russ
New Member
Posts: 16
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Post by russ on May 10, 2019 23:35:07 GMT -5
Hey all,
I’m a brand new CNC enthusiast and looking to you guys for help on what is probably a real easy fix. Got an an AR6 and went to run the built in surfacing program AR6SFC.MMG after homing the machine, zeroing x and y and setting z using the puck. The controller showed x and y at 0 and z at +85.00. Ran the file and the bit never came down to the surface even though it started to run the x and y path. I tried re-running the program and got a z- limit soft error. Can’t seem to get my bit any lower than the height of the puck when I originally zeroed it and the surfacing program on internal memory wont run now. I think I messed up by pressing z = 0 after using the puck. Hopefully someone is reading this and knows what I’m try to say and what I did wrong. I knew I would have a learning curve, but....
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Post by gerry on May 11, 2019 2:05:08 GMT -5
Where does everything go when you run a power on HOME (HOME key immediately after power on)? You should go to X,Y=0,Z=max Height. Does the Z move when you hit Z-,Z+? When you touch-off the puck to the spoil board, then use the Z- to move the bit to barely touch the spoilboard, does it now read ZERO?
Is your bit tight in the collet? The collet should SNAP into the collet nut. It should actually snap into place. You remove it by tilting the collet with your thumb. If the collet isn't snapped into place, the bit will slip.
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russ
New Member
Posts: 16
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Post by russ on May 11, 2019 9:56:00 GMT -5
Where does everything go when you run a power on HOME (HOME key immediately after power on)? You should go to X,Y=0,Z=max Height. Does the Z move when you hit Z-,Z+? When you touch-off the puck to the spoil board, then use the Z- to move the bit to barely touch the spoilboard, does it now read ZERO? Is your bit tight in the collet? The collet should SNAP into the collet nut. It should actually snap into place. You remove it by tilting the collet with your thumb. If the collet isn't snapped into place, the bit will slip. Hi Gerry,
Well after a night's sleep I powered the unit on this morning and homed it and this is what the controller read:
1X 0.000 MAUN 1Y 0.000 SOFF 1Z +160.206 F SP Continue
I went and plugged the puck in, brought the bit down to touch off and after touching the puck it raised as normal. I jogged the bit back down but the z axis wouldn't go any lower than +10.316 on the controller.
I looked at the router mount (I have the AR6 Basic with a DeWalt router) and noted that the router mount on the z axis was bottomed out and couldn't go down any further. I lowered the bit in the collet to what I felt was the furthest I would want to go safely and was able to get it closer to the spoilboard but not all the way down to touch it.
It looks like the router is not long enough or the surfacing bit shank length is just too short to do a resurfacing operation because it hits its lower limit.
I think I have to compare router models now and see which would sit lower in the mount to accomodate the Amana bits I got from Axiom. Doesn't look like the DeWalt will do it. Or, look for bits with extended shanks and return what I bought to Axiom. What do you think? Hope this makes sense.
Russ
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Post by gerry on May 11, 2019 11:39:09 GMT -5
Can you move the router down in the mount? It may not be seated all the way down in the mount. Call Axiom and see what they have to say about that.
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Post by stevem on May 11, 2019 13:54:22 GMT -5
It should read X, Y, and Z not 1X, 1Y and 1Z!
I believe you are in a different mode. I had this happen to me once. If I am not mistaken you need to press Menu and the 1 key to get it out of that mode and all should be fine. Page 21 of the manual.
Once you see the screen showing just X, Y and Z it should be fine.
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russ
New Member
Posts: 16
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Post by russ on May 11, 2019 16:09:18 GMT -5
Can you move the router down in the mount? It may not be seated all the way down in the mount. Call Axiom and see what they have to say about that. Router is moved down as far as it will go and the bit was extended as far as I felt to safely run it. Would not make contact with spoilboard.
I ordered a 1/2 and 1/4 inch extension adapters from Amana which will get here Tuesday. A bit pricey but what isn't. That will get my bits down to spoil board level where I will be able to have my z axis back within limit for running the AR6SFC.MMG file in internal memory.
Perhaps a porter cable or bosch router would have been preferred (if the motors are longer) but I didn't know this when I bought the DeWalt. Short of trying a different router, the extension bits seem to be the most workable solution at this point.
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Post by stevem on May 11, 2019 21:07:17 GMT -5
It sounds like the Z axis limit switch is not set rite. The spindle doesn't need any extension at all.
With any bit installed in the spindle, it should be able to touch the spoil board when you have the Z all the way down.
Check that before doing anything else.
When you raise the spindle up, does it go all the way up?
I have the AR4 Basic and I had a Bosch 1617 EVS router mounted on it. If I remember correctly, the router was mounted about half way down in the mount. With a router bit installed, it would always move down far enough for the bit to touch the spoil board.
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johnb
Full Member
New owner @ March 2019, AR16 Elite, Aspire, 4th Axis & Laser
Posts: 326
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Post by johnb on May 12, 2019 10:04:47 GMT -5
Regardless of what may or may not be wrong in your approach here, I would think that one would be wise to carefully consider the advisability of a "bit extender" in a CNC setup. Lateral forces applied to a coupling that is designed primarily for strength in compression might yield disastrous results.
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Post by Axiom Tool Group on May 13, 2019 15:30:08 GMT -5
We run into a few Z- limit errors on either the Basic machines due to shorter router motors and shorter tooling....or the Pro series where the spindle is adjusted too high in the mount for use with shorter tooling.
With the Pro machines, its an easy fix...just lower the spindle in the mount.
Sadly with the Basic machine, the motors can not be lowered any further, so either a longer bit is needed or the material needs to be elevated. In discussion, we have also noted that while the Bosch and Porter Cable 3.5" router motors fit our clamps very well, the Dewalt motors do not.
The Dewalt motors fit, but the shape of the top end of the motor housing prevents the motor from being installed to the same depth as the other supported options...thus further decreasing the reach. Unfortunately that means that you need to try extending the bit farther or using longer tooling.
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russ
New Member
Posts: 16
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Post by russ on May 13, 2019 22:54:19 GMT -5
Thanks to all who had suggestions and thanks to Chad at Axiom for addressing this with me.
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