3 Bad steppers, bad DIY breakout, or wrong settings in config.h?

First post, so if I do something stupid, don't send me down in flames.
I bought some used steppers, built my own Gerbl breakout for a Uno, got some 4988 stepper drivers, set up GRBL as close as I can guess without actually having the machine running, and use Universal Gcode sender to jog things. This is the first time I have been able to try the steppers,unipolar 6 wire set up as bipolar, and all three will start off fine then act like they lock up or sit and "sing" and then maybe continue, maybe not. I have them on 1/16 th step, tried dropping to 1/8th, then full steps, actually got worse. I thought they sounded like they had metal filings inside, so took one apart and saw nothing. Maybe a bad coil in these and that's why they were removed? I tried one with just half the coils used, the datasheet shows how to wire it for more speed, that did the same thing. I got the 24 volt power supply from the same individual, but it checks out OK.
I'm really of the impression it is something in my board or software that is wrong, I just used the Ramps schematic for a guide and laid out a single sided board in DipTrace. All motors turn and reverse, just won't make a full revolution even.
Here is my Grbl $$ output:
>>> $$
$0=2519.685 (x, step/mm)
$1=2519.685 (y, step/mm)
$2=2519.685 (z, step/mm)
$3=15 (step pulse, usec)
$4=250.000 (default feed, mm/min)
$5=500.000 (default seek, mm/min)
$6=192 (step port invert mask, int:11000000)
$7=25 (step idle delay, msec)
$8=10.000 (acceleration, mm/sec^2)
$9=0.050 (junction deviation, mm)
$10=0.100 (arc, mm/segment)
$11=25 (n-arc correction, int)
$12=3 (n-decimals, int)
$13=1 (report inches, bool)
$14=1 (auto start, bool)
$15=0 (invert step enable, bool)
$16=0 (hard limits, bool)
$17=0 (homing cycle, bool)
$18=0 (homing dir invert mask, int:00000000)
$19=25.000 (homing feed, mm/min)
$20=250.000 (homing seek, mm/min)
$21=100 (homing debounce, msec)
$22=1.000 (homing pull-off, mm)
ok

And I will attach the datasheets for the 2 kinds of motors.
Sorry this is long, but I wanted to include as much information as i could think of that was relevant.
I can also send a pdf of the board, but it isn't really complicated, and most of all, nothing smoked and the motors turn.
TomJ
(EDIT)
Told you I would do something stupid, why I posted about CNC problems on a Rep-Rap forum is beyond me.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2013 08:14PM by 1HzCoder.

Quote

all three will start off fine then act like they lock up or sit and "sing" and then maybe continue, maybe not.

Does it sound right, like singing starting at a low tone, then raising, just to go low before a stop? Then this sounds like you try to run them too fast. Start slower, like G1 X10 F50.

Esle you might have miswired the motors. Wire colors are unreliable. One of the wires might be broken. Such things.

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Generation 7 Electronics	Teacup Firmware	RepRap DIY

Yes, have you checked the poles with a Multimeter.....colors in my experience (Anaheim and some chinees stuf are reliable but you have to check them at the site of the manufacturer since every manufacturer likes to reinvent the wheel). And you have to wire them correctly. I made a 2 axis panoramamount using 2 Big Easy Drivers.....no problemo.....just give the control pins of the board a signal and (using an axelstepper library) the software and the controler does the rest. With my sanquinololu and Polulos things were no different.....only you also have to tune the current they get. Polulos as well as Big Easies have a pot meter....set that to high and the stepper stals....set it to low and it does not turn at all....I start from 1/8 open en then gradually increase the current untill the steppers start to sing a happy tune. I bet Kraftwerk (to which I'm listening now) could have made a song with them.

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Serious Geekfactor allert, be aware!

Greets, Ed.