I've nearly finished my CNC router
It's a moving table design using NEMA23 steppers, Teknomotor spindle, an Australian made PROMiCA IC3A controller set to 1/8 micro-stepping and Mach3 software. I'm very happy with how it turned out.
The NEMA23 motors are 1.8 degrees per step. With 8 micro-steps per full motor step, a 2:1 gear reduction to 5mm pitch X & Y lead screws then I have 640 micro-steps per mm of travel. There is no reduction on the Z axis so its 320 micro-steps per mm of travel.
Is there any recommendations for commissioning? So far I've tried three things:
1. I've plotted out a relatively simple geometric pattern (circle, rectangle, square) on paper. With the plot on my router table and a USB micrscope fixed to the spindle case I've written basic G-Code to chase the plotted path. It worked well enough, but I think the plotter introduces a slight scaling to distort the plotted size. I'd only rate this strategy as 7 out of 10.
2. I've laid a scale rule on the table and used it compare linear moves requested in simple G-Code. This worked very well. I'd rate this 10 out of 10 but it only assesses one axis movement at a time.
3. I've run the "road runner" G-Code file that comes with Mach3. The image shown by the USB microscope never comes back to the (0,0) centre pop mark - it's sometimes off by around 0.25mm but once it was off by around 1mm.
Cutting a template out of MDF is the next thing on my list, I'm interested to know what others have chosen to do.