I’m happy to report that all of the initial problems I was experiencing have been worked out. I am not sure what the actual matter was, or what I did to remedy it, but tI finally got my Shapeoko Pro to run
I ran and re-ran the “Set Up New Machine” portion of the software, about five or six times, Not being sure of what version of the Shapeoko Pro I had, I experimented with both versions. I think I settled on Plus Z.
At first, the machine was making horrible ratcheting noises when the Gantry tried to move forward or back, crunching, and stuttering. I loosend all four of the screws anchoring the belts about 1/8 turn each.
At one time, the XY carrier descended to such an extent that it drove the bit into the waste board below, and literally pushed the router motor almost completely out of the spindle holder. Another time it got stuck in the upper most position, and I had to physically push it down to unlock it.
I double checked all the wiring as well as the limiting switches, everything seemed to be wired up correctly. Was able to print out my first project "hello world”.
Whew! There’s a learning curve I see. Hope I don’t wreck my machine in the meantime.
Congratulations! That’s such an awesome feeling when things go as planned. I had some hiccups too when I first started as I think many do, but it’s certainly worth it.
It probably won’t be the end of the, ‘what the fig just happened?’ moments, but I’ve found most catastrophes (after the moments of frustrations and maybe anger) offer some education. If that happens, just stick with it, ask questions and keep going. You’re going to make so many fun things.
Well done! Although I like setting up things like this to go smooth, I always feel a lot more satisfaction when I can work out problems. Looking forward to seeing what you make.
First of all, the machine back to its “Homing Error” state this morning. The error message said something might be blocking the machine from moving. I think I traced it down to the XY carrier. It seems like it is always stuck in its most elevated state. The only way I can get the machine to start moving is to take a large cloth-covered flat head screw driver and wedge it between the bottom plate of the Z motor on top and the top edge of the XY carrier plate. I torque the screw driver, the carrier seems to break loose, which allows the machine to start the homing process. That can’t be right.
I chattering noise and vibration, when gantry is moving forward and back is horrible. I have no idea how to remedy that.
On top of that during my first real cut this morning I lowered a spinning 90-degree V-bit right into the top of the Bit-setter button. Damn! Not much damage, just a small dimple. Dude, I’m taking a break. Waiting to hear from Support. If you have some ideas or suggestions, let me know. Hope I did not make a mistake trying to dive into CNC.
Support will definitely get you sorted out. I had a pretty smooth starting but there were a few glitches that I had and they got me going. It is nerve racking to go through the build process and have to deal with start up challenges.
Oh wow! You definitely shouldn’t need to pry anything for the machine to be able to move. The only thing that doesn’t move freely by hand is the Z assembly - when initializing the machine it always moves to the top of its range. If it can’t do that, it sounds like something may not be aligned in assembly or the motor could have an issue. If you can’t identify an issue, definitely hang in there for support@carbide3d.com to get back to you.
If there’s chatter moving the gantry along the Y axis, start troubleshooting by checking belt tension on both sides - they should be the same (there is a recommended level of tension). Also check belt alignment with he stepper motor and guide wheels to make sure the belts flow through them easily.
I’ve replaced a couple of Bit-setters (leveled one with my waste board leveling and destroyed a McFly, the other I did what you did to yours), so you’re in the club now haha.
Be patient, start with small projects and just get familiar with the software, toolpaths and different tools. Add another complexity once you are comfortable with the results you are getting and the routines involved in completing a job.
Taking a break from it is also a good idea. Enjoy a beverage of choice and go back to it the next day or in a couple of days. Time away give you time to think it over and come back with a fresh start - or sometimes, more chatter.
