Tramming My Gatton CNC After Moving It

Tramming My Gatton CNC After Moving It
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In this video, I’ll show you the process I used to tram my Gatton CNC after moving it into my new Shop/Shed.
I’ll show you how I used a dial indicator to level a granite surface plate to take my readings from, and what I used to shim up the corners of the surface plate.
Then I’ll show you how I used an Edge Technologies Mini-Pro Tram System to adjust the nod and tilt of my router. Finally, I’ll attempt to answer a few of the questions that I know are coming before they’re asked.
As usual, if you have any comments or questions about anything I covered in this video, please join me for the Live Q&A, or put ‘em in the comment section below.
On Sunday, January 30th, I’ll be hosting a LIVE Q&A session, where you can ask your questions pertaining to anything I’ve covered in this video. That Q&A starts at 3 pm Eastern time, Noon Pacific time. Hope to see you there!
Here’s a link to the Live Q&A: • LIVE Q&A #125 - Trammi...
Link to the Triton 1" Face Dial Indicator as demonstrated in this video: amzn.to/2zY78mU
Link to the Edge Technologies Mini-Pro Tram System as demonstrated in this video: amzn.to/3FZvONj
Link to the 6" X 8" X 2" Grade B, 0 Ledge, Granite Surface Plate as demonstrated in this video: amzn.to/3IKg3vD
Link to my first video on Tramming My Gatton CNC: • Tramming the Router on...
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PayPal: paypal.me/Mark...
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Link to the 3D Modeling for the Absolute Beginner playlist: • 3D Carving for Beginners
Link to the V-Carving for the Absolute Beginner playlist: • V-Carving for the Abso...
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Link to The Trampled Underfoot Podcast, hosted by my friend Eloy Escagedo and I. "Two guys from different decades, backgrounds, and opposite sides of the continent discuss life, the universe, and everything. What's the show about? About an hour..."
KZbin: / @trampledunderfootpodcast
Facebook Page: / trampledunderfootpodcast
Past Episodes available at our website: trampledunderf...
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For more information on, or to download a free trial of Cut 2D, VCarve, or Aspire, visit the Vectric website at:
www.vectric.com/
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I appreciate your support! You Folks ROCK!
This video is for informational and entertainment purposes only.
#GattonCNC #Tramming

[@hmcclainibm]

Mark, thanks again for another quality video that makes perfect sense. Your dedication to the craft is greatly appreciated!

[@knteetnk1429]

Good job my friend. Thank You! Greetings from Berlin Germany

[@ClintonCaraway-CNC]

This is one of the few videos I have ever seen that show you the correct way to tram a spindle. Nice job Mark and congratulations on finally getting the cnc moved into the Shop-Shed! You sure deserve a bigger studio!!

[@DCDLaserCNC]

Another great video Mark

[@stvcolwill]

Way to go Mark!!! Great Video. Thanks for keeping things so straight forward, well thought out, even handed, and non-judgy. You are indeed a gift to all CNC'ers and a pleasure to watch. Keep up the great work!

[@hillbillydust]

I second other’s comments; your attention to important details not only answers a lot of questions in advance, it is the right amount of detail. Not too much at all. Some folks’ videos are filled with so much needless detail, the video seems to go on forever! You said this video was too long. Seems that way to you, maybe. Not to me, for what that matters [unsponsored/unbiased opinion]. I didn’t look at the remaining time scale ONCE! I even watched it twice! BZ!

[@Chriswoodworker]

I got a bit confused at first but then it all made sence. Cracking video mate. Well done.

[@ElCidPhysics90]

I have been watching tramming video preparing to get my machine all squared up. I noticed that people will tram using the waste board then flatten the waste board. I thought that seemed sort of off if the waste board isn’t perpendicular to the router. So I started thinking about how one could tram and I’d like to get your thoughts since I consider you to be one of the most knowledgeable cnc guys around. So my thought is why not take a very flat piece of metal - like you would use to set the in and out feeds on a jointer - and place it on the two parallel tubes of the cnc - I have the onefinity - so it’s basically straddling the y rails. Use that surface and an accurate 90° square to adjust the router left to right and front to back. That would tram the router directly to the cnc. Afterwards, you can flatten the waste board so that it is perfectly parallel to the xy plane of the cnc.

