Hey guys I got my mk up and going. However I keep running into a problem with my x axis. First time it was the belt was a little lose. I fixed that and it was working good for a little while. Then my pully slipped on my stepper. I reset it and thought that I was good to go. Well that seem to not be the case it slipped once again. I reinstalled in back on the flat section this time with some locktite on the set screw. But once again when testing it the pully started to slip. Is there something that I am over looking. Thanks ahead of time guys. I cant wait to get this thing running to its full potiental.

Tom

 

You can buy some 8/32 "socket head" style set screws at Home Depot for a few cents. They have a larger head on them which allows you to tighten them down as much as you like.

- Jeff

 

Thanks Jeff, I figured out what we did. When went to put the pully on last night it showed in the forum that it was moved alittle closer to the motor. I guess when we aligned the pully we went alittle to far and I thought we were on the flat spot but we were just a hair past it. I will get some of those screws tomorrow. As I am having a hard time getting it to lock down. I will also get an allen that will fit up in the bottom alittle better.

Now just to clearify that is the thread size right.

Thanks
Tom

 

You might want to file the flat on stepper down a little closer to the motor housing. You want the pulley to fully seat onto the shaft so that it does not overhang past the end of the shaft. If I remember correctly, the flat spot is not quite far enough back and the set screw was almost sitting on top of the edge where the flat started.

I put a larger stepper motor on mine and don't remember if the original had the flat spot in the same place, but I did file mine down and it locks in tight now.

 

Haha, good thing you asked for clarification, cause I was wrong! Here is a direct quotation from Crash's thread (which I used to find the thread sizes, and they worked for me):

"I've had an issue with those small grub screws that secure the pulleys to the stepper motor shafts on previous PhlatPrinters. It seems that you just cannot get them tight enough to not slip off the flats of the shafts! Just about the time you've got the set screws almost tight enough, the hex key strips out in the head of that little stinkin' screw! On the Z and X pulleys, I took out those little grub screws and replaced them with conventional 6/32 stainless steel 3/8" long machine screws. This allows you to use a hex key three sizes larger to properly torque down the set screw thus eliminating the chance of stripped heads on that set screw and the pulley slipping on the shaft ever again. If you feel the need to do this on the Y pulley, you'll have to get an 8/32 x 3/8" machine screw. (see my pictures below)"

I found mine at Home Depot in the hardware section in the pullout drawers.

- Jeff

 

Thanks Jeff about to make a run. I will get some of each just to be safe. It looks like only my Z axis is slipping. But i havent cut anything really to test the other ones good enough to know for sure.

Tom

 

Hey Mark what pulley will I need to look at for this. Are you talking about the stepper pulley or the roller ones.

After spacing the rollers today and changing out the set screw with a better one. I was able to make a few cuts today. For the most part it seems to be going good. However I am still getting a skip here and there on the rollers. Let me know exactly what I need to look at tomorrow so I can give it another go.

Thanks
Tom

Oh yeah btw this cutter is awesome I am sure that part of the problems that I am having is self induced my my lack of knowledge with these machines.