In LaserCut what is the setting to slow the initial move to the starting position?

[Joseph Shawa]

When my garage get very cold in the winter, my rails bind sometimes and cause the Y drive motor to skip.
I have tried all the settings but maybe I am just not doing something right.

[Rich Harman]

I think you need to go into the vendor settings and change the rapids speed, can't recall the correct term at the moment - should be obvious when looking at the choices. Or, you could try boosting the current to the stepper motor by changing the setting on the driver. If it is like mine, each motor has a separate driver with small dip switches to select various values for current. If after increasing the current the motor gets too hot to touch, then it is probably too high. Although the motors can tolerate high temperatures (hot enough to burn you) I prefer to be able to run them at a low enough temp that I can hold a finger to them without injury.

[Bill George]

When my garage get very cold in the winter, my rails bind sometimes and cause the Y drive motor to skip.
I have tried all the settings but maybe I am just not doing something right.

When I had my CNC setup, the garage/shop was just heated to 45 F when not in use. I covered the machine with a heavy blanket and then used a heating pad to keep it warm underneath. Of course I heated the place to 65 or so when I was out working, but the machine could work fine until the shop warmed up. Changing settings for the temperature is just going to get you more problems.

[Jerome Stanek]

I found that light oil is better on the rails I cleaned the grease off and oiled them and the head moves when it is cold

[Bert Kemp]

yes changing the setting will just cause more problems
you say its binding and skipping when cold.So making it go faster will just make it worst. Try the Light oil that was suggested, but better yet heat the room or machine.

[Gary Hair]

One of the biggest producers of linear bearings, NSK, recommends using lithium soap based grease on their bearings. It maintains viscosity over a huge temperature range and doesn't gum up like light oil will. It also doesn't attract lint and dust either. On my GCC laser I cleaned and lubed the rails about every two weeks, cleaned with denatured alcohol and then put on a very light coat of grease.

[Rich Harman]

yes changing the setting will just cause more problems...
...So making it go faster will just make it worst.

Changing the current setting does not make it go faster, it gives the motor more torque. Changed mine years ago, zero problems.

[Bill George]

Changing the current setting does not make it go faster, it gives the motor more torque. Changed mine years ago, zero problems.
I doubt if he can change acceleration or motor current settings from Lasercut. He can slow down or speed up the stepper motor speed.

[Bert Kemp]

I see no way to change current settings in lasercut, you can increase or decrease speed. I think what you said about increasing current to get more toque will mess things up if it is binding.You have zero problems because nothing is binding or skipping.


Changing the current setting does not make it go faster, it gives the motor more torque. Changed mine years ago, zero problems.

[Rich Harman]

I see no way to change current settings in lasercut, you can increase or decrease speed. I think what you said about increasing current to get more toque will mess things up if it is binding.You have zero problems because nothing is binding or skipping.

As I said already:

"Or, you could try boosting the current to the stepper motor by changing the setting on the driver. If it is like mine, each motor has a separate driver with small dip switches to select various values for current."

A stepper will skip if the load is too high for it. If the driver is set to deliver the lowest amps possible then any anomalous condition that increases the load will cause it to skip. It's not like these factory workers put a lot of time and thought into the driver settings, especially considering that they use the same drivers on a multitude of different sized machines and various size and makes of motors. It is entirely possible that they chose too low of a setting, like they did for mine. Really, the only danger is in overheating the motor by pushing too much current through it - which can be easily avoided by simply monitoring the motor for a while with the new setting.

What "things" would it mess up? I have zero problems (now) because I increased the current. Binding, as the OP described it, is not an actual case of binding, it is increased drag from the cold grease and cold belts. That increased drag makes for more load on the stepper which MAY be able to be dealt with by increasing the current to the stepper motor with no ill effects. If the machine had been set up initially in a cold environment the factory workers would have adjusted the driver to compensate, or they would have used more powerful motors.

They may also use the same motor/driver combination for the X and Y axis - with the same current settings. It should be obvious that the Y axis requires significantly more power to move than the X. The Y axis has many more times the mass than the X, that right there should tell you that the settings are suspect. Either the X axis is over spec'd or the Y axis is under spec'd. These Chinese machines can work well, but they are not highly engineered. Don't be afraid to make some adjustments when called for.

