Amazingly accurate . . .

[VGCustomShop]

Trust me folks listen to the administrators and moderators, be patient and don't try to adjust your machine without their guidance - you'll only make grief for yourself and them.  After they helped me get my issues squared away I used a ruler with 64ths in the appropriate way to test the accuracy of the travel - all three X, Y & Z were right on the money.  This is a very well designed, solid & accurate machine.  Next I'm going to try some squares and circles with a v bit just for testing if that goes well - I'm going to try some guitar body pockets.  Fun stuff!

[Derek the Admin]

I am very happy to hear this for you and thank you for the kind words. I wish you all the success in the world with the machine. Please let us know how else we might can assist moving forward.

Regards

[breslinmr]

Glad you got it all sorted out.
I'm glad I went down the millright road. Great service and great machine.
Now let the games begin 👍

[VGCustomShop]

Aug 24, 2017 3:43:23 GMT VGCustomShop said:

Trust me folks listen to the administrators and moderators, be patient and don't try to adjust your machine without their guidance - you'll only make grief for yourself and them.  After they helped me get my issues squared away I used a ruler with 64ths in the appropriate way to test the accuracy of the travel - all three X, Y & Z were right on the money.  This is a very well designed, solid & accurate machine.  Next I'm going to try some squares and circles with a v bit just for testing if that goes well - I'm going to try some guitar body pockets.  Fun stuff!

Update: The first test run failed as the machine stopped before the file was finished and the program froze (first photo).  So switched USB ports to a 2.0 port (was in a 3.0) and didn't try to vacuum the saw dust as it was moving.  I ran two small files successfully.  The size, shape and depth as drawn came out right - (picture 2).  First a rectangle then a circle inside the rectangle - just for testing.  Then I ran a larger guitar pockets file and it stopped near the end of the run and picsender froze again - this time I didn't go near it with the vacuum and it was in the new usb port - so there is still something happening.  I know the administrator and moderator have a lot of customers so I'm happy to put a tarp over this for a week and start new then if you like.  I won't touch it until I'm advised.  You notice all the wood clinging to the router - is that common?  This wood I'm cutting is called Jelutong - very soft - and is loaded with latex - which causes static electricity - do you think that could cause a malfunction?  Just a stab in the dark but thought it worth mentioning.  Many thanks for all the help getting the machine moving - on the bright side it is cutting basically the right shapes, sizes and depths.

[aforww]

I have two thoughts.
1. Why are you using picsender? It's specifically designed for sending picture code. Maybe that's an issue. What did you you use to design your file?
2. I don't think the wood has anything to do with it. I guess it's possible. Just not probable.

Let's start with the software side

[Derek the Admin]

For the record, PicSender can be used as just a regular g code sender.

I also don't think the wood has anything to do with it, though I have a little different approach on this than aforrww. I still would like you to run completely dry as per the other thread please. IE: Please run it without the router running at all. No cutting whatsoever. I have seen the brushes sparking in rotary tools cause resets. For instance, a while back we had some disconnect issues with a customer. He was running another vendor's brushed DC spindle and it must have had a lot of arcing internally because when he'd turn the spindle on it would reset the controller shortly after. I'm not saying that this is the case here, I just want to remove it from the equation entirely to help us understand if it is or is not the cause.

To give you some perspective on the things that I suspect are issues, here are my suspicions usually in the order of frequency with the most frequent cause being first.
Computer/Computer issues
G Code Sender issues
Shop Vac EMI
Spindle/Rotary tool EMI
Other electrically noisy equipment nearby
USB Cable
Controller

I'm just trying to walk down the list of probable causes with you. It's nothing for me to send you a controller. If you request me to, I will. I want to do the other things first though because the tendency is to get the controller and want to replace it, find out the disconnect issue is still there, and now have other variables introduced in terms of lots of new connections being made, etc. I'm not ruling out the possibility that it could be our controller. That is possible. However, I myself have experienced disconnect/free issues at various times over the years with these exact same controllers. It has never been the controller. I have dealt with these issues with other customers and it has never been the controller. It has always been something else.

Am I correct in remembering that you've tried a different computer? It was a good measure to try a different port, but I do want to make sure my recollection is correct about the computer.

I also want to clarify that when it freezes the controller is just stopping altogether right. It is not continuing to stream g code while the machine sits idle, is that correct?

Regards

[aforww]

I remember that arcing spindle case. Also, I didn't know picsender could be used as a general sender. Though, I'm sticking to my guns and blaming it just because I got nothing else and it feels right lol.

[Derek the Admin]

Ya, I think he's ran both UGS Platform and PicSender though and had the same result so I think the g code sender itself can be ruled out.

[aforww]

Well damn. Now I got nothing. I do remember reading something somewhere of a similar situation. The guy had to move to a different outlet and thus a different circuit because of some power surge issue when his home A/C kicked on.

