Need Help!- Series I, Z axis locked in up position

[marvfrankel]

Guys,
My Series I Z axis is locked in the up position, because my limit switches are not working yet. I removed the shroud that covers the timing belt and stepper pulley, and the stepper wants to move, but it's jammed somewhere. Is my only alternative to disassemble the head, and unjam it somehow?

Marv Frankel
Los Angeles

[sharp-shooter]

I had the same thing happen to me. The limit switch adjustment screw came loose and let the quill wind up tight into the ballscrew. Remove the belt and use a large screw driver to bump the cogs in the quill pulley to unbind it. Back it off approx 1-1/2 turns and re-install the belt. Now before anything else, adjust the limit switch so it doesn't happen again.

[marvfrankel]

sharp-shooter,
Thanks for the advice. I loosened up the stepper, removed the belt and applied the screwdriver to the inner timing pulley. It broke loose pretty easily.
That's the good news. The bad news is that the computer I've been using to run the Bridgeport died. No matter what I did, I couldn't bring it back to life, so I ordered another computer with XP Pro. That's not too easy these days. When it gets here, I'll have to reload Mach3 and D2NC and reconfigure the software.

Thanks for the help,
Marv Frankel
Los Angeles