[Bert Kemp]

There is noway to increase current!

as i said already:

"or, you could try boosting the current to the stepper motor by changing the setting on the driver. If it is like mine, each motor has a separate driver with small dip switches to select various values for current."

a stepper will skip if the load is too high for it. If the driver is set to deliver the lowest amps possible then any anomalous condition that increases the load will cause it to skip. It's not like these factory workers put a lot of time and thought into the driver settings, especially considering that they use the same drivers on a multitude of different sized machines and various size and makes of motors. It is entirely possible that they chose too low of a setting, like they did for mine. Really, the only danger is in overheating the motor by pushing too much current through it - which can be easily avoided by simply monitoring the motor for a while with the new setting.

what "things" would it mess up? I have zero problems (now) because i increased the current. Binding, as the op described it, is not an actual case of binding, it is increased drag from the cold grease and cold belts. That increased drag makes for more load on the stepper which may be able to be dealt with by increasing the current to the stepper motor with no ill effects. If the machine had been set up initially in a cold environment the factory workers would have adjusted the driver to compensate, or they would have used more powerful motors.

they may also use the same motor/driver combination for the x and y axis - with the same current settings. It should be obvious that the y axis requires significantly more power to move than the x. The y axis has many more times the mass than the x, that right there should tell you that the settings are suspect. Either the x axis is over spec'd or the y axis is under spec'd. These chinese machines can work well, but they are not highly engineered. Don't be afraid to make some adjustments when called for.

[Keith Downing]

There is noway to increase current!

In laserworks we have Idle Speed and Idle Acc. I was told to slow those down a bit (I think the default was 500 mm/s) when using the rotary to avoid slippage. Do you have those settings? Or Home Speed?

[Rich Harman]

There is noway to increase current!

No need to shout. As I said, once again:

"If it is like mine each motor has a separate driver with small dip switches to select various levels of current."

In other words, my machine has a separate driver for each of the three stepper motors. The drivers are located on the right side of the machine mounted near the main control board. Each of those drivers has two sets of dip switches, one for changing the current and the other for step rate. So yes, there absolutely is a way to increase current. Maybe there isn't for you and maybe there isn't for the OP, I don't know either of your machines hence the reason for saying "If it is like mine", but I doubt my machine is that special.

[Rich Harman]

Here is an example of the type of driver my machine has. Notice the table describing how to set the switches for various levels of current;

355163

[Bill George]

Most users Rich should not be messing with the stepper driver, maybe you and I would not have issues. Easy just to keep it warm.

[Rich Harman]

Most users Rich should not be messing with the stepper driver, maybe you and I would not have issues. Easy just to keep it warm.

Maybe so, but I will leave it up to each person to decide that for themselves. I have no way of knowing if the OP is like you and I, or if he is like... (most people?). The OP has several solution paths to choose from, I'll share what I've learned, and defend if necessary - which is a bit weird to have to do that I think.

[Rich Harman]

I think the OP's question stated IN LASERCUT and my answer was no way in laser cut but you keep jumping me because your off on a different path altogether. Stepper motors and dip switches. Nothing to do with lasercut to which I was referring. ...

Did you read my first post? My first answer was a solution within laser cut, then I went on to offer another option. Are you also going to chastise the other contributors that offered solutions outside of laser cut? Greases and heating have nothing to do with laser cut either now do they?

I hope you will re-read the posts before responding. It's one thing to say "that's not for me" it's another to say that someone is wrong.


Personally I would heat the room and let the machine run at the setting it is meant to run at.

And that is fine by me. Personally, I prefer to make my equipment do what I want. I have a rudimentary knowledge of mechanical and electrical engineering which enables me to have a high success rate in modifying things to suit my preferences. I am certainly not the only person like that on this forum.

Bumping up the current has to be one of the lowest risk mods* that I can think of, not sure why so much push back on it - except for lack of understanding I suppose.

* assuming you do it with care. Look to see what it is set to, then go to the next higher setting, then test and check for overheating. If you don't understand then either research more, ask for help, or don't do it.

[Joseph Shawa]

Trying to SLOW it.

[Joseph Shawa]

I thought it would be obvious but the fast speed setting doesn't seem to stop it from rushing to the starting point. I'll try some more.

[Joseph Shawa]

Yes, I am using light oil but it seems to dissipate and the problem shows up again too soon....If I'm quick I won't make a cut in the wrong spot.

[Joseph Shawa]

Great answer. Will look into the drivers.

[Joseph Shawa]

Not that I know of. I have Datum speed that slows the speed to home position.

[Joseph Shawa]

I've been through every other part of the machine. Cannot see a reason to stop now : )

[Joseph Shawa]

And perhaps I haven't cleaned it as well as I might. I will do the alcohol and re-lube. The last thing I want to do is heat my space when the door is open.

[Rich Harman]

I thought it would be obvious but the fast speed setting doesn't seem to stop it from rushing to the starting point. I'll try some more.

In RDCam there are additional parameters under the User tab (no vendor password required) that allow changing things like Home Speed and Idle Speed. Im guessing that Idle Speed is what would control the speed between cuts.

[Bill George]

And perhaps I haven't cleaned it as well as I might. I will do the alcohol and re-lube. The last thing I want to do is heat my space when the door is open.

Close the door. So where are you located? I don't think I would leave my machine in non heated or air conditioned space with a lot of temperature swings.

[Joseph Shawa]

Nevada. Attached garage. Never freezes but exhaust goes out an open door. Thus the temp drop when its cold.

[Joseph Shawa]

Yes, if you are asking me. Thanks again.