Z-axis plate...Save My Sanity!

After one month, I have almost given up on my XL. The assembly instructions are horrible, but I’ve managed to muddle through…until now.

I have a Z-axis plate…I have a loop of belt. I try to put them together and I have a HUGE amount of leftover belt. In the assembly instructions, there are pictures of the X-axis carriage, the Z-axis plate and then, a picture of them connected. It’s like, “Here is step 1. Here is step 2. Here is step 7.” I almost feel like I am missing a pulley…or something. Does ANYBODY have a picture of the belt routing to share? I’m desperate here.

Am I the only one who is having this much trouble putting this machine together?

also page 19 shows the belt routing,its on the old plate but just picture the new plate in your head and route it the same https://www.dropbox.com/s/gzuz4osiqryxku8/AssemblyDocMasterV7.1.pdf?dl=0 the motor can be ajusted a little to tighten the belt and the bottom pulley aswell

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A million thank-you’s go out to you! I am missing a pulley! On page 19 (page 27 of the document, the last drawing on the page, it shows a third pulley. I only have 2. It seemed odd that I would have a tensioning screw there with nothing to tension.

Edit: much nicer to have “see-through” drawings to work with!!!

I recently found this CAD model of the Shapeoko: http://a360.co/1U9yxof
It helped me a lot. Just download the model in your favorite file format.
Maybe this could be included in the manual…

@darkwingduck much appreciated. I found the problem. I am missing a pulley. Hopefully there is a source where I can purchase one. Otherwise I spent a ****load of money on a machine that does nothing.

My frustration grows daily. Absolutely zero documentation came with my XL, and now a rather critical piece was never attached. I’ve spent my time getting used to the software and “pieces” of it are making sense…just no machine to use it on.

@#%!

Email support@carbide3d.com about the missing pulley and they should get you squared away.

FWIW, those are listed at: http://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/Shapeoko_3#Drawings

I’d love to have the chance to do interactive diagrams for the SO3 as were done for the SO2, but the licensing makes that awkward.