Tramming a CNC Router Spindle 

thanks glad to know I wasn't the only one struggling with it. I've been going at it for 3 hrs now

I think the easier way to do this with this device is to just zero one indicator in a particular spot on the left side, then spin the whole tramming tool 180 degrees and zero the other one as well. Might be hard if you cant look from behind the router, but a small mirror would fix that. Once you've done this you've basically calibrated both indicators. Swing the assembly back 180 degrees again and then adjust the tilt until both indicators read the same. Probably start with front to back first and then do left to right so that you can shim the spindle behind the mount if needed then you can adjust tilt without disturbing the shim anymore. (I'm under the impression everyone kinda already knows the order) I've not gone through this yet. My tram will be here in a few days, but I've seen this method used in other videos. I'll run through this with a few diagrams to prove to myself this works mathematically.

Well done!! That stuff takes a while... move one? it changes the rest of them. No matter how close you get it you can always chuck a larger diameter cutter and be at it again and again and again. It boils down to what we can tolerate in our projects. I carve wood and always remind myself I'm not milling a carburetor intake. Sandpaper sucks but it works in the end. I do try to keep my spindle reasonably perpendicular. The width of the two indicators seems practical. Go any wider and you'll be there for days....

Hi , I’m sorry your just correcting one one problem & not setting up the whole machine up. The way this is done , you get the table flat & horizontal first using a sprit level. Then make the long axis (X) level to the table , then level the cross axis (Y)level to the table & if you can make the long axis parallel to the slots . Then the last make the Z axis square to the table. So after all that you can set the spindle parallel to the Z axis by using this method ,but using a bent 90 degree bar & one clock only & make the bar as long as to can So using the largest amount of table possible.

You want one pivot bolt. So loosen the pivot bolt just a bit, then loosen the other 3 more. Once you've done your adjustments, tighten up the pivot bolt then gently tighten the other 3 doing a tiny bit on each one, one at a time.

well done on tramming your cnc. very well explained and thanks for the link to my video. I am going to do an update on my video on other surfaces to use instead of glass for better results.

Thank you so much for showing the ENTIRE process!

The problem with this method is that you rely on the parallel movement of the x carriage in relation to your bed. What you did in the first phase is creating a parallel movement of X travel in relation to the bed. (unless the X axis is known to be correct) You corrected the spindle accordingly. While it might serve your purpuse, (creating an even cut with a larger tool) geometry-wise you're introducing an error, if that makes sense.

Really liked this video. Thanks very much for teaching us.

Good job Mr.Adams, it can be a real hassle trying to tram in the router head.

So I think I'm at the end of the process with a tram tool like yours - on the x axis, both dial indicators agree they are 15 thou. Then I rotate the tram tool 90° to the y axis, and both dial indicators agree they are 20 thou. Is that ok that they don't both agree on the same single measurement all the way around?

wow. you made hard work of that :-) much easier to cut a fine stepover pocket as your reference surface. and always start with the z to rails side reference. i do this often for machine setup- its very fast. no need to shim glass etc which wastes a lot of time. i made a video of my result . the pro tram is a great piece of kit.

I come back to this video like once a year 😂

Hi Robert - Great idea for the tramming adjustment. I'll do the same on my router!

This is a great video. what tool did you use to get that fly cut in the beginning of the video? Thanks

What do you do, if you need to level your CNC bed with your spindle, but the spindle needs tramming too?

Assuming the CNC is being used for woodworking I don’t see + or - .003-.006 would make a whole lot of difference. Sanding a part after removing it from the cnc can cause more than that. For aluminum I can see the need for the tolerance.

..and what if your top surface as it is is not perfectly flat and you are trying to tram something...

I bought one and unfortunately the indicators are worthless.

Thank sir

I'm asking not hating on your instruction. If you level the glass and tram to it's surface....doesn't that make the tram to the table out of square? Wouldn't you just lay the glass flat on the work surface and tram it in to that? I'm currently building a CNC and trying to gather information....just wondering....again, I don't know so am just asking.

instead of shimming the glass, you could have taken that aluminum from earlier, (or even mdf) faced it with very small step-overs so that all the peaks created by the existing spindle tram error would form a plane parallel to the plane you wish to reference in your tramming procedure. Then lay your smooth and parallel surface, in this case the glass (which i'm assuming you're using because the front and back are supposedly parallel) on top of the faced surface. This would eliminate all of this hassle with shimming you just went through.

this was really helpful thanks!

I got a question.. why use the calibration magnet when you can raise the tramming square and both dials will be 0?

.002" over 5 inches.... Not to bad I guess. Spoken like a true machinist 🤣😂

And what about "squaring" your axis ? Try to do mill square and measure if both diagonals are same. Plus try to put right angle on your table and move your spindle up and down (with dial atached on spindle and pointing at right angle). When moving Z axis, point of your spindle should have same X and Y. I hope that you understand me

from what I've read you're supposed to do the Y axis first

This is very useful. Thank You

Good idea

You need plenty of patience for that job, in the end you more or less got it, a blind man on a white horse at full gallop will never see the difference. I did notice that when you layed over the table the clocks both moved at different ammounts.

I don't think all glasses are made perfectly. This could lead to axis misalignment I think.

самое интересное мили - плащь или топчик на стол.

You are over complicated because first you need to to check the table itself is parallel to the table. If the table it self is warp what you need a nice rigid plate and milling it out done. The plate need stay there permanently for it stay parallel.

Молорик!)

Robert .... don’t mean to be over critical, but I’ve trimmed in a lot of spindles and I think your making it overly complicated. You really only need one indicator and a right angle arm. You should be leaving the plate on the table and rotating the spindle and moving the head and y Axis to zero everything out. Maybe you’ve discovered a new way. Good luck. Later.

Love u

Sometimes it's good to figure it out yourself before making a video. You can delete the first 23 minutes of you peeing in the dark and just show the helpful part...