karossii
05-29-2017, 04:17 PM
I am working with Floyd through messenger to try and fix this, but I'm open to any/all other suggestions anyone else may have.
Last week my flexshaft started intermittently chattering in the middle of a short cutout only project. I paused the carve, checked the flexshaft at the bend (where it normally heats up), and it seemed slightly warmer than normal, but nothing to be concerned about. I visibly checked everything, nothing seemed wrong. So I figured it had 3 or 5 minutes of cutout on quarter inch material, I would just tear down and clean and re-lube the machine after that was done. I resumed the carve and it chattered a little more but I watched it and it seemed to be cutting just fine. So after a minute I walked away, and about when I got 10 feet away, it just blew up. There was rubber everywhere, flexshaft was in two pieces, part of it still attached to the head and the other end to the cut motor. The spring was hanging out and all distended, and the core seemed okay at first, but on close inspection one end was slightly swollen (and blackened). It also gouged a little bit of the back plastic of the machine, but only cosmetic.
So I ordered a new flexshaft, and got a loaner from Floyd, as he only lives an hour or so away from me - so I could get carving while waiting for the new one to arrive. Well, it was my first time replacing a flexshaft, but it was extremely simple. I tore down and cleaned/relubed the machine while I was at it. Something I have done dozens of times.
Then today, I went to carve a project, and got a check cut motor error when I started the carve. I pulled the bit out, then hit enter to proceed, and sure enough, it started 'air carving' but the motor was not spinning at all. I contacted Floyd for troubleshooting help, and here is what has been done so far:
I ran a cut motor test - it tells me the cut motor is running, with no errors...but nothing is running. (This was repeated several times during the below steps - no change.)
I pulled the cover off, and the wires connecting the cover switches were a bit loose, so I firmly seated them - no change.
I switched them as I was unsure if it matters which wire went where - no change.
I checked the FFC cables and all other wires were firmly seated and in proper positions - no change.
I pulled the bottom off and inspected the X termination board; no signs of anything wrong there.
I cut the end off of an old extension cord, and wired the cut motor directly to the plug - spins up just fine when plugged in.
Now, I am certain the cut motor was still running after the flexshaft shredded itself. Which means somehow, in the process of installing the new flexshaft or cleaning my machine, I did something which is making it not work anymore. And obviously, the cut motor itself is okay, as it spins up when powered directly. And nothing I can see looks or smells burned or damaged, or loose or out of place.
Aside from the first check cut motor error when I was starting a carve, the machine has given me no signs of a problem, it doesn't seem to realize that the cut motor isn't working.
This is beyond me...
Last week my flexshaft started intermittently chattering in the middle of a short cutout only project. I paused the carve, checked the flexshaft at the bend (where it normally heats up), and it seemed slightly warmer than normal, but nothing to be concerned about. I visibly checked everything, nothing seemed wrong. So I figured it had 3 or 5 minutes of cutout on quarter inch material, I would just tear down and clean and re-lube the machine after that was done. I resumed the carve and it chattered a little more but I watched it and it seemed to be cutting just fine. So after a minute I walked away, and about when I got 10 feet away, it just blew up. There was rubber everywhere, flexshaft was in two pieces, part of it still attached to the head and the other end to the cut motor. The spring was hanging out and all distended, and the core seemed okay at first, but on close inspection one end was slightly swollen (and blackened). It also gouged a little bit of the back plastic of the machine, but only cosmetic.
So I ordered a new flexshaft, and got a loaner from Floyd, as he only lives an hour or so away from me - so I could get carving while waiting for the new one to arrive. Well, it was my first time replacing a flexshaft, but it was extremely simple. I tore down and cleaned/relubed the machine while I was at it. Something I have done dozens of times.
Then today, I went to carve a project, and got a check cut motor error when I started the carve. I pulled the bit out, then hit enter to proceed, and sure enough, it started 'air carving' but the motor was not spinning at all. I contacted Floyd for troubleshooting help, and here is what has been done so far:
I ran a cut motor test - it tells me the cut motor is running, with no errors...but nothing is running. (This was repeated several times during the below steps - no change.)
I pulled the cover off, and the wires connecting the cover switches were a bit loose, so I firmly seated them - no change.
I switched them as I was unsure if it matters which wire went where - no change.
I checked the FFC cables and all other wires were firmly seated and in proper positions - no change.
I pulled the bottom off and inspected the X termination board; no signs of anything wrong there.
I cut the end off of an old extension cord, and wired the cut motor directly to the plug - spins up just fine when plugged in.
Now, I am certain the cut motor was still running after the flexshaft shredded itself. Which means somehow, in the process of installing the new flexshaft or cleaning my machine, I did something which is making it not work anymore. And obviously, the cut motor itself is okay, as it spins up when powered directly. And nothing I can see looks or smells burned or damaged, or loose or out of place.
Aside from the first check cut motor error when I was starting a carve, the machine has given me no signs of a problem, it doesn't seem to realize that the cut motor isn't working.
This is beyond me...