Requesting "shopping lists", Bills of Material, spreadsheets, etc. from other members

[Galibi]

Hello,

Me and friend want to build a Mechmate in Suriname, South America.
Many parts have to be imported or made elsewhere and I was wondering If there is a bill of materials available. I went very quick through the 5 available pdf's of the download area, but couldn't find anything.

I came a cross some old postings were a bill of materials is being discussed.
The link to this is broken. Does any one know were to download it and is it still up to date?

Thank you
Galibi

[sailfl]

Galibi,

Welcome to the site.

I would suggest you download the PDFs and print them out and put them in a 3 Ring notebook. You will be looking at them a lot. It will become your reference material for your build. You will be using them to build your copy of a build of materials.

There was a person that put together a spread sheet but he is no longer around and I don't believe that is available any more.

Ask your questions and there are plenty of that help you along your way.

Good luck. It is worth the time and effort.

[riesvantwisk]

Hey Galibi,

welcome to the forum!
The problem I find with a bom is that it depends a bit what i available in your area. Sure for some parts you have to import it (motors, drivers, BoB) but it's hard to make a list that suites your situation and what size/features you are actually going to make, this because some items are options....

I decided to buy some parts overseas, like gecko drivers, BoB and the stepper motors, and currently making a list of materials to build the table and gantry. This is much like a list of metal parts I need to buy and in what length.
I expect myself to buy bolds and nuts, rings etc in a enough quantity and will not calculate this precise (just enough with a best guess).

What I am doing, and I am not even close to a metal worker... is printed out all sheets, and read them a couple of times and understand them very well... Then just get started. Currently I am still ordering electronic parts and organizing some additional sheets (simple BoM) so I can go to a shop and order some items.

Ries

[domino11]

Welkom Galibi,
Hope your build goes well. There is a lot of info here so you will always have the answers you need. If not just ask, someone will gladly help you out.

[Galibi]

Hello All,

Thank you for your replies and welcoming me on this great forum.

Suriname is a quite isolated country in terms of having access to technology.
Most of the imported goods enter the country via Holland or the USA.
Missing a part that is not available in Suriname could delay a project for a couple of weeks. So I thought an overview of required materials would minimize that risk.
I'll follow your advise and fire questions at you when the time comes.

I've never build a cnc router before, not even worked with one. Next year I'll start building a small router 1000x500 (mm) to understand the electronic part better.

[William McGuire]

Welcome Galibi...

You might want to take a good look at the plans. I believe the major cost might be in the electronics and motors (BOB, steppers, drivers, etc). The metal used to make up a cutting area of 97" X 50" is probably only about 15% -20% of the cost.

If you were to purchase the electronics and metal for a small machine, it may cost almost as much as the large one shown on the plans... especially if you bought the same motors and electronics as you would for the production model...

[riesvantwisk]

Galibi,

I think one of the easer parts of the mechmate are the electronics non of the parts are exhotic and easy to buy overseas.

I bought the standard PMDX-122 breakout board with the Gecko G203V drivers.

I bought one driver extra and one motor extra for just in case and have the option to build a little lathe if I wanted to.

Why the more expensive G203V?? They have a lot of protections against abuse so they are less likely to break.

So if you want to learn electronics, it's really not a bad to start with the Mechmate and it seems to be a fool proof design.

@Gerarld, did you ever hear of a Mechmate that somebody couldn't make it to work?

Ries

[Gerald D]

Originally Posted by riesvantwisk

. . . . Gerald, did you ever hear of a Mechmate that somebody couldn't make it to work? . . . .

That is hard to answer . . . . . .

A lot of people have started building, but then stopped the building again. The reasons are unknown.

But, we have always helped everyone who made it clear that they wanted to finish, and that they were indeed building a MM. (We have had cases of people building other machines and then wanting our help. You should see the PM's I get from people who have never posted here at the forum)

[riesvantwisk]

Gerald,

from what I understand it's like that they couldn't finish it because of various reasons (money, time, needs), but it does looks like that any finished MM simply works, sometimes with a bit of tuning (motors) or other small things mechanical items, this is simply great!

Ries

[servant74]

If we were going to put a BOM spread sheet together, what would be needed in it?

[J.R. Hatcher]

Jack try this link

http://www.msnusers.com/ncmechmate/d...ts.msnw?&pps=k

[Galibi]

I don't see anything about the mechmate via that link.

[Galibi]

Hi Ries,

Thank you for your input.
Why have you chose the Gecko drive?

[Galibi]

Ries,
Please ignore my question. I found a thread abouth the Gecko drive.

[jhiggins7]

Galibi,

Originally Posted by Galibi

I don't see anything about the mechmate via that link.

You have to join the NCMECHMATE Group to download the documents(it's free). I found the MechMate Purchased Parts spreadsheet to be very useful. One warning. The spreadsheets are sort of oriented toward feet and inches and may be less useful to someone working in metric. Also there is an spreadsheet showing the nuts and bolts needed to construct a MechMate.

