Help!!

[katec911]

I am having a problem when I load a piece, the "y" truck doesnt seem to have enough umph to get all the way over to the right of the machine to hit the bit plate lever. If I force it ti will go but then when it tries to hit it again, it doesnt work... I have made sure the wires from the lid switch are out of the way... the rails are clean.. it just doesnt seem to have enough power to trip the lever... any ideas... askbud.. you have ALWAYS been of help .. please anybody.. I need help! I am wondering if my y belt needs to be tightened?

[GrammaPam]

You've probably checked the screw in the right side of the rail just above the belt? Not too tight, just tight enough. Have you checked if there's any slack in the belt? The screw may need to be loosed and the unit moved slightly right till it feels good, then screw tightened again. Oh, a little bike chain lube on the rail is a good thing. I'm not at all mechanically adept so I check all the easy stuff first. Cross off that last sentence, Should say I'm trying real hard to learn to me more mechanically knowledgable. Think positive, don't talk yourself out of something just because you can't do it yet. I will get better! But checking the easy stuff first is still good.
G.P.

[DickB]

Try some lube on the bit plate lever pivot, making sure it is cleared of sawdust. I've had mine stick periodically, and lube cures it.

[AskBud]

You seem to have checked several things that could cause the problem, but you may have missed a few as well.

Turn the machine off and move the Truck by hand and see if you can accomplish the task with no extreme pressure. There could be several reasons for the contact not to be made, or the plate to move stiffly.

1) The Truck travel may be impeded by dirt on the rail, or in the track. Lube on the track or blowing out the inside of the track may help.
2) The Truck belt may not be tight enough (The adjustment is made by changing the tension on the Right end of the track).
3) The Bit Plate may need a spot of lube.
4) Check for a set of wires to be blocking the Bit Plate movement (They are just beyond the Plate, and should not touch). Move them toward the main cut motor. They actually impede the truck from contacting the Bit (touch) Plate with enough force to move it in place.
5) As a last item, you may have a frozen Y-truck bearing.

AskBud

[chief2007]

Clean the rails and lube the bit plate, this should eork temporarily, but I would recommend following Ask Bud's advice and check it everything once you have the time

[katec911]

Well thank you all for your input.. something worked cause it is whirling away!! I did an adjustment to the y belt and I guess that is what did it .. thank you once again!!

[Digitalwoodshop]

I believe the most likely reason that was posted above was the wires to the right side cover switch out of position and not letting the Y reach the Bit Plate as the Z Cooling Fins in the back are hitting the wires... They need to be tucked into the back corner.

Works now, Great !!!!

AL

[chief2007]

@Katec911, how many cut hours are on your machine?

[badbert]

After seeing this reply several times, I must admit, I am confused... The tension on the belt is provided by the spring around the shouldered bolt. The bolt is just bottomed out. How do you adjust it? By loosening the lock screw on top and letting the spring adjust it? Or am I missing something?

[Digitalwoodshop]

That is CORRECT.... Let the spring take up the proper slack IF it is loose..... NOW speaking from Experiance... 3 times since 2007 I found my Y Belt to be looking LOOSE... 3 times, I loosened the screws for the return pulley at the cut motor wire box and pushed the belt tighter and tightened the screw.... The 90 degree screwdriver was a pain and a 1/4 inch hole drilled into the top black cover let me use a long Phillip Screwdriver from the TOP.... AND 3 times I found that after a few more hours of carving my Y would start running rough and even change directions as if jammed and continue to the bit flag.... Lots of Y problems and even clicking 3 times at the bit flag.... The FIX 3 times was to replace the Y Gear Box on the Y Motor with some spare Z Gear Boxes I had.... I found that the big plastic gear was WOBBLY and WORN.... I had even (WRONGLY) thought that the long bearing for the Y Gear Box was a BABBITT bearing as it was all dirty and I was in a hurry and just replace the gear box.... It was not until about a year later that someone had posted pictures of the Gear Box and a picture with the 2 ball bearings.... I was shocked... I had thought the bearings were a sleeve type Babbitt bearing and even went as far as to suggest placing the C Clip end of the shaft on your "Oil List".... I had the gearbox on my shelf and looked and sure enough.... 2 Ball Bearings... 5 mm x 11 mm x 5 mm...... I then saw the error in my ways..... As the 2 bearings were getting worn, it would let the big plastic gear from the Y gear lean toward the center of the machine and making the Y Belt SLACK.... My Tightening of the belt was WRONG.... The Belt was not stretching but the bearings were worn and after tightening, the bearings froze up and started to scrap and grind the big plastic gear shaft THIN.... The 7/2009 pictures with the 2 bearings is from the day I found out I was WRONG.... Never too old to learn...

SO this is WHY I have started to preach that at the 250 Cut Motor Hour Maintenance Window that the 2 bearings in the Y Gear Box be replaced. LHR recommend to replace the Y Gear Box if I remember correct. SO the Y gear boxes were failing around 400 cut motor hours..... I have found that "Preventive Maintenance" of replacing then at 250 gives you a "LIKE NEW" Y Axis... I can notice the SMOOTHNESS of the motion....

So this could be bad bearings.... You can also order the big plastic gear to replace if it is worn... See my picture with the price paid last year. IF you replace the Bearings at 250 hours you will save wear and tear on the SHAFT of the big plastic gear. The 3 CLASSIC CLICKS at the Bit Plate is NOT the Belt Slipping but the SERVO MOTOR Shaft slipping as the big plastic gear is pulled away from the servo motor shaft.....

While you have the Y gear box off, Mark the 4 Roller Rail Bearings and move the head watching for the rollers to ROLL and NOT SLIDE as they DO when frozen.... At my last maintenance check I found a Y and a Z Bearing FROZEN and did not even know it.... As they SLIDE along the Rails......

And last but not least... Here are some pictures of my Y Servo Motor ENCODER.... That little clear disk with lines that when the shaft rotates blocks and un blocks a LED and Sensor creating pulses. So after the Y and the Z Home by bumping into the Left Side and TOP count pulses to know there the Motor is.... Can be seen on a sensor check on the LCD... 0000 then move the motor...0001, 0002, 0003....

This Clear Disk has been known to come loose from the shaft causing problems too.... A drop of glue fixes it... A DIRTY Encoder like the picture gives the computer problems....

GOOD LUCK !!!!

AL

So I learned many things.... One of which is that I can be WRONG..... I learn and life goes on.... And I replace the bearings for the Y gear box when I change my Cut Motor Brushes at 250 cut hours.... I write the Hours on the silver case next to the keypad for quick refrence...

One of the MANY places on line you can buy the 685ZZ bearings.... ZZ is metal shield on each side...

http://www.vxb.com/page/bearings/PROD/5mm/kit768

Some have reported that Bearings purchased on eBay were under sized.... You can get them locally too....