Unboxing of desktop CNC from MIB instruments China

[aironeous]

Hmm the spindle yesterday did not turn by using the speed control wheel on the control box because I think it went into config estop after I referenced all home. Also when I turned on the machine my g28 was off on the x and y by 2 or 3 inches.

1) Is it necessary to save settings after doing a reference all home command?
2) If I am controlling the spindle from the control box what will happen when my gcode says M3 S4500? Will mach3 just freeze on the S command?
3) Since the spindle is PWM can I activate the spindle in ports and pins, indicate the port and pin out and then go into the spindle setup menu, pick pwm, pick the minimum activation speed, buy mach3 and increase the kernel speed? How do I set it up to let mach3 control the pwm or is this even possible since there is a speed control wheel on the control box.
4) What is this rattling/crunching/grinding noise starting at about 23 seconds after It bumps off the wall on positive X limit?
http://youtu.be/n09W7RqCwiY
5) How can I replace the tool holder for a standard size instead of the metric one? The nut on the end says ER11-A and the tool holder appears to have a set screw with a tiny allen head screw in it.
6) How do I switch the motor tuning to standard from metric because I want to set the native units to standard as nobody here uses metric?

[mibcnc]

Hello there.
I saw your youtube for the noise in x axis.
Please try to balance the forces exert on the axis by moving the spindle to middle, then unscrew both sides and re-tighten them.
For other question, I have to consult with someone in the factory.

[aironeous]

Hood answered my question on the machsupport forums because someone else with a 3020 cnc from China asked to convert the native units and motor tuning to inches.
http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index. ... w.html#new
I will try this tomorrow morning.

The united states uses mostly inches so maybe you want to change your cnc and controller to inches/standard for US customers. I also want to change the hand controller to inches but I'm guessing this is not possible.
I will try to loosen and then tighten the stresses on the X axis as you suggest. What is the appropriate grease for the ballscrews?
You emailed me that at this time I cannot control the PWM motor with mach 3.

[mibcnc]

I do not know it is needs lubricant, search from the web, you can use general purpose lithium grease.
Found one in ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WILMAR-W54206-M ... 3e&vxp=mtr

[Ms Wolffie]

Use a rattlecan of dry lubricant.
If you use grease you will have a problem with sawdust caking on the axle.
Cheers
Wolffie

[Leo]

I use rattle can Silicone with a long extended tube to get into the screws and such.

I agree NO grease.

I also sometimes use paste wax on the slides.

[aironeous]

Sorry for being such a newbie at home CNC machines but wolffie and leo could you post an example of a product like from amazon or some online store of the wax and dry lubricant? Thank you very much for the tips.

Using hoods instructions I have now switched the CNC to inches (inches, standard, imperial whatever you want to call it). I can move the motor on all axis using my keyboard and it seems fine.

Here is the new temporary homing and limits config.

Here is the new motor tuning config in inches

Now I want to remove this tiny tool holder and replace it with a standard/inches tool holder.

It turns out that it has one of those metric allen head screws on both sides. When I tried to loosen it it just stripped my allen wrench so it is on there pretty tight.
The nut or cap that secures the collet into it says ER11-A. Do I have to take this thing off or can I live with it? I mean is there standard sized collets that I can use in this tiny toolholder? I'm guessing if I switch to a different tool holder I will have a wider variety of collets to choose from and hence be able to use more tools on it. I realize it is just a tiny machine but I'd like more than one collet and I'd like to be able to use tools in inches.

I tried loosening the stresses on the X as suggested by the seller and moved it back and forth some and retightened it but that did not help the crunching/rattliing sound when it moves in the -X direction. Neither did slightly loosening the step motor and then retightening it. Maybe it's the nut on the gantry behind the Z that the X ballscrew slides in. Maybe if I loosen that a small amount and move X back and forth and retighten it maybe that would fix it?

[Ms Wolffie]

ER11 is a standard size 1/8" collet nut into which you use different collets for different size bits.
From 1/8" and down to very tiny.
You normally use a special wrench for ER nuts.
You can find the sets on ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ER11-13Pcs-Spring-Collet-Set-For-CNC-milling-lathe-tool-Engraving-machine-New-/181118616911?pt=BI_Tool_Work_Holding&hash=item2a2b82c54f
There is a special way of placing the collets into the nut, make sure you press them tight in before you screw it back on.
They have to snap into the collet.adjust.

Are your linear bearings adjustable?
If so, there should be a tiny allen screw on the side of the bearing.
http://www.cncsharktalk.com/viewtopic.p ... 042#p10934[url]
[/url]
Cheers
Wolffie

[Leo]

Lowes or Home Depot or Walmart - or K-mart - or just about any auto parts store or maybe even the supermarket has the Spray Silicon - brand means nothing. Any brand is fine.

