PCNC Automation Routers

[SparksStudios]

... Bill made every table different and he did not use any jigs or anything, he just threw them together by eye!

I totally agree, he did these by eye! That's what I wanted to point out about the tabletop. One of the cross-pieces was not welded to the same height as the others. So when Bill screwed down the MDF tabletop using the T-rails to secure it to the frame; it bent the rails and the MDF and produced a "dip" across the table surface along the "Y" axis.

It's not something that can be routed out, I think, since the tabletop itself is flawed. I might be able to level it with washers after removing the MDF tabletop but just not sure if everything will flex back to "true".

(in the second picture, it's not the MDF spoil board bowing up, instead it's the MDF tabletop dipping down.) (hard to show with this camera.)

[M250cnc]

Hi i am not sure of your table size, but depending on the size a simple fix would be to use a true flat surface the size of your table.

Sit this on the bed of the machine and put some adjusting/packing pieces under so the reference flat surface is adjusted to get it in the best position.

Then take out the packing pieces then using epoxy resin cover the bed ways and place a piece of paper between the resin and replace the flat surface replace packing in correct order then let the epoxy dry.

You need to know where all the fixing holes are before doing this.

A piece of ground stone counter top would be ideal but do not tell your partner.

HTH
Phil

[gjp]

Rather than work off the table itself, we decided to attach a piece of MDF board to the top of the table, then mill the surface slightly with a 3/4" router bit. That way, we know the table is level, rather than trusting that the PCNC table itself is level to begin with. Therefore, we haven't run into the same kind of trouble in this regard.

[cncpaman]

I too jave a faulty pcnc where the gantry sticks making it impossivle to rout even a small 1x2 carved sign someone said servo motors need replacing not enough power to move the gantry at this point i am frustrated since i did not think it was going to be this tough to make small carved signs i see them everwhere and all i wanted was to get in on the action needless to say i have invested almost 3000 dollars on this and have yet to make any money on this is there someone who has time to show me how to get this right i have v carve mach 3 and cut 2d i am in phila area and willing to pay or trade up to something that works as i am not that mechanical to do this and already frustrated with this etc 267-981-1319 or afuntimeinpa@yahoo.com a friend said replace motors or just scrap it or donate to a school wood shop i dont hav e much more patience with it ....

[luthier]

Did this machine that you are talking about ever work right? Are you the original owner? Mine has " worked" correctly, but the tolerances are too sloppy for what I do. That is because of a flaw in the design of the parts. My take is that the design utilizes guides that have too much play in them, and the head isn't rigid enough to plunge into hard materials without flexing. I think it would be OK for products that don't require extreme accuracy.

[bdsorcic]

cncpman,
I can sell you mine if you are intrested. I have made numberous improvements and it "Seems" to work just fine, got rid of all the slop and made an aluminium head, and added many features. I can sell it to you and that will include numberous bits and the computer box with all software too. After I made all those improvements I lost intrest in it? Dunno why maybe because I am afraid to break it again??? I Tested everything and all fuctions as it should. Nothing broken see Pics of it all over this PNC forum..

[cncpaman]

might be interested in trade dont want to put out much more money mabe u can take mine and fix it i could give you some cash in the deal but only if i could see you demo a sign and the process i am in se pa ... so far i have only cut a few jobs only the sample file from v carve looked half decent the ones i made were plunging in too deep and looked terrible sometimes it went thru to the board on the machine rt thru the material and i had to stop it i tried tweeking some settings just to a little bit better dont know what else i could do etc...

[bdsorcic]

cncpaman,
Tell you what, you can send me your V-Carve Pro 6.0 files and expalin what wood/matterial you are carving on and I can try to duplicate it and see how my machine handles it, I could video the progress and sent it to you. I will only sell my machine, no trades and I do not want to mess around with another machine. Those machines cost too much money and time to repair, I saw how he made them and everyone is different. ... depending how drunk/sober he and his hillbilly crew were on the day they worked on the machine. Your machine will be built much different than mine. I live near southeast wisconsin so it is quite a ways.