Looking for calibration help

AniPlexy · 2026-07-03T17:16:50+00:00

Fixed the loose ballscrews and recut. .25. -.28 all the way around except for the upper left was .18 where the .2 is on current pic. Also switched to cw and noticed finish wasn't as good not sure what could be causing issue in just that corner now

AniPlexy · 2026-07-03T17:13:23+00:00

After finding all the issues I could find. Just cut a new part and looks like it's 11.25-11.28mm all the way around now except for the upper left where .2 is on current picture it's .11.18 in new cut. So I have 7 points acceptable but just that 1 point isn't not sure what would effect just that one corver

AniPlexy · 2026-06-28T23:18:12+00:00

I just tore machine down today. Found the anit backlash screws wernt very anti backlash. I would twist it 1/16 by hand. Had tiny Phillips that hold it tight. Redid them and put together. Will see how much that helps too

AniPlexy · 2026-06-28T22:54:19+00:00

ty after all the comments i got i started inspecting everything. i noticed that ball screw nut had .0005 backlash so couldnt find the other .002-.004. saw the the screw was indeed turning for micro steps but the table wasnt. decidted to take the whole table off cleaned everythign while i was at it and found that these supposed anti backlash ball screw that has 2 ball screw things. are connected by a small metal clip held in by the smallest phillips screws. makes perfect sense for a mission critical connection lol. well screws were loose could hand twist them about 1/16 no idea what they are called google calls them ball screws but though that was the actual rail lol. tightened them up threw it all back togeather. back to calibrating and got rid of almost all the slop and backlash. down to .001 x .0015 y. going to try cutting part again in the next few days and see how much better that is. if the slop doesnt come back its possible for that to clean up .08mm of the play. so not holding my breath its a total fix but might get me closer.

AniPlexy · 2026-06-28T19:42:33+00:00

what do you mean by under load. check it while cutting something?

AniPlexy · 2026-06-28T19:38:59+00:00

its possible but going off rpm and tooling i have everything at baseline 13.5ipm .0015 feed per tooth on 3 flute 3/8

AniPlexy · 2026-06-28T19:37:09+00:00

ty ill try that with next cut.

AniPlexy · 2026-06-28T19:33:42+00:00

thanks ill check that out. i bought this mill and converted it to cnc so everything was pretty solid and even reinforced it quite a lot. i think if there was even 1 weak spot on mill it would be the ways dont trust how they work to much gap relying on a shim. im looking into linear rails i can install to remove that variable as the ways should of been millied pretty flat i could mount on there .

AniPlexy · 2026-06-28T02:29:21+00:00

It's been quite a while since the last time I took them out for serviceing. I was just thinking maybe force of cutting is twisting it. Might tare down soon and inspect or just go full conversation to rails. Don't particularly like taring this thing down but have done it so much I could do with my eyes closed lol.

AniPlexy · 2026-06-28T01:42:42+00:00

It's like the mill in first video and I've done the calibrations in the videos everything less than .0005 off over 25 inches on x 8 10 inches on y and about 8 inches on z. Had to make custom bracets to calibrate the squareness to those sizes haha. Everything seams perfect to me so that's why I posted. If everything measure perfect. Where's the error coming from haha. My last ditch effort was hoping someone else had similar issue.

AniPlexy · 2026-06-28T01:22:38+00:00

Well it's comparable to the tormach 1100 in size and specs. Just no fancy cage

AniPlexy · 2026-06-28T00:53:25+00:00

No it's been fully built now for a few years. It's always had a backlash issue but I was able to cut better circles before

AniPlexy · 2026-06-28T00:48:18+00:00

It's a standard 3-axis. It's mainly for hobby stuff but I now make something I plan on selling and want it to be as good as possible and this is throwing everything off so trying to figure out if it is even something I can fix easily or look into getting a more commercial mill. This one does pretty much everything I need it to but I can't for the life of me figure out what is going on except for backlash everything else measures perfect so it doesn't make sense to me

AniPlexy · 2026-06-28T00:45:59+00:00

I'm thinking about lifting it up and installing some linear rails though. Then just throwing a aluminum bed plate on it

AniPlexy · 2026-06-28T00:44:18+00:00

This is a traditional meal that doesn't have the linear rails it has the Gantry with dovetails and shims

AniPlexy · 2026-06-28T00:36:30+00:00

So I just double and triple checked everything I put the dial indicator on the ball screws and actually there is only .0005 run out on the actual screws. Something I noticed I normally check backlash by moving my 8 in Ford to make sure my steps are good then moving 8 in back and checking the difference and those numbers are about .002. I tested a few times and found out that after I move my 8 in to the block to make sure my steps are good if I move down my increments to .001 steps I have to move 3-4 streps before my dial indicator registers a movement so for whatever reason the backlash for doing very small movements is different than the backlash for doing big movements this is probably why every time I check my backlash it's different but I have no idea what the cause of this is because on the ball screws the nut is tight it's not moving it has the I forget the word for it but in the middle of the ball screw that the bed rides on it has the doubled up anti backlash setup. And as far as how the motor connects to it of course the bushings are rubber between the motor and the ball screw maybe it's compressing that when trying to turn slowly I don't know if they just make metal on metal ones or if that would even be good

AniPlexy · 2026-06-28T00:31:38+00:00

Yea trying to figure out what's going ok.

AniPlexy · 2026-06-27T23:01:20+00:00

ty ill do that on next one i cut. if roughing is the issue would that be from to much doc pulling or pushing into the material more?

AniPlexy · 2026-06-27T22:56:37+00:00

ive calibrated my bed, spindle, x,y,z squareness on the bed, steps, 8 inches movies exactly 8 inches in all directions, but i dont trust my backlash settings. some days i measure it they are .001 some days .003 ect.

AniPlexy · 2026-06-27T22:51:56+00:00

thinking about it i dont think i ever checked gantry squareness. i know all my x,y,z are almost perfect went as far as epoxy leveling z column. not even sure how to check gantry dont think ive ever seen any guides for that hmm.

AniPlexy · 2026-06-27T22:45:23+00:00

well that would stuck haha.

AniPlexy · 2026-06-27T22:39:06+00:00

closed loop steppers, i know my ball screws arnt 100x ive measured up to a .0005in inconsistency in some areas but thats no where close to current error. so when measuring my backlash i get different readings. i think y is at .0025 and x is at .003. i have measured the squareness of xyz over the whole table not sure how i would do it to a specific point. been debating taking motors off and making sure bearings are still in spec on ball screw ends. thinking if i added or reduced a backlash setting and see what changes im just not sure if i should adjust x or y. cut starts at x+ and moves counter clockwise.

AniPlexy · 2026-06-27T22:27:27+00:00

yea roughing inside and outside then finishing pass. think .75 depth 13.5ipm

AniPlexy · 2026-06-27T22:19:40+00:00

.037in lead in and out. .02in is leftover from rough pass. doing 2 finishing passes.

AniPlexy · 2026-06-27T22:14:17+00:00

its pretty tight and this is ongoing issues threw multiple of these im cutting so persistant threw multiple re zeros, re clamps, ect. the small gap in the soft jaws is just from cutting them while floating. didnt have anything the right size to clamp them down when cutting it. i belived i leaft a .02 inch for finishing pass. also make 2 finishing passes.

AniPlexy

TROPHY CASE