Hi all new to the forum and cnc Just a few thoughts and issues with the C-beam kit/bundle This kit was purchased from a uk supplier - what I have since found out is packaged by them First of the issues was Missing and wrong parts 5 missing nuts, wrong size washers for the z axis and 3 missing 3mm spacers, A simple build made that bit more frustrating, got the kit 60% built to find the lots of the M5 - 8mm bolts are 10mm - another 2 days wasted - another thing that seemed wrong was the stepper motor spacers are delrin rather than alloy - and another 2 bolts missing - To top it off he changed the specs after I purchased the kit - so there was no spindle mount - promised to send one but nothing Next up was lead screw issues, a quick google found this to be a tight nut block or 3 that needed bedding in At long last I get it all up and running with steppers and control gear - now the fun starts - 50 - 70mm from the end of the x and y axis travel the lead screws are binding up and stalling the motors, now 4 hours of head scratching I found the problem don't know if its the kit specs or the items that where supplied The nut blocks where pulling the lead screws in a arc - when it was coming it the end of its travel or not as the case maybe, It was binding up - solution was to measure the deflection and change the nut block spacers (as well as the bolts as they where too short to go in to the nylon of the lock nuts) Supplied spacers measure 3.20mm the nut block is recessed 1.85mm, a quick calculation made the new spacer 5.40mm -problem solved !!! A few mods and things I would do different X axis/gantry - tap the top of the uprights rather than using self tapping screws to aid removal of the x/z axis X axis/gantry - use the top plates to aid the installation of the gantry then slide the brackets to the underside of the gantry Y axis - Mounting the Y to the frame the corner brackets can throw out the alignment of the build plate - solution was to file the tabs off of the brackets mod ideas 4 bolt mount/plate for the stepper motors to stop any flex (this maybe caused by the delrin posts) I have since purchased a Openbuilds spindle mount made a split collar out of some 3" alloy stock tube to suit the Makita RT0700C
Hello Flash22, Your write-up was a bit confusing until I came to the end of your story. You are talking about a C-Beam Machine mechanical kit and not the C-Beam actuator or C-Beam itself . Apparently the seller didn't take it's time to check the build and make it's own BoM. Not all re-sellers work that way but they should. I also see that the spindle mount was not included... errr... . Any way, you are right about the corner brackets, you should use a double-cut file and rub the corners till they are flat on the 2 sides that touch the V-Slot/C-Beam. This improves the construction a lot. I personally hate those self-tapping screws as they are more wood-screws or plate-screws (parker) than for use into the V-Slot/C-Beam. Drilling the holes first with a 4 or 4.2mm drill is recommended before you put your M5 tap in it. Use 10mm screws when the plate is 3mm thick, 15mm when you use 1/4" plates and so on. I'm working on some written manuals and one will be for the C-Beam machine . -Ronald
I drilled and tapped the holes out no issue - I have a small workshop what I have kitted out over the last 10 years most thing are not a issue - I also have a background in electronics As always the zeus book comes in handy when it comes to sizing items
