Is there a place to note assembly errors as one finds them while assembling my new Shapeoko 3 XL? A large envelope accompanied my XL, which held a Shapeoko XL Packing List and a Welcome document which gave a brief overview of the steps needed prior to use. Step 2: Assemble provide the following link: http://carbide3d.com/docs/gettingstarted/ . Opening this link offers a Shapeoko Assembly Manual or a Shapeoko XL/XXL Assembly Manual. Opening the XL/XXL Assembly Manual immediately causes questions when greeted by the sole title Shapeoko XXL Assembly Guide followed by the XXL Packing List then goes right into the assembly steps, but no other mention anywhere of the Shapeoko XL. Okay I admit they’re different in size only but what’s wrong with acknowledging that the steps are the same for the two machines with exception of the 2 piece wasteboard. Then I got thrown again, with the positioning of the cross straps, which side up? Minor issue since these parts can only be secured one way but I was thinking that the wasteboard was fully supported flush across the End Plates and not sitting on top of the cross straps. No picture or comment just the statement to “place a washboard across the straps”. Eh? What the hell is a washboard? Could this be a typo? Don’t think so since they repeat the WASHBOARD request for the other half… oh did they mean Wasteboard? Spellcheck says WASHBOARD is correct but for this guy who used to write technical documentation in his work, this sort of stuff is like fingernails on a chalkboard. With the X Y and Z carriages being shipped as complete sub-assemblies I think the worse of my problems are behind me other than fit and finish. I just took the left Y-Axis carriage out of its’ box and one of the two eccentrics looks like it didn’t fully bottom in its’ mounting hole but I’m saving that issue for tomorrow.
I always felt that the instructions were lacking on the machines Henry. It just bugs me that you buy a “precision” machine but the instructions are flawed here and there. Don’t get me wrong I love my machine. I upgraded from the SO3 to the XXL and feel quality and price point can’t be beat. And you won’t find better support than the Carbide folks. I’m just surprised that things like the "washboard’ misprint and other misprints in the instructions have never been corrected.
There is a nascent set here: https://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/Photographic_Shapeoko_3/XL/XXL_Assembly_Instructions which the community stopped working on when we were told that a new set was in the works.
If a new set isn’t announced (EDIT: day after) tomorrow (EDIT: 1 April — Carbide 3D blog post), might as well get back to work on them.
By way of comparison, might want to look at the Shapeoko 2 instructions. c.f., http://shapeoko.github.io/Docs/
I like that “tomorrow” deadline. I’m moving and going to have to disassemble and reassemble my XXL in the next couple weeks.
Make that day after tomorrow — forgot March has 31 days — 1 April, Carbide 3D blog post. Promise.
Well now you make me think it’s gonna be a joke… like the instructions already are zing!
I don’t have a sense of humor — never joke — just ask my wife.
Just the opposite in this household, no one takes me serious. Sounds like this subject has been addressed in the past, but the fact exists that documentation is an ongoing job. Is that the function of the Wiki? Can people add to and edit that resource? Just asking don’t know.
Can’t agree more, but also it reflects on your business sorry to say. I already have the Nomad 883 Pro, and even that has several misspellings in its web content but the quality of that product over shadowed for me the short comings of not proof reading what’s going up on their website.
The wiki is something of a legacy from when the project was fully opensource and the Shapeoko 2.
The documentation for the Carbide 3D Shapeoko 3/XL/XXL and Nomad 883 should all be on carbide3d.com — anything else is unofficial stuff which the community does voluntarily (to be frank, I just use the thing as my personal notebook). Anyone who wants to pitch in can send a PM to me here w/ your e-mail address, or to wikiadmins on the Shapeoko board forums and we’ll make an account.
Okay, got started on this. Synching up the wiki version w/ the official ones, and working up corrections.
Announcement still forthcoming?
Not as far as I know. The blog posts don’t always happen on the 1st of the month. I’m just tired of seeing typos and complaints.
WillAdams this Synching up stuff looks fantastic. What can we do to help? One thing you could help me with is how do I PM you? Never done that before - hey you’re teaching a very old dog here new tricks here,
Hi All,
I would like to help with my first time suggestions as well (S3 XL order 3/5/17, assembled a few weeks ago). I agree that the “official” assembly instructions are somewhat lacking with regard to the XL model, with my newbie issues being:
- Homing switch mounting details
- Wire harness lengths and routing
- Installation of dragchains (Y-axis -> appropriate removal of links and location for attachment)
- Axis definition (Y_left = Y1, Y_right_Y2)
- GRBL “stock” settings were nonsense out of the box, needed to revert to default settings to run "Hello World"
etc.
I don’t know if there is any need for additional photos/text or just general editing.
Is the best way to contribute to become an editor on the Wiki page or should I be private messaging a guru like @WillAdams directly?
Thanks!
I would PM Will directly with your request for access. I was going PM him myself, but it’s not totally clear to me how one can help. If proof reading is all Will needs, I’m good with that, but not sure how much he wants to involve himself either, since documentation is a huge task for one person to get their arms around and he is pretty busy just moderating this Forum.
I just took procession of the XXL and it ships with the homing switches now. The pictures of the website are terrible and do not show how the switches must be mounted. Also now it comes with the drag chain, again it is a guessing game because there is no clear instruction or labelling what goes where. When I saw the sticky tape to fasten one end I sad OMG, it will fail we all know it just will. First order is to drill a hole in the rails to fasten the other end of the drag chain. But I love the machine just little stuff. Cant help it I am German.