Nearly crashed my denford triac machine and not sure what went wrong, help please?

[suesi34e]

Thanks Jazz for that. I don't understand what you mean about the steps but that is due to my lack of knowledge! I will try and check what you suggest to check tomorrow and see if I can see any issues. Sorry for the shaky camera. If I cannot find anything and continue on with the job I will put a packer behind the plastic block to get the moving jaw of the vice further out of the way!

I wonder if I could have hit my shuttle with my hand or the mouse and if that did something. I seems odd that I have run the code many times since without issue. I am getting a little more familiar with mach3 I guess every one starts somewhere.

Thanks very much for now

Suesi

[JAZZCNC]

Don't worry about not understanding the Steps thing as you don't need to understand to work the machine. All you need to check is that the machine returns to Zero. If it doesn't then we'll worry about teaching you all about Steps per etc.

Regards Knocking the Shuttle then I can't see that being the cause unless you accidentally caught it before pressing cycle start and set one or both the Axis DRO's so a number other than Zero was entered into the DRO's. Then the Zero location would be differant to where you thought it was.
This is the only explination I can think of because if you was already deep into the material and the DRO changed from Zero to say +/- 5 then the machine would travel side ways.

Try this in air to see what I mean. Zero the DRO for X & Y then type 10 directly into either DRO. Then type G0 X0 or Y0 depending on which you changed into MDI input line and you'll see it moves sideways for that axis.!!

[suesi34e]

Hi Jazz,
Thank you very much mate for the help and for offering to teach me about the steps if need be.
I didn't knock the Shuttle prior to the pressing cycle start, and I am sure the X and Y DRO's would have read zero. I guess I just got a little paranoid thinking perhaps I knocked it at the point when things went wrong. I will make the checks you suggested and then if nothing show I think carry on with great caution! The tips you have given me and the thought you have given my issue have provided some reassurance.
All the best
Suesi

[suesi34e]

Hi Jazz,

I thought I would thank you for your help and let you know how I got on. I struggled to check the connections to the balls screws as there is a casting for the stepper in the way and I was not sure about taking things apart I don't understand. I set a dial gauge up (a 1" second-hand one made in China) setting the x and y to zero with the G0 moves you suggested for the x and y, the needle fell each time no further out than a thou graduation so I am assuming that is pretty good. Do you think that takes away the worry of perhaps loosing step and the coupler issue? The dial gauge is perhaps not perfect. I could attach a picture of the motor mounts if you thing I should investigate further.

Thanks ever so much you have helped me a lot.

Suesi