[@MarkLindsayCNC]

You're on the right track, and your instinct is correct - if you tram to the spoilboard, you may be tramming in an error that you'll chase in circles for weeks. While your thoughts on using a piece of metal are interesting, I found that using a dial indicator, and granite surface plate, and a tramming system from Edge Precision was not only the easiest way to go, it was the most accurate. Yes, there is a cost involved, but there's a cost involved in ruining project material as well. Basically you're using the surface plate and dial indicator to create a level, flat plane to tram to. Once you've got that flat, level plane, you're golden. After I got my Avid CNC, I made another video showing how I trammed it. I got very surprising results, and have been very satisfied with the performance. When flattening slabs or glued up panels that are too big or too small to go through my planer, I get silky, smooth results. A quick once-over with some 220 grit on my random orbit sander is all I need, and it's ready for finishing. Here's a link to a video I made about how I trammed my Avid 4848 Pro: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKe3ZKSgaadoeqM

[@ElCidPhysics90]

@@MarkLindsayCNC thank you!

[@BigHWorks]

Nice technique Mark. Helpful for lots of machines not just your Gatton. Thanks.

[@brooksmartin2665]

Mark excellent walk through. Your attention to detail is amazing. But, if were me, I'd noodle away to modify the router's mounting plate to something similar to how a bandsaw's tracking wheel adjustments are made. With a adjustment screw per axis.

[@MarkLindsayCNC]

If my router mount was made of metal, I would do a lot more "noodling" with it to do just that. Since the entire thing is made of plywood, I don't have a lot of options when it comes to set screw adjustments. This isn't the final design of the mount, however. That's why I'm not offering it up, and why I haven't made a video on the mount yet.

[@jdeack]

Great walk through Mark. Thank you for explaining that process.

[@baibak4508]

Wow, just in time for our big move. Thank you.

[@leemunch4591]

Great video and very timely, Mark! I have to replace my router brushes and that will require tramming after I put the router back in place. I have been looking for a method that is more precise than the method I have been using. Thanks!

[@epeleg]

great video mark. I would love to see a close up image of the offset bushing.

[@MarkLindsayCNC]

I'll do you one better, Eyal - here's a link to the one I used: www.revrobotics.com/rev-21-1029/ Keep in mind that it's machined in Imperial measurements.

[@ToddHCNC]

Hey Mark I have the same tramming gage, way easer to use I think, and not that much money compared to what I have invested my DIY CNC . When you start to figure what you have invested in router bits . I want to make sure they are cutting straight an true as I can get. Like the granite plate .Think I need to find me one

[@billspud2975]

Excellent tutorial

[@michaelkeymont501]

This would go a bit quicker if you noted to coordinates for each corner and used g-code commands to jump from corner to corner. I also have one of those Edge Tech devices. Sadly, it only fits one of my machines, though. Great video!

[@novamaggart3251]

Mark: Can you post what Eccentric Bushing you have used? Or do you prefer this over the tramming blocks you added to the Z-box in your build video? Thanks.

[@MarkLindsayCNC]

I'm sorry, but I've been looking, and I can't find the invoice. I don't even remember who I ordered it through.

[@dptp9lf]

Great Job!!!

[@jongrace9133]

Great job. I was a little confused on the shimming. Did you put the same thickness shim on both sides of the mount or just in the middle?

[@MarkLindsayCNC]

Just in the middle. Keep in mind this was on my old CNC that was made of plywood. I've since upgraded to an Avid 4848 Pro series CNC, and the tramming process was a little different. Here's a link to that video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKe3ZKSgaadoeqM

[@jongrace9133]

Thanks for responding. My bracket is aluminum but the center is at a different opening width. So I assume because of that I should shim both sides of the mount.

