True Z upgrade?

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I just saw this on a Reddit post. Looks pretty interesting.

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Just needs “movie trailer guy” voice-over :slight_smile:

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Looks promising for a budget. But I looked at the Ebay page and saw this:
“Software: TrueZ requires no special software and only 2 lines of code (see images) to be entered in the MDI box of Carbide Motion and send to the machine.”
I am unable to find an image on the page specifying what those “2 lines of code” might be. Though I’m sure the programming types here will already know, or be able to figure out, the answer.

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4

Need a better look at the lead nut. Ide assume a good antibacklash is needed on the Z

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Probably GRBL settings to flip the stepper rotation and adjust stepper steps per unit, as those will be different.

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The GRBL settings change are on the instructions. Don’t know why they are blood soaked? It does say it is Dracula approved though. I’m not so sure about trusting the 3D printed parts. If it was milled out of aluminum, I would think about it. image

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The “code” would just be grbl settings (ex. $3=6).

Those set screws at the end, though I knew they were coming, scared the s#@t out of me.

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I’m guessing the lead nut is one of these based on the picture in the eBay posting.

image
image1000Ă—1000 122 KB

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32940970404.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.610c673cuteLw0&algo_pvid=c2a4a652-4977-4f88-9c2c-8712014a0954&algo_expid=c2a4a652-4977-4f88-9c2c-8712014a0954-31&btsid=0ab6f82115833455662942452e31c6&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_

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Let’s see, @themillertree - blood on the instructions and 3D printed parts, @neilferreri - set screws where it counts and @rowiac and questionable lead nut. Perhaps all this combined isn’t that bad, but it’s below my budget and I’ll be waiting for the Shapeoko Z-Plus or continue trying to resist the Beaver HDZ.

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Probably a good call. I searched for this on the FB group and found a comment where someone tried it out and could not get the Z axis to move down, even with help from the maker. He did get a refund though. I don’t like the fact that he doesn’t have any videos of it doing any real work either.
I still like the concept, and the maker did put some thought into it, just maybe not enough. I’m surprised he didn’t use this community to do some testing, it could work with a little more effort.

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resistance is futile :slight_smile:

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Smart! you can do it right or you can do it twice :wink:

I’ve seen this and seen a couple of unaffiliated reviews and detailed photos of the parts, I’m not impressed and consider this to be a pretty thoughtless modification. If I thought there was any merit in it I would re-design, and offer the plans/files for free just to save people $100.

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