# Marking the chains **URL:** \ **Category:** Troubleshooting\ **Created:** [May 9, 2020, 1:17am UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/marking-the-chains/13267 "2020-05-09T01:17:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@Jatt](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/Jatt)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2020, 1:17am UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/marking-the-chains/13267/1 "2020-05-09T01:17:57Z")
When I calibrated, I didn’t know about marking the chains. I have been using the maslow for about a year now without issue, but I’d like to mark my chains so that if I ever need to remove them, I don’t have to completely recalibrate. Is there a way to move it to the correct position in firmware so that I can find the links to mark without completely recalibrating? I’m using webcontrol, if it matters. ---
**Author:** ![bar](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/bar/32/10_2.png) [@bar](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/bar)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2020, 2:57am UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/marking-the-chains/13267/2 "2020-05-09T02:57:38Z")
In Ground Control **Actions -\> Advanced -\> Set Chain Lengths Automatic** does what you are looking for. I’m not 100% sure of the Webcontrol equivalent ---
**Author:** ![Orob](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/orob/32/16344_2.png) [@Orob](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/Orob)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2020, 4:11am UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/marking-the-chains/13267/3 "2020-05-09T04:11:50Z")
in webcontrol, you extend the chains, then mark them and then after that you use the reset chain features. videos to show you how here: > [@WebControl: how to use the basic and advanced features](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/webcontrol-how-to-use-the-basic-and-advanced-features/13241): > > The purpose of this wiki entry is to describe how to fully use the basic and advanced features of webcontrol. This is intended to be more than just a basic overview, with links, videos and instructions. Webcontrol can run on multiple operating systems: Windows 10 [[Maslow WebControl on Windows10] ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPjnMisPen8) UPDATE: github respository moved, so link to get to the latest release, go to [Releases · WebControlCNC/WebControl · GitHub](http://github.com/webcontrolcnc/webcontrol/releases) and scroll down to the green LATEST RELEASE tag [image] Ra… ---
**Author:** ![emilecantin](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/emilecantin/32/16834_2.png) [@emilecantin](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/emilecantin)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2020, 4:14am UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/marking-the-chains/13267/4 "2020-05-09T04:14:19Z")
I haven’t done it, but what about simply marking a link and the gear tooth it goes on when the sled is centered? That way, if you remove the chains, you just hit “center sled” from GC, hook the chains up on their proper tooth, and you should be good. Wouldn’t that work? ---
**Author:** ![Orob](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/orob/32/16344_2.png) [@Orob](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/Orob)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2020, 4:16am UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/marking-the-chains/13267/5 "2020-05-09T04:16:34Z")
Are the gears at 12:00 when centered? We know they are at 12:00 at the extended position. If they are, then it will work. If not, then it won’t work. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker37](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/kayaker37/32/12681_2.png) [@kayaker37](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/kayaker37)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2020, 8:11pm UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/marking-the-chains/13267/6 "2020-05-09T20:11:49Z")
Nice set of videos, thanks for those. You mentioned in the video the you have the chain length set to 1650 because that is the default. In WebControl in the text to the left it says that in the directions, but in the text box to the right where you enter a number it originally says 1651. The number should be divisible by 6.35, which 1651 is. So 1651/6.35 = 260. For a 12 foot beam 2032/6.35 = 320. So 26 complete revolutions of the gear in a 10 ft beam, 32 for the 12 foot beam. The text in WebControl should probably be changed. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker37](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/kayaker37/32/12681_2.png) [@kayaker37](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/kayaker37)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2020, 9:36pm UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/marking-the-chains/13267/7 "2020-05-09T21:36:39Z")
I wasn’t sure I caused a chain skip when initially extending the chains, so I manually counted them off, to make sure. If you initially extended the links to 1651, divide by 6.35 to determine how many links to count off. 1651/6.35 = 260 links. So to mark off in groups of ten, I count the outer links in groupings of 5, threading a string through, then you can mark off with a marker every ten if you like, then mark the final hole at 260. > [@Lost chain length, now bad cuts?](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/lost-chain-length-now-bad-cuts/13251/3): > > If you run a string through every 10 holes, its easy to count every five outer links. It’ not too bad, I have pics somewhere. Edit to add pic. Alternate the string so it runs 10 holes on top, then ten on bottom. This wasn’t attached to a sled so it bunched up funny. Edit: In WebControl Actions-\>Calibration/Setup-\>Check for Chain Skip moves the chains out to the initial extend chain position, so all you have to do is put a drop of paint on the top most sprocket tooth, and corresponding chain link. ---
**Author:** ![dlang](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/dlang/32/859_2.png) [@dlang](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/dlang)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2020, 2:29am UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/marking-the-chains/13267/8 "2020-05-10T02:29:25Z")
you can change the length from the default of 1651 to anything you want. But you should make it be something that is a multiple of 6.35. I think it would be useful to add a button to webcontrol that lets you extend/retract both chains by 6.35mm and then one to change the length setting for you I submitted [https://github.com/madgrizzle/WebControl/issues/132](https://github.com/madgrizzle/WebControl/issues/132) for this David Lang ---
**Author:** ![Orob](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/orob/32/16344_2.png) [@Orob](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/Orob)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2020, 3:07am UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/marking-the-chains/13267/9 "2020-05-10T03:07:40Z")
good catch on the 1651. I may have misspoken during the video… 1650, 1651 (220, 221 from Mr Mom?) ? I checked my version and it says 1650, not 1651 as default. I don’t recall changing it, but I can change it back to 1651 in both places. This means I need to recalibrate… again. hmm, always one more thing. This is what I see: ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/uploads/maslowcnc/original/3X/f/2/f2644158d4549824c24d69b6207cc8d29c615b83.png) I manually changed mine to 1650 because I changed it to something else previously. The text for the description is wrong, but the default value and initial value are correct as per the github code: ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/uploads/maslowcnc/original/3X/8/d/8d452d4ade1009c0436ee8622482747782bb28a6.png) Only the description of the default needs to change. ---
**Author:** ![dlang](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/dlang/32/859_2.png) [@dlang](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/dlang)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 6:48am UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/marking-the-chains/13267/10 "2020-05-11T06:48:03Z")
it used to be 1650, and if you have been running since an old enough version you may still have the old default. This means that after you reset your chains, you are off by 1mm on each chain to start with. David Lang ---
**Author:** ![Orob](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/orob/32/16344_2.png) [@Orob](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/Orob)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 11:31am UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/marking-the-chains/13267/11 "2020-05-11T11:31:09Z")
yeah I just realized that as I was typing that response above… however, since I did holey calibration 3x everything is fine until I reset the chains and then it is all wrong again. ---
**Author:** ![ACME](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@ACME](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/ACME)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/marking-the-chains/13267/12 "2022-02-26T20:33:06Z")
Ignore this. I was trying to calculate the number for chain extension on a 12’ beam. I found it is 2032 in the help menu on webcontrol. Jerry