[@jimkemps1676]

I have a Gatton CNC but I am interested in your modification to add an offset bushing to tram the router. Is the modification in one of your videos?

[@MarkLindsayCNC]

Unfortunately I didn't make a video on this modification. I had planned on it, but I got the Avid CNC before I could get that video made. Once I started getting the parts for the Avid, my focus went toward getting that built. Basically, I looked for an offset bushing that had an inner diameter of 1/4 inch - that would allow me to use a 1/4-20 bolt to mount the tramming plate.

[@petervanvleet8215]

When you finish the whole process w/the surfacing of the spoilboard, will you re-check the DIs on the spoilboard to make sure they match what you had on the surfacing plate? I'm guessing the spoilboard material doesn't maintain flatness like granite so I'm wondering how far off that material will eventually get compared to your tramming values (I didn't hear you talk about this in your Q&A). Also, a little trick I use for the DI mounted to the router for the initial gauging of the surface plate is to take the back plate of the DI off, rotate it and re-attach it, then you can run a long .25" bolt up through the lug nut hole (put a nut on the bolt to lock it to the lug) and the other end of the bolt goes directly into the router collet (it's one less jig to have to make/track). Thanks again for your great vids!

[@MarkLindsayCNC]

Thank you for the tip on the DI!. I use it for other things besides this, so I need to keep it oriented like I have it, but I'm sure it'll be very useful for other folks. And no, I didn't recheck tram after surfacing my spoilboard, as there was no need to. You can chase numbers all day long when tramming, but for woodworking, it just isn't necessary.

[@petervanvleet8215]

@@MarkLindsayCNC Somehow I have extra DIs so I just keep one w/a bolt in it so I can mount it whenever. As much care as goes into tramming and verifying level surfaces/planes, when it comes to both the spoilboard and actual workpiece it's always fascinating to pass a DI over a mounted piece of wood to see how uneven most stock pieces are. Just reinforces that while we measure to thou when calibrating the tools, the machinist accuracy factor goes out the door w/out planing/surfacing the wood first (or machining metal).

[@warrenscorner]

I don’t understand why you shimmed the block off of the table. You adjusted the router to the block not the table. What was the dial indicator reading when the x axis was all the way left then all the way right? What about the y axis? All the forward then all the way back. After those adjustments are made then adjust z axis? This isn’t making sense to me. I’ll definitely tune in to the live show today so I can understand this better.

[@MarkLindsayCNC]

Yes - I adjusted the router to the block. Leveling and shimming the block was done to give me a flat, level plane above the table to ensure bits will be mounted flat to match that level plane. Then when I surface the spoilboard, the bit will be flat in space, and cut the top of the spoilboard to match. If I adjust the router to match the table, I'm introducing tilt and nod caused by any variations in the spoilboard surface. That will result in shingling and scalloping, because the bit isn't flat in space. One edge of the cutter will cut deeper than the other, because it isn't square to the movement of the gantry in Y, and the router along the gantry in X. I explained and illustrated this a lot better in my previous tramming video. Here's a link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKupgZSapL97a7M

[@warrenscorner]

@@MarkLindsayCNC I get it now. I did a lot of CNC maintenance on machining centers and lathes so I was familiar with working off of the table. When I made my CNC Router it drove me nuts trying to get that x axis parallel to the table. I guess if I would have understood this procedure it would have been a lot easier. Everything I’ve made so far has turned out pretty good so I must be very close. It’s about time to surface my spoil board so I’ll find out how close I am. Thank you for the education.

[@joppepeelen]

erm its not trammed . if the spindle is not straiht it still might measure the same on all corners... you measure the base compared to the linear rail. not TRAM

[@MarkLindsayCNC]

Erm - it was trammed. The spindle was straight. Period. I surfaced many a slab, and carved many a project after I finished the tramming you saw in this video, and got perfect results every time. And a perfect result is what it's all about.