My Newb Plasma Table Attempted Build

rodw wrote:

dvn4life1972 wrote:

It was a 10-pack. Was yours a 10-pack? Eh?

You win! my poor pulley is outnumbered 10:1

Well done

Tommy...

I finally received the correct 16T 2GT pulleys and installed them with the new belt, recalibrated and all that. So before I had the 20T 3GT belt/pulleys and was set at 1/8 microstepping. Now I have the machine set to 1/4 microstepping. Is that about where you would have it for this setup?

Thanks Tommy. I tried a test cut of a part where before the changeover I thought it was skipping teeth. Looks like the identical problems in the identical places, skipping steps. The new belts/pulleys are not jumping teeth, this I now know for certain. Starting to think I should change the table over to rack and pinion with reduction.

I just checked the CAD file and it looks good. These are parts I designed several years ago in Solidworks, and I converted them from that software to dxf files a few days ago. I've had issues in the past with Solidworks saving as dxf, so when I just rechecked in Fusion 360 all was good. So that's not it. Also looks correct in Sheetcam.

So now I'm wondering if it's the plasma. I don't have a dedicated ground for the table (grounding rod), and maybe that's triggering it. Weird thing in my opinion is that it doesn't do this with all parts, only some of them. I'll drill the slab and add a dedicated grounding rod anyway, can't hurt anything.

Any idea why some parts are doing this and some parts are not?

tommylight wrote:

Might be mechanical.

Maybe so. Left side of part (Y2) is good, right side (Y1) isn't.

After that little part I decided to try a square, thinking maybe the gantry could be out of square. I had it off of the table for the belt and pulley change and it's possible I could've knocked one of the proximity sensors (used for homing and limits on my table).

That square cutout prompted me to physically check the gantry for squareness at it's home position on the Y axis. Y1 side is 1.125" from the end of the extrusion (end of machine), and Y2 is .850". I think I've found my problem.