Dangerous! Snapped chain!

If you back up one link on the sled couldn’t you simply skip the chain ahead one link on each sprocket to compensate?

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Yes you can.

Not wanting to redo my chain positioning at the moment, I found an M2x8mm bolt and nut fit perfectly in the hole at the end of the chain. Better safe than injured!

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For the record, the wood triangulation kit does NOT have this problem (and never has).
These are images from the assembly instructions:

.

That’s about as clear as I could get with how to insert the cotter pin…

The cotter pin that comes with the kits is much longer than this and is easily inserted/removed through the two arched holes for easy chain detachment.

While I was testing linkage strength my chains easily took well over 95 pounds each (and I was never able to break a linkage either :wink: )

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Ok, I thought the pin was being inserted the other way (and I’ll bet that a
bunch of people are using the original pins going the other way, there hasn’t
been anything before now to say that they shouldn’t, and it’s easier to do)

David Lang

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I totally agree! I never thought of it as a problem until now either. But it makes total sense.

Has this still been working well for you? Can you provide a picture? Does it interfere with the cotter pin? I am guessing that you have one of the ring kits, but perhaps I am wrong on that. I suppose your fix would work for any connection method, though, no?

I haven’t had a chain fail, but I’d rather avoid the issue than learn from it first hand :slight_smile:
Thanks

The pins are just over 2mm, so a M2 bolt will work well, if you get one just the
right length (or cut it down) it should not interfere with anything.

But just moving everything one link works as well.

David Lang

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+1 to what @dlang said. Moving everything 1 link works fine (feed the second link over the vertical sprocket when feeding chains and then put the Cotter pin through the second link). I used the M2 bolt until the next time I reset chain lengths, then I moved to using the second link. Using the 2nd link is a simpler solution and doesn’t require extra parts

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Thanks @dlang and @johnboiles. I will plan to move the chain once link when next I get some time.

Out of curiosity, does anyone if this something that has been added to the calibration procedure? It seems like a good practice for everyone considering the potential for damage and injury in the case of the hollow link snapping during a cut, as well as the ease of adding it as a step in the initial calibration.

The calibration procedure in GroundControl? I don’t think so but I haven’t opened GroundControl in months because of WebControl. It would be great to update instructions about this

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I agree, magnetic switches are key for things like saws and routers that will come back on when plugged in or otherwise energized. I bought one for my planned router/saw E-stop. Especially since I will be setting up auto spindle control.

I am currently assembling my kit with the ring system. I noticed in the assembly instructions it states to use a surrounded link, as suggested by this conversation. Though I did not see whether or not I need to make an adjustment to the rotation radius in the assembly guide.

Is this modification currently accounted for by the calibration process? If not, what adjustment do I need to make to the rotation radius?

PS: The picture in the instructions for the sled shows using an un-surround link, which is confusing.

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put the link that you put the pin through as the link you put on the 12 o’clock
sprocket, that is the only change you need to make.

David Lang

Welcome to the Forum!
Use the second link as the one to put on 12 o’clock and you don’t need to add 6.35mm to the rotation radius.
You are right that the instructions should be changed for safety reasons. Can someone post a pic of the ring system showing this?:

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Thank you for the quick responses. I am rerunning the chain length calibration and putting the first surrounded link in the 12 o’clock position.

Yes

or you can just move the chain one link

or change the value for how far to extend the chains in the advanced setting
(instead of 1651 make it 1644.65)

David Lang

Are you sure about this? I extend my chains to 2032 because of a wider top beam…

Easiest and fastest solution

Yes, I mis-marked chains on the one at the local makerspace (I measured 1651
from the bit, not from the link that should have gone over the 12 o’clock
position) so rather than re-marking the chain, I changed the value to something
in the 1450ish range.

David Lang

The amount of chain feed out is stored as a value for the further calculation. I can change it to any value i like and still end up at the centre if i tell to go there. How is that going to compensate that i’m a link to short?