mklotz
Well-Known Member
Today I started to mill the frames for the steam roller. At 13.5" they're probably the longest thing I've ever milled so the power feed for the x-axis was essential.
About midway through the second cut, the power feed stops... dead. Won't move in either direction. Has power. Reset does nothing.
Unlimber it from mill using four different sizes of Allen wrench, two open end wrenches, two screwdrivers and one of those C-clip pliers, whatever they're called. Flip over and open electronic bay. Stare at jumble of wires. No insights there since, of course, I don't have a schematic for this fine example of Chinese engineering. (Actually, it's worked perfectly up to now.) Whip out the VOM and spend 30 minutes doing the obvious voltage and continuity checks. No joy.
Kind of dark by milling machine and my back hurts leaning over the mill table. Decide to take it over to workbench where I can work more comfortably. To do that I have to remove the limit switches connected to the front of the mill table. Do that and slide hand along cord to free it where it's snagged on something.
And that's when I discover that the cord is nearly severed. Two of the three wires it contains are sheared and the remaining one is hanging on by its fingernails. With two of the three wires open, the power feed thinks that *both* limit switches are depressed so, to protect its motor and the mill, it refuses to move in either direction.
The cord must have gotten snagged on something out of sight while making the unusually long excursions and I never noticed.
Ten minutes with a soldering iron and some shrink tubing and the thing works beautifully. Twenty more minutes and it's back on the mill, aligned and ready to work.
You won't be surprised to learn that I put the tools away and closed the shop after that. When you have a day like that it's best to not push your luck too far.
Lesson learned: When troubleshooting, do a physical inspection of the device FIRST.
(Actually I knew this from previous experience. I must have blanked out today. Yeah, that's what I'll use for an excuse. Geriatric synapse collapse.)
About midway through the second cut, the power feed stops... dead. Won't move in either direction. Has power. Reset does nothing.
Unlimber it from mill using four different sizes of Allen wrench, two open end wrenches, two screwdrivers and one of those C-clip pliers, whatever they're called. Flip over and open electronic bay. Stare at jumble of wires. No insights there since, of course, I don't have a schematic for this fine example of Chinese engineering. (Actually, it's worked perfectly up to now.) Whip out the VOM and spend 30 minutes doing the obvious voltage and continuity checks. No joy.
Kind of dark by milling machine and my back hurts leaning over the mill table. Decide to take it over to workbench where I can work more comfortably. To do that I have to remove the limit switches connected to the front of the mill table. Do that and slide hand along cord to free it where it's snagged on something.
And that's when I discover that the cord is nearly severed. Two of the three wires it contains are sheared and the remaining one is hanging on by its fingernails. With two of the three wires open, the power feed thinks that *both* limit switches are depressed so, to protect its motor and the mill, it refuses to move in either direction.
The cord must have gotten snagged on something out of sight while making the unusually long excursions and I never noticed.
Ten minutes with a soldering iron and some shrink tubing and the thing works beautifully. Twenty more minutes and it's back on the mill, aligned and ready to work.
You won't be surprised to learn that I put the tools away and closed the shop after that. When you have a day like that it's best to not push your luck too far.
Lesson learned: When troubleshooting, do a physical inspection of the device FIRST.
(Actually I knew this from previous experience. I must have blanked out today. Yeah, that's what I'll use for an excuse. Geriatric synapse collapse.)
