Hi Guys! I’m Chris and I will start from a very quick story.
I have S3 XXL and I would like to use the machine to do some engravings in soft materials. The target is to engrave laminate on 0.3mm deep. I have spend soooooo many hours to make sure that the machine is squared. I have used parallel gauge and as the “zero” point I have used the metal frame (front and back) bringing the machine to the tolerance of 0.05-0.10 of a mm on Y. I did the whole lot like removing the powder coat shims etc. the problem has started when I jumped on X-axis. Again using the parallel gauge I have managed to have both ends of the X axis at the same high with the tolerance of 0.05-0.10mm . the problem i meet is when I plan the bed at the very end the bed is not flat… the left side of the scrap mdf is 0.1mm higher than the right side. using the dial gauge and running it from left to right the value consistently rising from 0 to 0.10mm . I know this is not 100k machine but i just cant not get how it is possible after planning… the machine is taking more material on one side. i have used 30mm planing bit.
Issue 2 - still need to confirm that but I have a filling that my X (RAIL) is slightly twisted.on the left side the square show the gap at the bottom and on the right side, the square shows the gap at the top. doesn’t matter if the bolts are tight or loose. the gap is very small but should not exist…
did anyone had this kind of the problem?
I do appreciate all the replies and I believe that the problem I laying in front of me but I just can see it. please help
P.S. with the difference of 0.10mm in flatness my engraving will be not constant.
Thanks Chris
If you plan on doing engravings in Soft Materials, A spring loaded diamond drag bit will be able to cope with any variations of the material thickness if this is what your worried about.
it’s possible the extrusion for the X axis is not cut square. this would account for the gap. pull the axis and check it. easy method is take a known flat part (glass/mirror/etc) and butt it against the end. shine a light from behind the part and check for a light gap.
there are spring loaded diamond bits (fine detail) and spring loaded endmill holders. you may have good luck with the spring loaded endmill as you can get varying width of cuts to suit your taste. this will alleviate a lot of the flatness woes - even with a fairly flat spoilboard.
To help you get your spoil board trammed to the router you need to look at your base you are sitting on. Is it a table or other material that could be moving. Make sure your base is solid under the machine. If the base is moving then the base of the machine will move as well.
After you get your base solid then try rigging up a mount for a dial indicator. Make sure your mechanics are moving smoothly because buildup on the v wheels will make your tram off. Move your dial indicator back and forth to see if you are flat. I would move the axis back and forth by hand with the machine off. Later to verify you can power up the machine and use the jog to verify under power. The picture included is a $99.00 setup I found on the web. If you have a dial indicator you can make your own mount with a dowel and a small board.
