Hi,
I have life in the lowrider The Z motors are very squeaky though. Any ideas how I should fix this?
Thanks,
Steve
Hi,
I have life in the lowrider The Z motors are very squeaky though. Any ideas how I should fix this?
Thanks,
Steve
Are the stepper motors squeaky, or are the squeaks originating from where leadscrew and lead screw nut contact?
Have been using Silicone food grade grease where possible, same stuff I use for faucets. For example Danco https://www.homedepot.com/p/DANCO-0-5-oz-Silicone-Faucet-Grease-88693/203193536 and Super Lube food grade Multipurpose Grease: PTFE, White.
Curious what people use, ideally something that doesn’t end up with chips/dust sticking.
Cheers. I think where the leadscrew and lead screw nut contact.
What do you actually grease? The whole big screw thing?! (technical term)
The big screw is the leadscrew (with acme threads, no relation to the company in road runner cartoons). The nut is the brass part.
Lubricate the screw and have the machine go up and down a few dozen times to smooth it out. I use white lithium grease. I bet something drier would attract less chips, but I am a creature of habit.
The brass nuts are significantly less “hard” than the leadscrew. They will wear out over time. If they have even a little misalignment with the leadscrew, they will bind. Lubrication is a must. And if you deal with deadlines, then an extra pair of nuts will save the day in a year or so.
When it is well lubricated, it will drop on its own when the motors are disabled. So park it before you turn it off.
Thank you. I greased up and its much better. It just kind of sighs at one point! I’ll play a bit more after dinner.
Perhaps a video?
Will do if a little extra grease does not help
I’ve been side tracked with the table. I will post soon videos
The squeak went with the grease. I missed the bit that it will drop down by itself. Mine is now dropping down on one side but not the other. Is this likely misalignment with the lead screw? Any advice on how to correct this?
The brass nut only has to be constrained to not rotate arpund the leadscrew. If you can loosen all but one screw holding it in, it should align itself to the leadscrew.
Does the other side fall when the router is parked closer to it?
Cheers.
Thats a good question. I’ll give it a try tonight.
No. The side with the controller drops. The other doesn’t. It’s a bit loser now in that with a little pressure it will drop but even after loosening the screws the side stays up.
If it is close, I would probably try not to worry about it. Hopefully it is fine. If that end skips steps, then you need to return to investigating it.
Keep in mind that you don’t usually want to let it drop. Parking it is much better. It is just a good test to see if your machine is in the right ballpark for friction.