MechMate CNC Router Forum

Go Back   MechMate CNC Router Forum > Personal Build Histories > MechMates already cutting
Register Options Profile Last 1 | 3 | 7 Days Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #61  
Old Thu 24 January 2008, 13:21
Roadkill_321
Just call me: John #7
 
Wiseton, Saskatchewan
Canada
Problem solved! Thanks Gerald!

John
Reply With Quote
  #62  
Old Thu 24 January 2008, 14:32
Roadkill_321
Just call me: John #7
 
Wiseton, Saskatchewan
Canada
A functional Ratsnest

It all works. Now to get the table done.
Ratsnest.jpg
Reply With Quote
  #63  
Old Fri 25 January 2008, 23:18
Roadkill_321
Just call me: John #7
 
Wiseton, Saskatchewan
Canada
Picked up the laser cut parts today, got some misc electrical hardware (Neutrik XLR connectors, buttons and enclosures). My daughter is out for the weekend, so I will probably not do much on the Mechmate. Going skiing instead. Hope you all have a good weekend.

John
Reply With Quote
  #64  
Old Mon 28 January 2008, 23:26
Roadkill_321
Just call me: John #7
 
Wiseton, Saskatchewan
Canada
Well today I welded most of the table together. Just need to cut and weld the Longitudinal angle supports. I had a bit of a screwup today though. When I welded the main Longitudinal beams to the cross supports I was careful in keeping them exactly parallel to each other, things were going great. But, when I welded in the end cross bearer I rechecked the beams and now from one end to the other there is a 3/16" discrepancy. I was wondering if I should cut the table apart to fix this or could I just remedy the problem when I attach the X-rails. Is this a huge problem?

John
Reply With Quote
  #65  
Old Tue 29 January 2008, 00:23
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
It should be okay as it is.
Reply With Quote
  #66  
Old Tue 29 January 2008, 10:33
Roadkill_321
Just call me: John #7
 
Wiseton, Saskatchewan
Canada
I was doing a little research today on routers and the different starting and control systems that they have and I have deduced that it is only the "Soft Start" routers that have the problems with the SSR. I can't find any amperage numbers for the initial starting sequence, but, from what I gather, the amperage is slowly increased electronically to reduce the startup torque. The Porter-Cable 690 has a "Hard Start", as does the DeWalt 610 and the Milwaukee 5680. The Bosch 1617EVS has soft start and variable speed, so I would be suspicious of using this router with a SSR. I haven't tested any of this theory, but it was just an idea I had that might help other members to choose a router if they had decided to go with a solid state relay.

John
Reply With Quote
  #67  
Old Tue 29 January 2008, 10:53
domino11
Just call me: Heath
 
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
Gerald,
I believe the makita router you have used on one of your machines has the soft start. Do you use it with an SSR? How do you start your routers or spindles?
Reply With Quote
  #68  
Old Tue 29 January 2008, 11:12
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Routers are started with a contactor, used as a relay.

Spindle needs a tiny signal to the VFD to start it - the relay on the PMDX-122 is used to provide that signal.
Reply With Quote
  #69  
Old Tue 29 January 2008, 11:18
sailfl
Just call me: Nils #12
 
Winter Park, FL
United States of America
Gerald,

Don't you need a SSR when using a spindle? If not what do you need. I thought you had a SSR in your Controller Box.
Reply With Quote
  #70  
Old Tue 29 January 2008, 11:23
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Spindle is driven by a VFD, an electronic device that needs a puny signal. You don't even need a relay, one of the parallel port pins will start it direct. (A transistor radio battery will even do the job!)

