pwg wrote:Hi Thom,
Thanks for your response. In my attempt to be clear, I guess I was anything but. In referring to left and right, I was trying to refer to them in the same way as the machine moves. So in my case, the right edge is the end opposite the stepper motor. I appreciate your instructions for the end with the stepper motor (i.e tighten the shaft coupler or the bolts holding the motor) and will keep this in mind for the future. Any suggestions for opposite end. I don't see any obvious adjustment at the "motorless" end of the shaft.
Thanks,
-Phil
Phil:
Cool...yeah, being a tech-writer AND an engineer means I usually go through and remove as many of the "it", "that", or anything else that's not precisely and unambiguously discernible from my own posts. Unfortunately, that also means my need for over-specifying everything makes any vagueness in others' writing set of bells and red flashing lights for me

.
At the far end, check to see if the bearing is somehow not seated properly. While it's physically possible, it would have to be a manufacturing defect for that bearing to be "bad". I suppose it's possible that the gantry's connection to the side-plates might be loose, but that's cray-cray! A mis-cut lead screw?...
One possible thought. The end-panels are hard flat surfaces. There's lots of noises going on usually when it's running. Any chance that noise/roughness you're hearing is actually noise coming from the back-right side of the z-axis carriage, and reflecting off that right-hand side? (Sorry, don't mean to diminish, just trying to pinpoint the source) If there was grunge caught in there that's hidden? I know on my machine I only rarely am far enough toward the wall to really see behind and into that bearing. I suppose check the screws all around the z-axis, gantry and the upright side-plates. For instance, if a single nut on the side-plate-to-angle-iron joint is loose and rattling?
I dunno. That's definitely the side that shouldn't cause ANY problems, that's for sure!
Hmmmm.....
Cheers!
Thom