while squaring XY I aligned with the front plates. Not even a hair fits in both sides. Still when cutting a 70cm T into a waste piece and check with a long square, the assumed right angle is off ~4mm at the bottom of the T. Basing on this I would need to shift back corner left. I assume this would get my frontplates misaligned again.
Could you please give me a hint where to look for a detailed instruction? I found https://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/Calibration_and_Squaring_the_Machine. This honestly looks comprehensive but more like a bulletpoint list not really indicating to me what to do in my case and my low experience level with the S3.
What would help me is a you measure this, do that kind of tutorial. Maybe there is something like this out there?
I’d strongly recommend you level first, then work on square. Here’s how I get my machine level. This will give you a reference for perpendicularity and you can then work from there (you now have a x/y plane, and can reference the Z axis. Once you have Z, you can do X and Y which as you note are interlinked.)
There are some discussions here about squaring, and a step by step tutorial, somewhere, I can’t seem to find it either. @WillAdams I think had one?
Thanks Mike, I’ll get myself a proper level.
Your article is very well written. This style I was looking for the squaring. ( which I’ll do second then)
Thanks again
Michael
Note: Hell are these levels expensive. Just ordered a Starrett 98-6. I hope it’s worth it
I’m sure the Starrett is worth it, but a more modest level would probably be workable enough — I just used a torpedo level, though in retrospect, should probably try again with a larger one.
@mikep you mention in your article to check the level against something you know is vertical. Do you have any recommendation what to use for this? I have the feeling most things in daily life are not as leveled as it should be.
Check for square between the X and Y carriages. Do this by clamping a piece of MDF to the X-carriage so it extends down almost to the spoil board.
Now use a trusted square between this piece of MDF, and one of the Y-extrusions, to check if they’re square to one another.
Do this while the machine is on and motors are locked-up.
If you don’t have a trusted square, get a drafting triangle, they tend to be perfectly square.
You can test a square with the reversal method, you can find instructions online where they do this with a pencil line. BUT DON’T USE the pencil line. Instead, place a straightedge against the square and hold it firmly, then reverse the square and sneak-up to the straightedge from the other side. Much more accurate than pencil lines.
So if your machine is slightly out of square, check your x-axis extrusion first, if it was cut out of square you can shim it to take-up some of the error.
In my case, I found my right-side x-axis plate was bent (previous owner wasn’t gentle). I shimmed the bottom wheel on that side using additional washers (well-stocked hardware stores carry thin mylar washers which you can stack) and you can get the machine very, very square using this method.
Check the level by putting on something “mostly level” - it doesn’t need to be absolutely level, just level enough that it’s not putting the bubble way off center in the vial (it can be off center, just not more than 2/3 or so to the edge of the vial). Put the level down, let it settle, then turn the level 180 degrees, and it should read the same (ie. off center the same amount it was before). If it doesn’t adjust the level if it has adjustment, then do it again.