X Axis stuttering and stalling, found the problem

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Just thought I’d share this. I was trying to cut out letters from 1/2 inch stock using an 1/8 inch depth each pass. The first one or two cut perfectly then the X axis started shifting slightly on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th passes on each letter. I tried a number of the solutions in the forum as there were many x axis topics, and none addressed my problem. After watching closely as I moved the x and y back and forth looking for some cause, I happened to notice the set screws on the x axis motor coupler were loose and the motor would occasionally slip within the coupler causing the the lead screw to first stall then jump forward. After tightening the set screws and running my project again I’m back in business.

I often tend to think all problems with my longmill must have complex origins and solutions, but apparently that isn’t always the case.

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@Bobm Thanks much for posting this, Bob. It’s easy to overlook routine maintenance on our machines, which can lead to issues like yours.

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I had the same problem with one of my longmill Y-axis lead screws after changing over to the spring loaded anti-backlash nuts. I had tightened all of the bolts to the same torque but one coupler was slipping. I replaced all four couplers with a new set that have heavier compression bolts and the problem disappeared for good. Diagnosing does take time but patience pays off.

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