Notre Dame trailer hitch cover

[Arkansas Metal Art]

Notre Dame trailer hitch cover

 

[BlueSteel]

why the wavy cuts? mine does that on and off but can't figure out exactly when or why.

 

[Arkansas Metal Art]

why the wavy cuts? mine does that on and off but can't figure out exactly when or why.

If you have two motors on your gantry this is usually a result of one motor losing connection. If you reset your controller box it will normally reconnect. In my situation I identified it was a cable issue. I replaced the cable and it fixed it. I'm preparing the replace the cable on the other side this weekend. To identify if this is your issue, after you observe this problem, use your hand to gently put pressure on each side of the gantry. When the motors are connected they should hold the gantry rock solid. If one side has movement, that motor may have lost connection.

This can also be the result of loose set screws on the drive motor pinion gears but that's usually a constant problem and not an intermittent one.

Makes since this would result in a wavy cut on a two motor gantry because one side is pulled back and forth by the side that's actually connected.

As far as the hitch goes, I didn't think it was bad enough to recut.

Assuming you have a two motor gantry, hope this helps.

 

[BlueSteel]

How did you know the cable was bad? Mine still look good.
Is it weird that sometimes mine does this and sometimes it doesn't? I have the TM2x2 so I don't have pinion gears.

 

[Arkansas Metal Art]

I cut this on my 6x12, my 2x2 has never done it. My 2x2 has screw drives, assuming yours does as well. I'd say it's impossible for the gantry to move if only one screw drive is engaged. So you may have a different problem. I'd run a cut program with the plasma turned off and watch it closely. I've identified a lot of problems that way. Motor stalling, binding etc.

For my issue, through process of emination I just started with the cable and it worked. I waited till I knew I had lost connection and tried a new cable, old cable no workie, new cable workie.

 

[BlueSteel]

it's hard because one cut may do it and one may not. the next day it may be fine

 

[Arkansas Metal Art]

it's hard because one cut may do it and one may not. the next day it may be fine

Man. That's frustrating. You might take a look at whether it just happens on either the X or Y axis only and whether it happens in just one area of the table. You'll have to burn some steel but I'd lay out an array of 3" squares over the entire 2x2 area, all separated by 1/4". Cut them all and analyze the results. If you see an issue I would do it again to confirm. And then work from there.

Another possible issue could be torch head wobble.

These would be my suggested steps to identifying a mechanical issue first.

 

[Arkansas Metal Art]

I picked 3" at random. Maybe better to do 2.5" so you can cover more area on the sides

 

[BlueSteel]

I cut rather decent size parts so it's not one area of the table.
Also the torch mount is rock solid. I check it often, plus like i said it's weird. It will do it one day then I come back the next day and it's perfectly fine

Anything you recommend to spray on the drive screws?

 

[Arkansas Metal Art]

I cut rather decent size parts so it's not one area of the table.
Also the torch mount is rock solid. I check it often, plus like i said it's weird. It will do it one day then I come back the next day and it's perfectly fine

Anything you recommend to spray on the drive screws?

I've sprayed mine with WD but I'm sure they may have an official suggestion.

So you've cut the exact same thing in the exact same spot on the table at two different times and one time it was good and one time it wasn't?

If it's an intermittant electrical issue and not mechanical that's gonna be tough. You may have already been down this road but keeping all cables separated, especially the plasma and controller cables, and a good table to earth ground are the basics.

 

[Arkansas Metal Art]

I did one time have an issue with the plastic inserts inside the aluminum carriers that travel on the drive screw. They wanted to back out occasionally. I think I lock tighted them but again someone else may have another idea.

 

[Dnmeistr-LECS]

A 2x2 is fairly basic, you have a coupler on the motor to drive screw and you have an anti-backlash nut. First I would check for proper clearances and alignment do this with the gantry at the end of the table and check both sides of the table, see picture attached.

 

[BlueSteel]

This is .090 aluminum, cut as slow as 130ipm and it still happens. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't.
but it's not all the time.
what can i use to lube up the drive screws? anti back lash cut is fairly new and in good shape.

 

[LECS-Chad]

I would be interested in seeing your file that was made to cut this. If it was mechanical then your arrow would look horrible too.