No SSR's in our controller boxes.
Reply With Quote
  #71  
Old Tue 29 January 2008, 11:52
sailfl
Just call me: Nils #12
 
Winter Park, FL
United States of America
Gerald,

Yes, I was mistaken. Sorry!
Reply With Quote
  #72  
Old Tue 29 January 2008, 12:56
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
You might be thinking of the thermistor relay for the spindle - that's another kettle of fish. (Turns off the spindle if it overheats).
Reply With Quote
  #73  
Old Tue 29 January 2008, 17:12
sailfl
Just call me: Nils #12
 
Winter Park, FL
United States of America
Gerald,

Yes that is exactly what I need. Thanks
Reply With Quote
  #74  
Old Tue 29 January 2008, 18:22
Roadkill_321
Just call me: John #7
 
Wiseton, Saskatchewan
Canada
Just a quick update. I have finished welding on the base table so it is going to get painted very soon. The bottom is going to get painted first, then I'll get the main beams tapped for the X rails. It is very solid. You could park a truck on this thing.

John
Base-Table-2.jpg
Getting-ready-for-Paint.jpg
Reply With Quote
  #75  
Old Tue 29 January 2008, 18:38
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
Hi John,

UR Table build looks very heavy, did u turn it around all by urself or had to get a Dozer to turn it around

BTW U have a very neat garage / workshop. (from the looks of the photos atleast)

Enjoy ur build

RGDS
Irfan
Reply With Quote
  #76  
Old Tue 29 January 2008, 19:04
Roadkill_321
Just call me: John #7
 
Wiseton, Saskatchewan
Canada
Irfan,

My brother and I flipped the table over. It was a big lift. Thanks for the comments.

John
Reply With Quote
  #77  
Old Tue 29 January 2008, 20:51
Doug_Ford
Just call me: Doug #3
 
Conway (Arkansas)
United States of America
Looking good John. It won't be long now.
Reply With Quote
  #78  
Old Tue 29 January 2008, 21:00
Greg J
Just call me: Greg #13
 
Hagerman, New Mexico
United States of America
John,

Yea, that is one "hoss" of a lift. I'm a one man show, and building a gantry crane saved my back.

When I get my wheels rigged up, I may hitch a couple of horses to the table and plow a field.

Your table looks good. Keep the pictures coming.
Reply With Quote
  #79  
Old Tue 29 January 2008, 22:31
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roadkill_321 View Post
.... It is very solid. You could park a truck on this thing.
And believe it or not, you are still going to feel it vibrate.

A stupid little blower vacuum system will maybe give 1 pound/square inch pressure .... 8'x4' table is 96 x 48 inches = 4600 square inches = 4600 pounds = 2 tons. Okay, that force is not carried by the legs, but it illustrates that one needs some weight in this monster.

Nice job! and now I know where my street's STOP sign went

Reviewing this thread for a newer title, I see it is only 6 weeks old and you have a lot of stuff done - are you going for a new record??
Reply With Quote
  #80  
Old Wed 30 January 2008, 01:04
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
For a moment looking at his shop floor and the stop sign, i felt John had erected his shop in the middle of the road

Possibly built at a dead end of the road LOL
Reply With Quote
  #81  
Old Wed 30 January 2008, 06:13
Greg J
Just call me: Greg #13
 
Hagerman, New Mexico
United States of America
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerald D View Post

And believe it or not, you are still going to feel it vibrate.
WOW, I thought with all that mass, there was no way in hell you would feel vibration. I believe you, but now I'm worried about my welds in the long run. Only one way to find out. Start cutting wood.
Reply With Quote
  #82  
Old Wed 30 January 2008, 21:18
Roadkill_321
Just call me: John #7
 
Wiseton, Saskatchewan
Canada
Thanks for the comments every one, the shop belongs to my brother, so I can't comment on the stop sign. Gerald, it just happens that I've had some spare time from work (2 weeks off) so I'm trying to make the most of it. I got the table drilled and tapped tonight, also drilled the rails to 1/2" and picked up some paint for the table. My brother is the painter in the family, so I think he might be painting the table tonight. It will be nice to get paint on it, then I can kick it outside for a while. Next on the agenda is to get the grinder skate working. I have to make some modifications to it to work with my grinder, but they will be minor mods. The eccentrics will have to be made by a local machine shop if they have the time to do it. Anyway, thats it for now. Pictures will follow later.

