My bot was off time for a pinion change.

[knight_toolworks]

I did a battle with the z as it had some vertical slop in it. After changing the pinion and it not helping I found that when it was assembled someone left a waster off that went between the rack and the frame. This caused the foam tape to collapse and leave slop in the z.
But I also found when I was cutting parts to fit in each other my bot was cutting about 3 or 4 hundredths too small. I had no clue why but I had the pinions on the way so I changed them all. Now It is nice and accurate again. I tested it with the same bit to make sure it was not the bit.
So if you machine is off it could be worn pinions. Is there any way to really tell? I think I will change them after 350 hours or so. I have about 420 hours on the machine so that should be about right.

[drodda]

How do you know how many hours you really have on your machine Steve?

Is there a counter or something?

-D

[knight_toolworks]

shopbot has a odometer program that reads the system log and gives you daily time and total time. but the bad part is that the control software the newer versions don't write to the log by default. but if you get the file written each time you run a toolpath the one named the same that shows time then your keeping track.
it's somewhere in shopbots webpage but I can't find it right now.

[bill.young]

Hi Dave,

It's in ShopBot Labs at http://www.shopbottools.com/LabFiles/odometer.htm

The Odometer just puts an interface on the ShopBot System Log, so as Steve said make sure that the "Write System Log" setting in the Values/Display menu [VD] is set to "1-Write"

Bill