[Derek the Admin]

Aug 24, 2017 18:43:44 GMT aforww said:

Well damn. Now I got nothing. I do remember reading something somewhere of a similar situation. The guy had to move to a different outlet and this a different circuit because of some personal surge issue when his home A/C kicked on.

I'm still working down my list though. We still need to rule out things like the router itself.

I have also heard of other people moving routers and power supplies to different circuits. I don't think that will remedy this one, but it would be a reasonable measure.

[VGCustomShop]

Aug 24, 2017 14:08:49 GMT Derek the Admin said:

For the record, PicSender can be used as just a regular g code sender.

I also don't think the wood has anything to do with it, though I have a little different approach on this than aforrww. I still would like you to run completely dry as per the other thread please. IE: Please run it without the router running at all. No cutting whatsoever. I have seen the brushes sparking in rotary tools cause resets. For instance, a while back we had some disconnect issues with a customer. He was running another vendor's brushed DC spindle and it must have had a lot of arcing internally because when he'd turn the spindle on it would reset the controller shortly after. I'm not saying that this is the case here, I just want to remove it from the equation entirely to help us understand if it is or is not the cause.

To give you some perspective on the things that I suspect are issues, here are my suspicions usually in the order of frequency with the most frequent cause being first.
Computer/Computer issues
G Code Sender issues
Shop Vac EMI
Spindle/Rotary tool EMI
Other electrically noisy equipment nearby
USB Cable
Controller

I'm just trying to walk down the list of probable causes with you. It's nothing for me to send you a controller. If you request me to, I will. I want to do the other things first though because the tendency is to get the controller and want to replace it, find out the disconnect issue is still there, and now have other variables introduced in terms of lots of new connections being made, etc. I'm not ruling out the possibility that it could be our controller. That is possible. However, I myself have experienced disconnect/free issues at various times over the years with these exact same controllers. It has never been the controller. I have dealt with these issues with other customers and it has never been the controller. It has always been something else.

Am I correct in remembering that you've tried a different computer? It was a good measure to try a different port, but I do want to make sure my recollection is correct about the computer.

I also want to clarify that when it freezes the controller is just stopping altogether right. It is not continuing to stream g code while the machine sits idle, is that correct?

Regards

Hello - thanks for responding - so far tried three USB cables, 2 computers, 4 different USB ports - made sure the ground on the vac is in the same outlet as the unit and also tried it in a different outlet (my vac is grounded).  The senders both UGS or Picsender - they both freeze - and the machine stops dead in it's tracks.  Last night the unit froze with the vac off and with me not going anywhere near the machine.  Usually have to turn off the controller and control alt delete to get the task manager to close the program - then restart everything to get the router out of the wood.  I do have one more computer I can try - been using a newer computer.  I can buy another router - I think the Dewalt is at home depot - but the Colt has been a very good router.  I built a bench for the CNC - it is away from all other power tools and no other power tools are on the same circuit.  Today I'll try another computer and USB port and an air cut.  The screen shots show where the program froze and what it said.

Attachments:

[aforww]

Hmm. Having to Ctrl+alt+delete peaks my interest in maybe a computer specifically ram issues. Maybe a buffer issue? Dunno. Got me on this one.

[Derek the Admin]

I do not think you need to buy a new router right now. Colts are good, I just want to see it run without it and see what happens. However, if it's not just freezing but the entire program it could simply be a performance issue.

Try the router thing and if that doesn't work out we'll just send you a new controller and take a swing at that.

[VGCustomShop]

Aug 24, 2017 20:14:38 GMT Derek the Admin said:

I do not think you need to buy a new router right now. Colts are good, I just want to see it run without it and see what happens. However, if it's not just freezing but the entire program it could simply be a performance issue.

Try the router thing and if that doesn't work out we'll just send you a new controller and take a swing at that.

Talked to the customer who installed my wiring in the shop - he suggested I run the machine out of a dedicated socket - I thought that's what I was doing - but he told me the shop refrigerator is on the circuit I was using (we store polyester coatings in there) so I moved the machine power strip to a dedicated outlet - nothing else but the machine.  Since that time I've run two successful air cuts using large guitar routing files.  The first air cut with the router off, the second with the router on.  Both ran without incident.  I'm cautiously excited!  We may have gotten to the bottom of this.  Next I'm going to run the machine, router and the vacuum and see how that goes.  If that goes well, then I'll try a piece of wood.  Onward!
Update: just ran another large guitar routing file with the router on & the vacuum on - no problems.  All three (Carve King, Vacuum & Router) are on the dedicated circuit.  The electrician put in four extra circuit breakers for my shop - each breaker has two boxes with four outlets.  Now the machine is in it's own box with nothing else on the circuit.  The fridge must've been spiking the circuit when it turned on it's compressor.  Just a guess.  Now it's time to try a wood cut.  Fingers crossed.

[jreimers]

Hmmm.. I'm betting when the frig decides to cycle on that circuit is exactly the time the carve king says NOPE! Have a fridge in my garage that would trip my table saw every time it cycled. I ran 3 new 20 amp outlets at that point just for my wood working gear.