Need Help Setting up: Sherline Mill + XS-3525/8S-4 + Mystery Stepper

The only real unknowns with mystery steppers is the wiring, the steps per rev (but anything other than 200 would be very unusual) and the current rating.

They turn, so the wiring is right, they go the right distance, so steps per rev is right, that just leaves current. You can increase the current setting until they get hot, then stop. Steppers get hotest when moving slowly (actually when stopped, but some drives reduce current when stopped). If the steppers don't actually burn you, then they are OK. But you might want to run a bit below that level if you don't need the performance.

Thanks Andy,

Everything seems to be working but the feed rate seems quite slow or else the motors stall. I have the speed set at .2 ips. Lead screw on the Sherline is 20 turns/inch. Does that sound normal? The stepper motors look pretty beefy like they could handle more - but I cannot find any specs for these. The Xilotex controller specifies a max output of 2.5A at 35 volts max.



-Dave

big wave wrote: Everything seems to be working but the feed rate seems quite slow or else the motors stall. I have the speed set at .2 ips. Lead screw on the Sherline is 20 turns/inch.

So, the motors stall at 240 rpm? That is slightly low. (I had a machine that would only run to 300rpm). What supply voltage are you using for the drives?
You seem to have 4-wire steppers, so there is no scope for swapping to parallel wiring.

The slow speed is mainly due to the fine pitch of the screws, I think. Ballscrew machines tend to use 5 TPI or thereabouts.

andypugh wrote:

big wave wrote: Everything seems to be working but the feed rate seems quite slow or else the motors stall. I have the speed set at .2 ips. Lead screw on the Sherline is 20 turns/inch.

So, the motors stall at 240 rpm? That is slightly low. (I had a machine that would only run to 300rpm). What supply voltage are you using for the drives?
You seem to have 4-wire steppers, so there is no scope for swapping to parallel wiring.

The slow speed is mainly due to the fine pitch of the screws, I think. Ballscrew machines tend to use 5 TPI or thereabouts.

Not sure, I will check later this eve. I got the controller already built with a power supply and assumed if was fine. I've seen a couple youtube videos showing a Sherline moving quite a bit faster than that.

Also check the Amp settings on the drives.

Update: I found the specs for the motors [thanks Wayback machine!]. I guess these were sold with Xylotex controller as a package at one point.


Other than being slow, they seem to work ok.

Supply voltage is running at 23V. I've not measure the current yet. (need to use a scope for that.)

-D