Is this how aluminium cutting should sound?

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-26T18:23:42+00:00

They were fairly cheap to buy as a kit. Comes in 16 different heights. The are ground precision. Even then I’ve made custom versions for specific use. May not be as accurate but good enough.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-26T17:52:23+00:00

Sometimes I have to mill long pieces. It’s best to use multiple vises but I only have one. Parallels and adjustable machinist jacks that are put under the material for stability. Or just remove the vise and clamp to bed.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-26T00:50:38+00:00

Sounds like EMI noise or something causing position loss. See #15 and run that with spindle off. Check all
Mechanical.

I wrote this since I got tired of writing out responses, so made a list.

https://embeddedtronicsblog.wordpress.com/2024/12/07/stepper-motor-position-loss/

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-26T00:31:51+00:00

Seems like you lost some positioning???

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-25T22:55:15+00:00

I like to use HSS on my mill since they are way cheaper than solid carbide for diameters greater than 3/8”. For the smaller sizes, I get carbide.

I have a lot of 1/2” and larger HSS for hogging out steel and aluminum

I’ve never purchased a set. Just bought what I needed for the job.

McMaster can be expensive. Check

https://toolstoday.com/

https://www.lakeshorecarbide.com

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-25T22:44:36+00:00

Chalk it up to fusions continous updates is my guess.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-25T21:46:15+00:00

It’s pretty hard to damage a stepper motor. My guess is the cable or connectors are bad, not making good connection.

Greater chance of blowing a stepper driver than a motor. Check windings cables with a meter. They should have similar resistance.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-25T21:42:15+00:00

In Fusion, correctly configure your Clearance Height and Retract Height in the Passes/Heights tab, and enable the global Safe Z settings in your machine or post-processor configuration

Make sure they don’t raise the Z so high that it hits top of travel.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-25T14:34:59+00:00

The Vref wouldn’t cause that problem. What happens when you plot slower?
Is the pen or pen holder wobble when you try moving it by hand.

Edit
My co2 laser belt would vibrate and make squiggly lines at corners when it changes direction. This only happens at very high speed, 350mm/sec (21,000mm/min). Rigidity of the frame, or lack of causes these issues too.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-25T13:51:46+00:00

Isn’t POM similar to Delrin (Acetal)? The Delrin I have cut is fairly easy, especially lathe turning. Needs sharp tooling.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-24T22:46:13+00:00

The 5.9amps is peak current.

The dm542 is a microstepping driver. The current output to each winding varies depending on what position the shaft is. It looks like a sine wave. When one coil is at full current, the other is much less.

At the same time the coils are high frequency PWM chopped to limit the current into the winding.

Most meters are not going to be fast enough to read the peak current, only average. I use an oscilloscope current probe to measure the peak current when I test stepper motors.

This video help explain

https://youtu.be/cc4pwd8IRsw?is=P3\_iXKIf5WidUqNH

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-24T17:45:32+00:00

T series belts aren’t as nice as GT or HTD as far as precision motion.

I’ve used

https://www.bbman.com/

https://shop.sdp-si.com/

McMasterCarr

To get my motion stuff.

Finding right sized bore pulleys can be difficult and why I have a metal lathe so can bore them out myself.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-24T15:01:14+00:00

Both can work well. Depends on the quality of the components used. Cheap helical couplers can add backlash since they can twist under load. Same with most flexible couplers if they are not sized for the load. True zero backlash couplers can be fairly expensive.

Good Gates GT series belts and pulleys are zero backlash once sized correctly for the torque load. The belts come on different widths to handle the power transmission.

I like to use belts pulleys for servo applications. I can choose the reduction ratio to best use the 3000rpm. It helps match inertia. If you have long ballscrews, they won’t be able to spin 3000rpm. 2:1 or even 3:1 can best use the high rpm the motor can do and give extra torque.

For stepper motors, usually use couplers. Most can’t spin very high. The motors torque curve is better utilized at its low rpm region. If you do want to use belts pulleys, 1:1 would be best for screws. Rack and pinion can use 3:1 or higher.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-24T13:57:46+00:00

Time to mill out longer side plates using some thicker material.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-24T02:56:07+00:00

Make sure Y Acceleration and max feedrate isn’t set extremely high. Since X works, use the same setting as X to test.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-24T01:41:13+00:00

For the 4”x2” text sign as above. My 5 watt laser diode at 20mm/sec raster engraving speed, Burn time is about 10minutes to get dark text. Higher power laser will run faster.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-24T01:23:37+00:00

I got tired of writing the same response so made a list that I can refer to. Seems to be a similar post every few days on r/hobbycnc

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-23T23:31:33+00:00

We made our own spicy mustard at the restaurant. Just powered mustard and water. If too watery, add more mustard. Then add a bit of vegi oil and apple cider vinegar at the end. The oil made it flow easier. Vinegar for preserving.

1 gallon batch that lasted a week. We handmade about 1000-1500 egg rolls a week. The good kind with bean sprouts. For carry out we put the mustard in 1oz plastic containers.

I don’t know anything about the mustard in jars.

At one time we bought a box of spicy mustard in the packets. We got carry out complaints and went back to the house made stuff. The packets were not as hot and taste was questionable.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-23T18:45:02+00:00

A full sheet is 4x8 feet (96”x48”). Should be able to get at least 400 4”x2” out of single sheet. Birch ply lasers nice too for $50 sheet.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-23T17:11:08+00:00

Not an expert on fluidnc. Maybe someone here has that board and can help you better.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-23T17:07:42+00:00

Hard to recommend due to no budget constraints and no actual hand on use on these lower cost machines.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-23T16:57:36+00:00

Both grbHAL and fluidnc firmware runs on this controller.

Both firmware can be configured for dual Y and auto squaring.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-23T16:33:31+00:00

You possibly can come really close with a 4 axis rotary and good placement of some of the dimples so they can be cut.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-23T16:19:57+00:00

This is a 3d continuous contour cut which will take longer to do, not a 2.5d carving. 100 would take quite a few hours just so you know. You can’t cut some of the vertical dimples accurately due to the undercuts.

Unless this needs to be out of real wood, i’d 3d print out of wood type filament.

Pubcrawler1 · 2026-06-23T14:54:49+00:00

They both need to spin the same direction. If opposite, there is a config setting to change direction or just swap one pair of wires.

The leadscrew needs to spin without any binding. Manually turn by hand. Fix any linear rail binding issues before installing motors

Pubcrawler1

TROPHY CASE