I need to move my entire CNC backwards on my table by a few inches. Question:
Will it hold its square as I move it? Or will I have to resquare it all again?
As I was originally assembling it, I had no idea how it would sit on the table. Now that I’ve using it for a few months, I realize I want to have the front and back available space available so I can build up an area as needed to attach clamps so I can use the full 4’x2’.
Yes, it should (but I also had a crash so hard that I managed to knock mine out of square) — I would move it, then re-measure the diagonals, then if need be, loosen, gently push/pull back to square, then re-tighten.
That said, why not neatly up against the front of the table for joinery and cutting oddly-shaped things?
I helped my brother move a a 5 pro 4x4 300 miles in the back of my truck. (Had plywood on 2x6s to raise above wheel well, with screwed in blocking to hold in place. Gantry was removed). It was square when we unloaded it, so I’m guessing if you don’t pull on it asymmetrically it should not distort . All the slats in the bed lock things in pretty well. And it’s easy to check after the move if you are really concerned
John
I noticed my Pro 5 was way out of square. It turned out that the assembly guy ( me ) failed to tighten the cross member bolts correctly.
I needed a way to move the machine slightly to realign. I added jacking blocks to help this effort.
I left them they for insurance.
Hmm. Interesting thought. I could run something up the face if I needed clamps for the 2’ depth. Thanks @WillAdams
This (positioning the machine at the front edge of the table and using fixtures to clamp stock) has been used for cutting traditional joinery:
(though my take on this is that it’s far easier to work up a joint which can be cut flat on the machine, reducing the number of operations by at least two-thirds)
I slid my table forwards and backwards on my table until I had in its final position. I did have my brother lift the YR rail while I lifted the YL rail. Just don’t lift or tug on one side at a time and you should be fine.
I just had a similar concern… for me, I set it up on an old, sturdy kitchen table with an extension leaf. I’ve had it for 8 months now. In that time I’ve moved the table several times by pushing it (sliding it) across the garage floor. I started having Y-homing issues about a month ago, and they got so bad after the latest table move (I moved it from a horizontal orientation to a vertical one which was a big rotation for all that weight, that I could no longer initialize. I followed the standard squaring advice and works perfectly again. So, I’d say, no you don’t have to re-square unless you have homing or drift issues. That being said, if you are worried about wasting your work pieces right after moving the machine, and it will cost you to do so, re-squaring is certainly insurance.
A check using the provided Sharpie attachment with a quick spin around the spoil board prior to moving and then run the same toolpath after and inspect traces should resolve your question.
