I was trying to figure out what the series of   E 5 L- o P letters on the 7 segment display was trying to tell me ( E, S   o, L   and P are all valid messages, but the L combined with a dash was throwing me. Turns out the 5 was an S and the L- was a T….) A sharp eyed viewer (who wasn’t constrained by having a table of all the possible error codes) commented that it looked like it was spelling out “EStoP” or Emergency Stop, which wasn’t listed in the table.   Sure enough, it turns out that the front panel key switch generates an E-STOP (just as the main E-Stop switch does).

After defeating the keyswitch, the machine gave a single “dash” – on the display, which is a standard “Servo Power Off” state. Continue reading →

This is a ScanTek 2000, a rebranded Denford Micromill 2000 that has a CNC controlled Sherline mill in a nice steel enclosure with some fancy CNC electronics. According to the nameplate, it was dispatched in October 2005, so a relatively newer model.

They are designed for technical schools and shop classes to teach students the fundamentals of CNC machining without having to have a really large CNC mill. Although the Sherline Mill inside is relatively small, it is still a serious mill and can be very precise and even mill mild steel.   I purchased mine surplus, and it unfortunately did not come with the key for the front panel power switch, or the software to drive the mill. My first goal was to see if I could get it to turn on.

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