Regards,
John

[Galibi]

John, when did you visit that page for the last time?
I'm getting page errors when I want to join the group.
I''ll try again later.

Thanks

[Gerald D]

Copied from the MSN Groups page:


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[Gerald D]

I am again being accused of blocking efforts to produce a BOM . . . . . I said the following a long time ago:

Originally Posted by Gerald D

. . . . . I would love to see you guys generate and share lists for your local materials and sizes. It will save much shipping costs and duplicate trips to the hardware store. Things like those tiny resistors for the Gecko's that will be forgotten till a Sunday when all the stores are closed. The shim washers for squaring the gantry, etc.

For me, as the "designer", to publish a "master" list is going to cause me too many headaches because I don't know where you buy what. It will lead to endless PM's of "can I use this instead of that". . . .

There have been two BOM's published so far, neither of them published here at this forum. Both those BOM's are proving hard to access. I have never refused to host a BOM at this site - indeed I have the open invitation that folk can share their BOM's here.

[Gerald D]

Following on from today's discovery that Stevewellman999 is davidmoore in disguise, here is the essential extract from David's BOM. He had many more sheets on calculating gears, tapping drill sizes, etc. which did not essentially list the materials needed.

BOM.zip

Having quickly scanned this BOM, I would say to proceed with the greatest caution. For example, there is no need for stainless steel fastners (they are actually a bad thing for our case). Laser cuttings are not included. Router bracket is absent. Steelmax saw should not be on the BOM. Etc. Etc.

Here is his original multi-sheeted version:

DavidMooresbom.zip

I have chosen to ignore his claims of copyright as he has no respect for the user agreement of this site, to which he agreed. He is now trying to commercially build a "truecnc" <-----google

Originally Posted by Gerald D

I am again being accused of blocking efforts to produce a BOM . . . . . .

Turns out that "Steve Wellman" was the source of this accusation. He was rather prolifically sending out PM's yesterday, suggesting that folk get a BOM from David, his alter ego. Which would probably have come at a price . . . .

[Galibi]

Thank you for posting the files Gerald!

[gmessler]

Go Gerald!!

[dcozort]

This thread moved from elsewhere:

Hey john It Dennis from Paducah KY you would'nt happen to have a quick shopping list for one table.. I know its probably on this form somewhere but this is only my third day reading.. And I really want to start getting everything together super fast.. This is very exciting can't wait... you guys have good luck with your tables and please post pictures as you go. I looked at the prints and felt a little bit intimidated until I saw some pictures then I thought oh yea I can do this Dennis

[jhiggins7]

Dennis,

Originally Posted by dcozort

Hey john ...you would'nt happen to have a quick shopping list ...Dennis

You asked a direct question, so I feel somewhat obligated to respond.

First, I must warn you that newbies, like yourself, are often viewed somewhat unfavorably when they try to get "the answers" without doing their homework. I strongly suggest that you continue to read through the Forum, see what others have done and decide if you want to build a MechMate.

Once you decide to build a MechMate, just start. I started with the Control Box. I'm more familiar with electronics than with metal work. Now, I'm in the process of building the table.

You'll find most of the answers to your questions as you work through the threads of the forum. I'm sorry, THERE'S NO SHORT-CUT. People on the forum will help you, but they won't do your homework for you.

Think about this. Gerald is on this Forum daily. He does NOT CHARGE FOR HIS TIME. He does not charge for the plans. But, consider how frustrating it would be for you if you invested the hours that Gerald does, without compensation (except for the joy of seeing his idea take shape, around the World, in the form of completed, cutting MechMates) to have someone come in, try to short-cut the process, not follow the advice of Forum members, take up time, and eventually fail to build anything.

Sorry, to go on and on.

I will help you if I can. For example, I found JR's spreadsheets (Purchased Parts and Bolts) to be helpful. They are a help, not THE ANSWER. Also, as many have advised, I printed out the entire set of documents on the download page. I put them in a notebook. I refer to them DAILY.

Several people throughout the Forum have listed parts and suppliers that they used. I purchased the Laser Cut Parts from Joe McLain (Sweet Home Alabama). You might be able to source them locally, but as Gerald has pointed out, the first time a firm cuts AND BENDS the parts, they will make mistakes. Joe's parts ARE PROVEN.

Dennis, I hope this is helpful. Be patient. I spent more than a year "lurking" on the Forum before deciding to build a MechMate.

I hope you continue and earn your own Serial Number one day.

