Modifying the Z-axis to accommodate a larger motor will be a worth while task and is possible, however we have not calibrated the z-axis therefore using the 1600 Steps-per inch in the motor tuning on our machine in our shop. We have not noticed any significant depth increments from not calibrating the z-axis but only from zeroing the z axis too close to the material. Also in your design did you specify the actual depth and the length of tool (end mill/ bit) that you are using?

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I bought a Blacktoe 2 x 8 three years ago and have always had a problem with the Zid axis. No matter how tightly I've calibrated the axis it always cuts to deep. Can I put a larger Stepper motor on Z-axis using the same motion electronics that came with the original machine.

In the scenario where the motors are not moving, do you see the red LED on the Mach3 USB controller blinking fast?

- If not, then there is a communication issue between the computer and the Mach3 USB controller.

- If you do see the blinking, then there is an issue between the Mach3 USB controller and the drivers, or a power supply issue (the power supply that is connected to the drivers that power the motors).

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Asus Laptop win11 running Mach3USB and rnrmotion board. Sporadic event. Everything starts and looks correct. Readouts show motor movement with arrow keys, however, motors don't move. Came back 1 day later to resolve and everything worked fine. this has happened 3 time in the last year. I am having this problem right now. What should I do?

The settings that will have to be change will be your steps per inch in motor tuning (mach 3), or settings/axes(planetCNC). But we do not have the actual numbers/specs that will fit your 10 TPI 5 start lead screw, here is a tutorial video which explains how to get the exact numbers you need! (

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On the Book Build: I'm changing the 13TPI 1/2" lead screw with the 1/2" 10 TPI Acme screw with the anti backlash nut. This is for the Z axis only. What should I know about installing it and what are the numbers I need to plug into the motor tuning area.

Dealing with our inverters, they are built with a bit of margin on the input power. For our 220V VFD the margin is from 170-250V 50/60Hz, so running our VFD in your location will not be an issue! Our electronics will not have a issue running at 230V as well.

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Hello. I am interested in the green bull 6X long z CNC machine with electronics. I live in NZ, where the voltage is 230 V and 50 Hz. is it going to be possible to get the inverter to run here? Thanks!

Our electronics contains a switchable power supply that allows you to switch the input mains voltage between 115 volts (110/120) and 230 volts (220/240). the hertx range is not specified, but there are capacitors to smooth out standard frequencies to enable DC output.

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hi, what about, if I buy from you some elecronic parts like (3 Axis Electronics Combo) and I use them here in france , where the electric voltage is 220V 50Hertz ? thats gonna works? thanks

We recommend checking the dip switch settings on your drivers, having the correct microstepping/amp settings along with the steps/unit will help the motors run as effective as possible.
This is a default parameter that we use while we test our motors:
Driver dip switch settings will be at a 1/16 microstepping and 2.7amp (11001100) for x/y-axis and the z-axis will be at 1/4 microstepping and 2.7amp (10101100).

In planet-cnc with increasing the motor speed, you will have to modify the settings in planet-cnc (File/settings/setup) you will modify the initial speed, maximum speed, and the acceleration.
X/Y-axis step/unit: 1422.22 initial speed:500 maximum speed:750 acceleration:25
Z-axis step/unit: 1600 initial speed:100 maximum speed:300 acceleration:25
The initial speed and maximum speed will have to be roughly tested and adjusted per application.
Make sure to adjust the JOG slide bard underneath the axis controls on screen to about 750, to compensate for your x/y-axis adjustments. If left alone the speed will max out at the default setting.

Here is a video tutorial to calculate the steps required depending on your mechanical linear motion components. (

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I bought Nema 24 motors and driver package with usb board. What do i need to have more speed? Cant even jog past 25 ipm without the motor stalling (not having enough torgue)

Here is how to connect your router to the parallel breakout board through the on-board relay. You will need a spare extension cord. You will need to remove a portion of the outer jacket of the extension cord to expose the white, black and green wires (white = neutral, black = live and green = ground), understanding that the neutral and live create the completed circuit.

See this image of a similar connection. The terminal has the same connections.
https://www.buildyourcnc.com/images/vacuum-pressure-controller-relay-terminals-700.JPG

Image of the relay terminal:
https://www.buildyourcnc.com/images/breakoutboardrelayNONC.PNG

The live/black wire would be cut and one end of the cut would be secured into the P terminal and the other cut end would be secured into the S terminal. The live and ground wire would be uncut and travel from the plug to the router.


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You can also connect other high powered devices to the breakout board using any of the output terminals. You will need to supply extra relays like the one shown here:
https://www.buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-breakout-Relays-relay-board-250V-12A-5V

Or you can find SSRs (Solid State Relays) that will accept 5v to drive the relay coil. Make sure the SSR will protect the 5V line from Back EMF as there is a coil in the relay. The one we sell contains a fly-back diode to protect the 5v terminal.

