Z-axis stall due to cold?

[moethgreat]

I was just reading about operating temps and I was wondering if cold temps could cause z-axis stalls like the kind I have been seeing?

My shop was not heated when I got some z-axis errors. (warming it up now)

I didn't know if it was the cold or the fact that my machine sat for 10 years with out anything to do.

Thoughts?

Thanks
S.

[fwharris]

It can if it is real cold. The lower temps will cause any grease type lubes to be thicker and cause more resistance on the machine parts. Warming up just the machine with a small space heater will help.

[moethgreat]

I did warm things up and it did help overall until it started lifting the bit up during any cut. I think I have Z-motor or controller is going.

[fwharris]

It could be the Z motor.

[moethgreat]

It could be the Z motor.

Thanks! I appreciate it.

[CarverJerry]

I actually had my machine not function right due to the cold temp in my basement, around 55° so I put my drop light with a 75 watt lightbulb inside the machine on a board over night, the next day it was fine, just had to warm up the "machine" and not just the air around it. Just my 2¢ worth.

[sjmoore69]

I need more than 2 cents of advice. Arctic freeze caused a head level issue for me. I run my dust collector religiously but the air compressor is not always around when I need it so I blow clean less than I should. The day I fixed that issue was a hard freeze and my 2 heaters could only get the shop up to 38 F. I wanted to test it and did.
My new instant x stall has yet to be diagnosed or resolved. But I don't want to hijack the thread.
If Mo's issues weren't resolved I was going to suggest that the z encoder could have been jerked loose after a freeze or rapid thaw. Also if you haven't asked much of the machine in 10 years, you definitely want to run the lube maintenance on all vertical rods and rails from outer mains to inner z's and check the head pressure and bearings. Even a micro vibration in a loose z assembly can wreak havoc on ribbons, cables, encoders, and even bits and cause persistent and inconsistent failures.

[Digitalwoodshop]

I moved my machine back out into the un heated woodshop after doing maintenance in the warm Laser Shop and I too had a Z Stall.... Resolved by warming up the machine.... I LIKE the lightbulb in the machine..... I am going to use that... THANKS !!!!

I did some cutting in my warm Laser Shop and even with the dust collector some fiber dust got in the air and made it hard to print the new Accountability Boards as the static electricity sucked in the dust to my plastic making for defect printing.

AL

[sjmoore69]

I have now changed all components accept power board. I am concerned that jolting some current through the controller while frozen has turned it into a $300 paperweight. I remembered that my previous controller gave me a solid block display screen and instant and continuous x drive from power up, so I put that controller in to test and it did it. Re-swap to current controller and every single function checks out except x stall. I have a fully functional (except controller) parts machine that is 1/2 broken down. I swapped out every ribbon and cable. I wonder if it would be worth the time to rebuild the parts machine to setup a test for the controller.
Sometimes it's not time = money, it's time VS. money and I have neither.

[fwharris]

Have you swapped out the X termination board? Checked the X drive gears?

[CarverJerry]

Would like to give one more tip sjmoore69, you can always use your shop vac in reverse to assist in blowing out your machine when your air compressor isn’t available. Most shop vacs will allow you to hook up the hose to the exhaust port so it will blow air instead of sucking. Doesn’t blow hard but works in a pinch.