Just finished building my shapeoko xl, but haven’t cut anything yet. Before running it I would like to know if anyone has run ground straps on the cnc.
There’s a lot of opinions about grounding out there, mostly the answer is “add grounding if you have a problem which requires it”, a lot of what you’ll see on YouTube etc. is more superstition than science, especially once ground loops are mentioned.
The Shapeoko frame is already grounded by the controller board, but this leaves the X axis and Z axis floating.
Those who’ve installed big VFD powered spindles end up having to ground the spindle and thus Z axis for electrical safety reasons.
Quite a few folks have USB comms disconnect issues due to static buildup on the machine when cutting, typically with dust extraction running, the likely wins if you have this problem are;
- ground the router housing / Z axis
- use a semiconductive hose with a metal spiral for the dust extraction and ground that
The electrical safety aspects of grounding are done for you by the Carbide PSU brick and the double insulation of whichever router spindle you’re using.
HTH
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Thanks for the information, I will make sure my dust system hose is grounded.
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