Indexer problem

[mmason]

I have a prt indexer. My shopbot is a prt upgraded to 4g board.
My indexer from time to time will just stop during job but software will show it running. I have slowed speed down and fixed it only to have it come back.
I have checked to make sure I don't have the stock to tight and no bolts are hitting. I took stock out and ran indexer with only chuck on it. I can hold the chuck in my hand and with out much presser stop the indexer. It will make grinding noise. Is it bad indexer motor or 4g board. When the indexer isn't running you can't turn it. I have turned hundreds of turnings with the indexer with out any trouble. Now the indexer stops before the bit even touches it.

Thanks for any help
Mike

[mmason]

Well replaced Indexer motor and backup and going. I took the motor off the gear box and nothing but metal shavings inside. After putting new stepper motor in
I read the wiki setup and found I have been using wrong VU settings. That would explain why I couldn't run at faster speeds. I have always had problem with Indexer stopping but computer showing it still running. I don't have that problem now. Good thing sense I have an order for a 1000 baseball bats.

[Brady Watson]

While your at it, order up another motor. If you are doing that many bats, I am sure you'll have enough extra to put back into the kiddie. Those motors are not designed to be used as a lathe for turning - rather they are designed for incremental indexing. Going forward, you may want to investigate using an actual lathe motor & spindle + some YZ programming, which would essentially turn the SB into a CNC lathe of sorts...Although, at that point you may want to nix the router altogether & use actual lathe tools.

Great job, by the way, using the tools that you have currently.

-B

[myxpykalix]

One of the only things i like about the legacy is their toolpath strategy which probably has more to do with the mach3 code then anything else. When you are making something like a bat you can use a larger core box bit and rough cut a larger amount of waste in a shorter time using a lathe turning routine rather then an incremental indexing routine.

For carving a pattern the indexing is fine but when you are cutting a symetrical pattern like a bat that is just a total time waster. Especially when you see some of these machine crank out a bat in 30 seconds.

If you think about it all you are doing is carving a profile with the Z axis.
Rather then ruin a indexer motor running 1000 bats if i were you i'd invest a couple hundred in a cheap or used lathe. Take the lathe motor and substitute it for your indexer and you would be able to crank out your bats faster.:eek:

[beacon14]

Or just bolt the lathe to the table or the end of the ShopBot