ends as you can easily bend the screws.

[TonyD]

Thanks Jazz, I've halted all planned movement now until I sort the adjustment. I was worried I had damaged the screws so I stripped them down and thankfully they roll nice and even.

[TonyD]

<Do not pass go, do not collect 200 pounds>
So. Adjustment plates produced by laser and returned nicely, tapped OK in the laser hole but had to try 3 M4 Taps to find one that worked well. Adjustment plates assembled and fitted on one side, was getting ready to fit the other side when the movement of the gantry got my attention.

Several months ago I applied some light machine oil (3-in-1 I think) to the hiwin rails and ran the gantry on the X Axis back and forth a few times, was satisfied with that and thought nothing of it. Fast forward a couple of weeks and the oil had dried into an almost varnish like residue that was possible to remove with a scriber but left a glue like substance behind. Bottom line the oil had gummed up the rails and the linear bearings were not so much cutting through it as riding roughly over it. The gantry had become still to move and it didn’t feel smooth at all. So took one rail off today, checked the bearing block and it seemed OK. I spent about some time with light sanding paper on the frame where the rail has been bolted as there was a rim of hardened oil residue all around the rail, that done I took a wire brush to the back of the hiwin rail to remove the frame residue that was stuck there and then thoroughly cleaned the rest of the rail with degreasant and elbow grease. The rail came out really clean, the bearing I had removed ran rock solid and smooth over the rail and once bolted back in the gantry is noticeably smoother. I'll do the other side next day or so. I have already got the right type of grease for future lubrication but thought I'd post this as a warning to others of what not to do. Once that's done I'll work on the alignment of the second X Axis screw and bearings and then go back into Mach, check the connections, limits & homing and finish setting the soft limits which is as far as I got before I took several steps backwards.