It's best to try to not drip it on a wood that you want to apply finish to. The silicon gets into the wood and will make it difficult to get a finish to stick.

I also mentioned paste wax. I just happen to have and use Butchers Bowling alley wax. Johnsons Paste Wax is the same thing. I hand buff my wood projects, and I often finish the hand buffing with a coat of paste wax. Available at Lowes or Home Depot for sure.

BTW --- You can paste wax just about any workshop surface - router table, table saw, even hand tools to make then slip and slide and make them easier to use. I use it TONS in my shop.

[aironeous]

Yeah I figured out what ER11 meant about 2 hours ago at my first break at work. I was just shopping collets for it on ebay in fact. Glad to know that I do not have to change my tool holder. I'll order some ER11 collets tonight when I get home.

[aironeous]

Just got home from work a little over an hour ago. I was about to order some ER11 collets right now but luckily I did some last minute searching on ER11 and look what problem I found that other people that bought Chinese CNC's had with ER11-"" nuts and collets.
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/general_e ... indle.html

Mine says ER11-A so now I'm going to have to buy a regular ER11 nut.

[Leo]

I am a manufacturing engineer and work in the metal cutting manufacturing industry for near 40 years. We have literally thousands of ER collets and holders throughout our shop. ER - is - ER. The nuts can be different, but the shape and size of the collets is an industry standard. The CNCzone mentioned some shorter collets - but that should not matter much.

On the other hand - not all nut styles have the same threads.
If you ordered a nut that is different than what is on your spindle - the new nut may not fit to your spindle.

There are basically two styles - hex nuts - and a nut that needs a special wrench. I call the second style a mini nut, but that is just me.

The collets will fit all the nuts

Can you post a close up pic of the nut and your spindle and one of the nuts?

You cannot interchange ER-16 for ER-11. They are just different size.

Places that sell stuff for Swiss Screw machines will sell Collets and Collet nuts and wrenches.

You certainly CAN interchange Metric ER11 and English ER11 collets. The collets clamp in a "range" and the "range" overlaps English and metric. ALL that means is what size tool it will hold. The outside configuration of the collet is the same in both cases.

You CAN purchase "exact" size collets and also "extra precision" collets. That is not so important in woodworking, but in close tolerance work in metal cutting it matters.



If you type in er11 into google then view images - you will see TONS of information about ER collets. You can see the dimensions and sources - and information about the nuts.

I know it's tough to sort through postings from people with only a little knowledge - but think they are experts. It can be a little confusing knowing what is correct and what is not.

[aironeous]

Well I just bought this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/350272443948?ss ... 1497.l2649

and this set of 7 standard Shars collets
http://www.ebay.com/itm/350392733571?ss ... 1497.l2649

^There is a picture of the toolholder on the spindle without the ER11-A nut on it if you scroll up on this page. It's the last picture I posted.

You're saying the thread on that nut I just bought might not match the thread on the little toolholder on this Chinese CNC - well too late now since it's on the way. Oh well 12 dollars no biggie.
But you're also saying that the original ER11-A nut that came with it since it is ER, ER=ER so it doesn't matter and these standard collets I just bought will fit anyways.
Even though the dicsussion on the CNCzone I just posted says they are not fitting.

I was going to take a picture right now because you said to but there are already tons of pictures of ER11-A nuts if you search google images.
It looks exactly like this http://www.jowison.com/ebay_file/img/ER11_A_0.jpg
and side view http://www.jowison.com/ebay_file/img/ER11_A_4.jpg

I don't have a pitch gage or gages to see if the thread is metric or standard. I'll buy some pitch gages this week. I got used to using the school's pitch gages.
--

Well today since powerball came to California I'm going to see if I can snatch a powerball logo vector off of the internet and use it in CUT2d to engrave it into the bottom of the clipboard I bought for us to play group lottery at work. Should be able to do this on the little CNC.

[Ms Wolffie]

You are lucky your Chinese CNC worked.
Mine didn't.
After heaps of emails back and forth I finally got to the stage where I SHOULD HAVE BEEN not am able to start it up.
I managed to get hold of a PC loaded with XP, not easy in my neck of the woods.
The seller supplied a cable with an IEEE plug at either end. Ancient technology plus no PC has ever had an IEEE connected, that is a printer connection
I finally managed to get hold od a cable with IEEE at one end and 25db at the other.
Plugged it in and BANG it triggered the circuit breaker and blew up both the PC sand the control box.
Turned out they had some very strange wiring on the IEEE.
Where is the icon with smoke coming out of your ears?


GRRRRR
Wolffie

[aironeous]

Well Monday night/Saturday morning when I got home from work the collets arrived.

It turns out that the collets are marked on the side.

I then looked at the collet that came with the machine and it also was marked in standard on the side. So this whole time I already had a standard collet.