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I have your breakout board with relay parallel port , I have a vacuum, light on router and air pump I want to also hook up to board, can I hook those up to board and also could I had reylays to each one, what is the best way to figure this out any information would be great. Thanks

Sure, our blueChick and blackToe CNC Routers are considered relatively small machines at 1'x3' and 2'x4' respectively. They both use NEMA 23/24 motors. We recommend connecting the machines to either Mach3 or LinuxCNC and come with the necessary interface for either control software. You will need a computer for the control software and if you desire LinuxCNC, you will need a parallel port. Mach3 will accept either parallel port, or USB interface.

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I recently purchased the linksprite cnc engraving router and was wondering if your 3 axis small kit would be ok? the engraver came with nema 17 motors and a arduino board but but not liking the grbl control. could you point me in the right direction .Thanks.

Hi, you can call me at the 281-815-7701 number. Please leave a message when you call as most of the calls are screened to avoid scam calls. You can also email me at customerservice@buildyourcnc.com or phooddaniel@berkeley.edu.

The newer kits that are featured on the home page include everything you need except a computer and software. The legacy CNC routers that are located in the CNC machines menu selection include all of the parts for the gantry, but you will need to build the table yourself. All of the information on the measurements to be followed for the table construction are on the machine pages.

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I am looking at getting a 4x8 cnc router kit. I am having a hard time figuring out what is included in the kit and what else i will need to buy with it to get off the ground and running. Is there someone i could talk to to walk me through it? If not, can you break down what all I need to go from scratch to a running set up? thanks

Sounds like a wire may have worked itself loose. Did this just start happening? If so, check for loose terminals with the motor wiring. Did you solder the motor wires to the extended wires that lead to the driver? If not, I strongly suggest these wires be soldered and a heat shrink tubing cover the soldered connection to eliminate the possibility of shorting.

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I am just now starting to work with the machine. Was on vacation. It has never moved smoothly on the X. Was hoping to get some phone time with you or Juan tomorrow. All the connections are solid as far as I can tell. Nothing is interfering. I'm wondering if the rail spacing is off. It moves fine when I manually move it.

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If it moves smoothly when manually moving it, but the stepper motor runs rough, then it is definitely a motor wire connection. Also, check to make sure the driver is set to 1/16 microstepping and the motor amps is around 5.

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What gauge wire did you use for the motor to driver connection?

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It was the black wire that was included. Pretty sure it's 18. I was worried it couldn't take it. Some of the 18 I have seen is only rated for 2A. I can rewire with that 4-lead cable you included If you think I should. The connections seem solid so that might make sense.

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It was the black wire that was included. Pretty sure it's 18. I was worried it couldn't take it. Some of the 18 I have seen is only rated for 2A. I can rewire with that 4-lead cable you included If you think I should. The connections seem solid so that might make sense.

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18 gauge is more than sufficient for this stepper motor wiring. We use 20 gauge stranded wires in the 4 conductor motor cable.

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Sometimes wires can get chaffed, or there is a conductivity issue in some wires.I'm wondering if it would be goo to do a test rewiring the motor to the driver, but not putting it into the cable carrier, just to make sure that is the problem.

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What do you suggest I do? Just go over the wiring? The 18 is fine for 5.5A? All the switches look right. Set at 1/16. What are the natural steps on this motor?

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I’ll check the conductivity on the wires. I can just re-run it with that four conductor. That cable works fine for you guys?

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The 4 conductor cable is the only cable we use for these stepper motors. It's a special cable used for motion applications.

Here is a link to that cable that we sell just to confirm the cable we are discussing:
https://www.buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-cable-wire-20awg-wrcon


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Yeah, that’s it. However, I ran the stock File on the laser cutter, the duck, it seems to run fine it’s just when you make the small adjustments with the arrow keys that it’s so rough. The other problem is that the speed on the stock file is way too fast.

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Ah, the jogging speed. I did not consider this. You definitely need to reduce the speed when you press the arrow keys.

The speed when running a job (the file) can be modified in LaserCad.

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So, I’ll look into that. Everything is done besides for Putting the tube on and adjusting the mirrors. When are you guys available for a quick phone call?

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In LaserCAD, go to the options -> system options -> User parameters. Make sure to click the read button to bring the parameters from the laser controller to the software. Our Key_Move_Speed is 100 and our X/Y_Home_Speed is also 100. I wouldn't go any faster than that. Curious, what are your values for these parameters?

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Key speed was set to 200 and XY was at 50. On the duck file on the machine, it says the speed is at 200. How can I import that file to change it?

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Much smoother after that change. File is still too fast, though.

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In the file, the speed is built into the geometry. You will need to open the file in LaserCAD, select the geometry and modify the speed. Make sure to change the intensity as well to compensate.

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Patrick, I am having issues with the x axis on the vlxl..very rough movement. What should I adjust? Check the rail spacing or can I modify anything in the software?

Yes, if you have an ordering or shipping issue, please call us during our normal business hours and we will personally look into the issue.