John
Reply With Quote
  #83  
Old Wed 30 January 2008, 21:42
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Remember that the eccentrics for the grinder and the eccentrics for the z-slide are the the same ones. First use them in the grinder and then move them to the z-slide. The grinder uses 4, the Mamba z-slide uses 6. Get 6 made, if you havn't purchased them from Superiorbearings yet.
Reply With Quote
  #84  
Old Wed 30 January 2008, 21:48
Roadkill_321
Just call me: John #7
 
Wiseton, Saskatchewan
Canada
Gerald,

I've already got the kit that Superior Bearing offered, and I think that it has six eccentrics in it. That's great if they will also work in the grinder skate. If I remember correctly the bearings are 6001?

John
Reply With Quote
  #85  
Old Wed 30 January 2008, 21:55
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Yes, 8 off 6001 bearings sealed against the grind dust. 6001.2RSR is a typical number for a sealed bearing (12mm ID, 28mm OD, 8mm Width). Yes, they are metric bearings, but the Superior eccentrics are also metric.
Reply With Quote
  #86  
Old Fri 01 February 2008, 07:20
Roadkill_321
Just call me: John #7
 
Wiseton, Saskatchewan
Canada
Well, here is another update. The table is painted Ford New Holland Blue, one rail is ground and the table is drilled and tapped for the X rails. I haven't yet welded the gantry stops on the rails or drilled the proximity sensor holes but that can come later. The skate works very well, but has a tendency to climb the rail. I have to always keep fairly firm down pressure on it to make it cut evenly. The grinding discs I have been using have been frustrating me. They seem to smooth out after a while and stop cutting and just make heat. I have been roughening them with a bench grinder just to make them cut again. Anyone else have this experience and any remedies? Anyway, that's all for now, have to get grinding the other rail.

John
Reply With Quote
  #87  
Old Fri 01 February 2008, 07:53
smreish
Just call me: Sean - #5, 28, 58 and others
 
Orlando, Florida
United States of America
I had the same experience and do have some advice on the grinding. Adjust the skate height screw so the skate is not level. This make the contact point a tangent and not a flat grind. I am talking about a very small change in height. Additionally I "dressed" the grinding wheel with another of the same type on a spare grinder when the not big sparks not shooting off the rail. All acceptable and didnt slow me down. I didnt have the climbing issues you mention. I did find that the first pass on a new grind depth I traveled with the disc rotation essentially making the skate self propel down the rail. The next pass would be a climb cut and seat fairly well. Good luck. It looks like a great effort and well crafted machine.
Reply With Quote
  #88  
Old Fri 01 February 2008, 08:12
J.R. Hatcher
Just call me: J.R. #4
 
Wilmington, North Carolina
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to J.R. Hatcher
I found if I moved the skate faster and not allow the metal to heat up it didn't burnish the wheel as bad. This next tip is very dangerous (to material not personal) I took another side grinder and took off most of the angle metal by eye balling it then used the skate, makes it very fast, but be carful not to take toooo much.

Everything is looking mighty fine John.

One other note, if the bearings that sandwiches the rail are to tight it will climb.

Last edited by J.R. Hatcher; Fri 01 February 2008 at 08:17..
Reply With Quote
  #89  
Old Fri 01 February 2008, 08:24
smreish
Just call me: Sean - #5, 28, 58 and others
 
Orlando, Florida
United States of America
JR.
I see you added your official affiliation to your login description. Nice!
I forgot about that getting to tight, but true. If you bearing eccentrics are too tight it did want to climb. Good note.
Yep, move it quick and make MANY passes per depth setting. I found I was taking about 8-10 passes per setting - total time for all 4 rails was about 10-12 hours with coffee breaks.
Sean
Reply With Quote
  #90  
Old Fri 01 February 2008, 10:37
Doug_Ford
Just call me: Doug #3
 
Conway (Arkansas)
United States of America
10-12 hours is great!!! I know I spent more than that when I milled mine on a Bridgeport and I think y'all probably have rails that are more precisely ground. The skate is definitely the way to go.

John, She's looking beautiful. Keep up the good work.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Register Options Profile Last 1 | 3 | 7 Days Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 13:00.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.