Should I be worried?

Shapeoko Pro XXL here; I crashed my router into a piece I was working on, so I thought I’d check whether the router is still level with the table. On the Y axis (if I have that correct, meaning I am measuring differences from left to right), it appears to be off by 12 thou. Same for the X-axis (front to back). Am I right to think that I need to adjust? Can someone tell me how (which bolts) I need to loosen on the router carriage to make the adjustments?

Thanks in advance,

“Mr. Still-Learning”

The router is adjusted left and right by the eccentrics that the router mount is attached to. I do not have a Pro XXL so on other Z axis the front to back is usually done with shimming the router mount with shims made of either aluminum foil folder up or brass shim stock. If you shim the top of the router mount that points the router further to the back and if you shim the bottom of the mount it points the router further towards the front.

On the Z-Plus they call the router mount the EZ Tram Plate

Here is a picture with a red circle around one end of the EZ Tram Plate. You slightly loosen the 4 bolts and I think the bottom two have the eccentrics.

The simplest way to tram the router is with 123 blocks. With a dial indicator you can also tram the router if you have one. The problem with a dial indicator is you have to mount it on a base and then move it side to side. If you have two mounts and two indicators you can use them. Another method is a dial indicator mounted in a holder that goes into your router collet and you spin the dial indicator around in a circle to get the router trammed up.

Also see this article from the forum for a home made dial indicator mount from @Julien

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There is a difference between a dial indicator and a dial test indicator. See Test Indicators vs. Dial Indicators - MeasureNow. I use an SST 4 which came with two dial indicators. They are on sale now, fwiw. https://stupidsimple.tools/

Hope that helps.

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Hello Guy and thanks for your answer. I am pretty sure I have the z plus so I’ll dig into that. Maybe it will be easier than what I saw on the YouTubes. I also have the 123 blocks and watched Winston’s tramming video which was pretty clear except when it came to adjusting the y axis. Thanks again. Bill.

Yet, both will work equally well for tramming a machine. :wink:
I use my Grandpas Federal test indicator from the 1930s. Works great!
I did have to make an adapter to mount it in the spindle.

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