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Hi I have ordered the ARM Microcontroller Beginners Kit (STM32F0) on the 23rd of April but the shipping has still yet to arrive. I did not create an account at the time of purchasing and I am not in the address I provided anymore. May I know how should I go about this problem

The Mach3 USB interface board requires 24V relays externally. There are no relays on the mach3 usb board. If you use an external relay on the mach3 usb board, the relay connects to the V+ which is 24V and the output pin is the return.

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I understand what you are saying. Does your relay board work with the Mach3 USB board? If not, what relay board do you suggest to work with this usb controller?

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Our relay board works with our parallel breakout board. An off the shelf SSR (Solid State Relay) made for 24V should work fine.

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I bought a 'BuildyourCNC V1' relay board to go with my mach3 usb controller. I have been sent a 'Songle' relay. It's not the one in your picture and it's got different connections, for which there isn't a wiring diagram. The one I ordered says it is 5v, this one seems to be saying it's a 24v unit. Can you please explain what has happened? Thanks

The Mach3 USB interface board requires 24V relays externally. There are no relays on the mach3 usb board. If you use an external relay on the mach3 usb board, the relay connects to the V+ which is 24V and the output pin is the return.

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I understand what you are saying. Does your relay board work with the Mach3 USB board? If not, what relay board do you suggest to work with this usb controller?

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Our relay board works with our parallel breakout board. An off the shelf SSR (Solid State Relay) made for 24V should work fine.

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I bought a 'BuildyourCNC V1' relay board to go with my mach3 usb controller. I have been sent a 'Songle' relay. It's not the one in your picture and it's got different connections, for which there isn't a wiring diagram. The one I ordered says it is 5v, this one seems to be saying it's a 24v unit. Can you please explain what has happened? Thanks

If your motors are hot to the touch, this is normal. Current is being drawn by the motor coils as the motor moves and as the motor stays at a position. If the motor is not using the current in the coils to move (holding it's position), the energy will be translated as heat (rather than motion, sound or light). Even while moving, some of the energy will be lost as heat. Remember that energy cannot be created nor destroyed.

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I HAVE FOLLOWED ALL THE "CNC ELECTRONICS 1 - 9" VIDEOS AND I'M USING ALMOST EXACT SAME COMPONENTS (MOTORS RUN SOUND GOOD) BUT MOTORS ARE RUNING VERY HOT IN JUST 15MIN WITH NO LOAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG OR DO STEPPERS HOT?

If the z-axis motor changes directions when jogging, and continues even when replacing the motor! It seems as it is either a wiring problem or the driver? I would recommend changing the z-axis driver and check the wiring going form the driver to the breakout board.
If problem continues please contact us at customerservice@buildyourcnc.com


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z axis soft limit at 7line

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z axis soft limit at 7line

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z axis soft limit at 7 line

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z axis soft limit at 7 line

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I have a Nema 34 motor (Z axis) it was working perfect but suddenly changes direction when jogging, I already try changing another motor to Z axis but problem persist in spite of following all suggestions, what can I do?

Attaching two motors in parallel is possible, but you will need another motor and driver for the opposite side. Each motor must have its own driver to work accordingly and fluently. The two can be wired together, to the same pins on your breakout board and set the dip switches on the driver to match the ones on your x-axis(ex). But remember to view the orientation of the motor and which way it spins, since it is on the opposite side it will have to be orientated correctly to move in sync with the other motor.

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I just finished building my first CNC with the electronics I purchased from you and I am already thinking about improving it. I would like to build a 2 motor X axis solution. Is it possible to attach 2 parallel motors and drivers to the BlueBrew Breakout Board? If so, how?

The Mach3 USB will not work with Linux CNC. You can use our parallel breakout baord instead (if you have a computer that has a parallel port available).

Here is the link to that interface:
https://www.buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-parallel-breakout-relay

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Hello. I'm currently building my first CNC router, and I'm powering it with a 3 axis electronics kit that was purchased through your site. I chose to get the Mach 3 USB Breakout board, but now I'm wanting to try to use Linux CNC to work with the computer I have available. Will that work with this board?

First, see Jack's build: https://www.buildyourcnc.com/JackRehak.aspx

The difference between mounting the electronics in the gantry is that the connection from the computer (signal level) is long. The alternative, where the electronics is near the computer, the motor cables are long (to reach from the drivers to the motors).

Mounting the breakout board, drivers and power supply within the gantry will cause you to have a long signal connection from the computer to the breakout board. That is fine as long as the cable is long enough, possibly shielded, and can carry the signal at long cable lengths. Make sure to have the cable well away from the motor cables as these will cause quite a bit of interference.

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Provided they will fit and I install a ventilation/cooling fan, is there any reason why I should NOT mount the electronics (breakout board, stepper drivers and power supply) inside the gantry box in my BlackToe 2x4?

When connecting our power supply, no matter if it is 24 or 36 volts with our drivers/motors, you should always use bipolar parallel. This will allow you to have the best torque at higher speeds.

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I have your nema 24 motors using the 36v power supply. Should I use the Bipolar series for the wiring the motors since I am using the 36 volt ad not a 24v power supply?