Solved: Axis Jamming + Assembly Tips

Hi all,

Just thought I would share some advice/tips I have learnt after assembling my V2 840 machine and operating for 9 hard months - Pretty much cutting all day everyday!

When assembling the machines its super important to take your time. These are hobbyist grade machines and are very sensitive to discrepancies and in accuracies - The biggest problem I had initially was the Y-axis jamming which I found to be caused by the gantry not being 'square' or level. If the machine is twisted at all then it will not operate correctly and probably jam.

The stiffer/more rigid the machine is the better - I do not have an aluminium bed but I have heard this helps although I have not found it necessary for my work (mostly cutting carbon fibre sheet and aluminium).

I found an excellent video by Rory at Stoney CNC based in Ireland which shows you how to set-up the machines Axis' fantastically (much better than the coloured instruction manual!)

X - Axis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO5f8AyVFWs

Y - Axis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro6V2G7c5s0

If you follow the above videos correctly (take your time!) then you can't go far wrong. These helped fix my initial binding issues - A key point for me was to loosen off all of the bolts, move the gantry all the way to one end (either electronically through software or turn it manually with a ratchet) then tighten those end bolts (The 4 allen bolts on the orange face plate) and repeat at the opposite end.

Also when adjusting the slider tension (small vertical allen bolts on the brass rollers) be sure to adjust it before the screws etc are fitted otherwise you will not be able to tell how much friction your putting on the rollers - Too much pressure will also cause the jamming. Stepcraft recommend adjusting the tension so that if you tap the assembly on the table for example it will move an inch or two.

These are just a few things I came across which really helped me when I got started and may help one of you in future - I still refer to these videos for maintaining the machine periodically.

Enjoy!