I need some help. I’ve finally finished building my CNC and started testing it, but I’m running into an issue with the Z-axis. It seems like it doesn’t have enough power. When I try to lift the beam or perform homing, the motors make a noise and don’t rotate, almost as if they’re stuck. However, if I manually assist by turning them, they start working.
I’ve already tried adjusting the drivers to increase the current to the motors, but it didn’t solve the problem. For context:
I’ve updated FluidNC to the latest firmware downloaded from the official GitHub page.
My board is powered by a 12V, 5A power adapter.
Additionally, I’m wondering how to determine if the motors are receiving enough power:
Should the motors warm up during operation?
How quickly should they warm up, and is it normal for them to remain cold after running for an hour?
The Z-axis rail moves very smoothly without threads, so I don’t think there’s mechanical resistance causing the issue.
Could it be that I need to adjust specific settings for the Jackpot build? Any ideas? I’ve also recorded a video to better show the issue.
Could you please share the config. Yaml of your controller. (You are missing some torque because you are using only 12v to power the motors. But you should be able to home ) With the z nut disengaged, are you able to freely move your z axis up and down easly?
Thank you for your help! I’ll share the config.yaml a bit later when I’m back at my setup. I don’t believe this is a mechanical issue since, when the power is off, the beam drops down freely under its own weight.
I’ll update you soon with the configuration file so you can take a look. Thanks again for your assistance!
In considering your issue, the noise is something to bear in mind.
I had a very similar issue, both in slowness/weakness, and harsh noise, and mine turned to be faulty wiring between the board and one of the stepper motors. Perhaps carefully recheck all your wiring connections and runs.
Many LowRiders have operated wonderfully for years on a 12v power supply, so I don’t think number of volts on the electrical power supply is the issue.
One ever present possibility is a loose grub screw (aka set screw). This has been the culprit more times than anybody can count. The cliche mantra “Have you checked your grub screws” is cliche for a reason.
@CesarH makes a good point about checking your config.yaml file. There can be issues there. If you cannot upload it directly (as a file) considering wrapping it in a Zip file, and uploading that instead. Finally, copying the contents and pasting them into a post, can also work. You can put a row of three “back tick” marks above and below the contents, so it gets formatted as code. Back tick marks = ```
Thanks for the advice! I’ve checked the grub screws, and they seem secure. Regarding wiring, I’m not entirely sure—it’s a good point, but I’m guessing that if it were a wiring issue, the motors wouldn’t work at all. Still, I’ll double-check the connections just to be sure.
As for my config.yaml file, I couldn’t find a way to upload it directly here, so I’ll share the content below:
Thank you all for your help and suggestions! After checking everything, I found that one of the screws wasn’t working properly—it seemed there was an issue with the connector between the motor and the screw.
I replaced it with a spring connector and also took the time to lubricate both the rails and screws on both sides, leaving my bambu without the lubes .
Thank you, Cesar! I’ll definitely consider your suggestion and adjust the Z-axis settings as you recommended. I really appreciate your guidance and support!
I just tested it with the default speed settings, made my first cut, and it looks like everything is working well! Thank you all for your help and suggestions—really appreciate the support!
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