board sensor housing

[STEAM]

I carved my first project yesterday without a problem. Today I went down to try another. I kept getting the "clear board sensor". So I ran the diagnostics on the sensor and it seems to be reading fine. With my hand or a board it reads around 155. Then I noticed a piece of plastic on the floor under the machine. I know the floor was clean when I started. It is a small dark gray molded piece with two cylindrical indentation angling toward each other. I got my mirror to look at the board sensor. I was going to take the window off and clean the sensors. There was no window and the back side of the sensor looks like where the piece of plastic may have came from. The picture is not very good but you can get an idea what it looks like. I emailed LHR with the info and will wait to hear from them. Any Ideas?

[radsquirrel]

That part is the directing cover for the board sensor. Remove the 2 screws holding the board sensor into the frame and use some super glue to attach the cover. I only dab some on in the corners because I normally remove that part to clean it out really good.

[STEAM]

Thanks. I'll do that

[DocWheeler]

Just a warning if someone read the posts about the board sensor and understood them as I did.

The post that suggested usong a sharp object like "a razor or x-acto knife to remove the cover" - DON'T CUT IT OFF AS I DID. It is not glued!
The cover is pressed on, there are four posts on the cover that mate with the housing. My error was in thinking that everything that was protruding on the back of the housing was the "cover", actually half of the protrusion is a shoulder (which is not pretty on my machine now).

I found that three posts and some masking tape will hold it all together.

Just a "heads-up" to those who have yet to clear the board sensor.

[Dale in Anaheim]

Another note,

I just used the instructions I found on the web site to remove and clear my own sensor this weekend. Upon removal I examined the piece and decided that part of the problem must be that it is not sealed very well (thus the dust gets in there and clogs it up). Right or wrong, that was my conclusion.

After disassembly, cleaning and then reassembly I took a very small dab of clear silicon caulk and used my finger to apply it around the edges of the sensor assembly; right along the gap where the back meets the body. Then I reinstalled the sensor in the machine.

I am not satisfied with the way that the plastic cover over the two sensor diodes seals, however I was amiss for any way to address this without possibly damaging the clear plastic. So, I am hopeful that, in spite of not being able to seal the clear plastic part of the cover, what I did will at least help to somewhat "seal" the over all assembly. I'd like to keep most of the dust from getting in again, but I am not sure that it will happen because the plastic over the diodes is still unsealed.

BTW I chose silicone caulk because I felt like it would be fairly easy to clean up and remove with a razor should I ever have to remove the cover again (in order to clean inside the sensor) and "clear silicone caulk" because it just happened to be what I had on hand. I am by far no expert on these sort of things so I could very well be dead wrong. The silicone might completely adhere to the plastic and cause more trouble than it is worth when I need to clean it again. But that was “what I was thinking” is case you were wondering.

Dale

[PsalteryDreams]

The same part fell out of mine i really want to know what it is before I start my next project as it will take a few hours to carve out. I'' Ataach a better photo of it.