Need Help

[cwfreitas]

I have a shop bot buddy, and the table becomes disengaged during a cut. so the router goes left and right and the table stays in the same spot. It does it every so often. If I unplug the controller box and plug it back in it reengages. It is costing me hundreds of dollars in wasted material. Any suggestions. I called tech support and they could not help me.

[Brady Watson]

What happens when the control box is on & you physically try to man-handle the table by pushing it in and out? Do you hear and feel a 'thunk' each time you move it?

-B

[cwfreitas]

When the control box in on. I can't move the table. When I start a carve it will work and then becomes disengaged. I have ruined $200 worth of material today. It is very unreliable.

[Brady Watson]

You need to do a close inspection of the engagement mechanism on the table. Specifically the placement of the powerstick handle (if equipped) and the tension of the spring and other hardware. Peek your head under there and see what needs to be adjusted to keep the motor in mesh with the rack. That would be the first thing I would check.

It's been a while, but if your machine doesn't have a handle sticking out the front of the 3x5" crossmember, there is a nut. This may not be set properly. Wrench around and pull down on that motor with a little force. Adjust whatever it takes to keep it in engagement. Not King Kong tight, but enough to keep it engaged. The ONLY reason for it to ever be disengaged is for servicing the pinion (they do wear out & require grease) - or disengaging the table to insert another length powerstick. So...If you don't swap out sticks very often or never - then keep that in mind when adjusting.

I would stop cutting expensive material until you get it resolved. A 1/4 sheet of MDF or other scrap material is good for verifying you adjusted things properly. While you're in there, grease it. If you see ANY wear on the pinion, replace it. They are cheap & really the only consumable on the machine. Worn pinons = positional loss & cut quality degradation.


-B

[Joe Porter]

What kind of table is it? Is it the aluminum table riding on two outer rails with a center rack and pinion, or the newer style with just a center powerstick?...joe

[Brady Watson]

What kind of table is it? Is it the aluminum table riding on two outer rails with a center rack and pinion, or the newer style with just a center powerstick?...joe

Either way - Thanks for the reminder, Joe.

Check that the V-roller bearings for the table are properly adjusted - although if you shook down the table & didn't feel any movement, you're probably good.

-B