Regards,
John

[dcozort]

Boy john I almost don't know where to begin..Let me first start by saying when I joined this fourm I felt I was joining a group of guys that had a love of building and were willing to help each other out with answers to a vast number of questions... think about this since your into examples what if gerald put this machine out there and the first group of guys had questions and his reply was " you'll find most of the answers as you look through the prints " As you just replied to me. All I was asking was how much steel you bought.. John... not that big a deal did'nt need nut ,bolts, software, control box, motors or any of the other things this project will intail but thats okay.. I'll find it.. By the way just got off the phone earlier today with joe and ordered my parts, what an extremely decent guy. He had a large amount of advice to include one of my questions as to how much a guy might have in this when its done. I suppose he could of said add it up yourself but in keeping with the spirit of these forms (to help each other out) he did'nt. In reguards to newbies as you put it, not being viewed as favorable on this site.. I would have to strongly disgree.. I don't know where you got that feeling but you should let the site speak for itself since at one time we were all newbies.. That includes you john.. newbies are what make these communities grow and they should never be made to feel unwelcome. As I discover new information on this site I will give it out freely and never tell anyone even old guys to go look it up. Oh I also have no intentions of stalking this site for a year before I make my decision I made it when I joined.. You see I own a legacy cnc mill and I am one of their beta test guys. Got in when it first started about two years ago.. let me assure you we don't tell new people go look up something we already know.. how discouraging would that be.... A simple hey dennis look at JR's spread sheets would have been fine. In closing have you been to cncinformation.com and seen ivan irons 7 day course on cnc it free. what a guy took his time to make videos and pass them on to all of us. what a nice, how did you put it (short cut) for all of us. So I hope you become more like the Geralds and ivans and joes of this world and learn to pass on information for free as I know I will.. P.S. if you ever get a legacy mill don't hesatate to call I'll spend as much time as I can with you because I enjoy cnc work... Gerald if your moderating hope I brusied no one. I just hope to keep this site as inviting as it was when I saw it . And may it grow by leaps and bounds as well as your machines in every shop accross the country. What an outstanding job you have done.. my best reguards Dennis

[Gerald D]

Dennis, you said

Originally Posted by dcozort

. . . . you would'nt happen to have a quick shopping list for one table.. .. I really want to start getting everything together super fast..

I cringed when I saw that, and I thought that John did rather well with his reply.

I absolutely resist handing out quick shopping lists!

If you are in a hurry to build, that is your personal problem - please don't shift load onto us because of that.

[sailfl]

Dennis,

I think you took John's comments in the wrong way. You will find those that have built their machine or building a machine willing to help as much as they can. Gerald will go out of his way to help when some needs help. I know from first hand experience. But you have to do the work. It takes time to look things over and to pickup on how the machine is put together and more importantly what is important and what is not. The plans are the key to all this and reading the build posts or individual area post.

We welcome you and we look forward to seeing what you build. I always look forward to seeing some thing done differently but I alway enjoy seeing a new buid and the pictures.

I think I lurked for a year before I could start to build do to money reason. You have experience with CNC so you will not have the problems that many of us new guys had. I know software but I didn't know steel.

Good luck with your build..... now start a personal page and give John's page up.

John, sorry to add this to your area.

John, good luck on your build.

[Gerald D]

This conversation has been made into a thread of its own so that it desn't clutter John's build thread.

The design for the base table has been safely modified to taste by just about everyone. I don't think there is one builder who followed the plans 100% - eg. lots of folk are making boltable tables (including me, with later tables). Asking someone for their shopping list is akin to asking someone for their design . . . . and I reckon most of us havn't committed a design to paper before we actually start building the table.

After I built the first MechMate styled gantry and Y-car as a retrofit for the ShopBot, I was asked for plans by quite a few people and it was at that point I realised that my paperwork wasn't suitable for passing on . . . after promising that I would pass on the design. I was obliged to sit down and re-draw everything - the more paper I provided, the more questions rolled in. Look at this forum today - everything is still not answered!

There is no obligation on anyone to provide information - readers must please not be offended if their requests for info go ignored. Many of you will attest that I have a habit of ignoring PM's and mails - I don't mean any offense either.

[jhiggins7]

Dennis,

You ask:

Originally Posted by dcozort

...All I was asking was how much steel you bought.. John... not that big a deal did'nt need nut ,bolts, software, control box, motors or any of the other things this project will intail but thats okay.. I'll find it....my best reguards Dennis

I'm happy to respond to that question.

I purchased the following:

One C8" X 13.75# X 20' (surplus) steel for the main rails. A little heavy, but cheap. ($110) I had it cut at 63 degrees to maximize the usable length.

Two 2-1/2" X 2" X 1/4" X 20' Angle for the rails. Would you believe they sent 2-1/2 X 2-1/2 angle. Didn't notice at the yard. Because of another mistake they made, it was a mad house. But, not all is lost, I have a Makita Steel Cutting saw, so I don't have to use the grinder skate to cut this angle down.

One 2" X 4" X 14 gauge X 24' Rectangular tube for the Gantry.

Three C3" X 4.1# X 20' for the Cross Bearers and Legs

One 2" X 2" X 11 gauge X 24' Rectangular tube for the lower bracing. I'm using this instead of pipe.

One 2" X 1" X 11 gauge X 20' also for lower bracing plus Z Slide tube. On this point, I also had previously obtained several short pieces of this as scrap steel. So I only needed one new piece.

Total cost was about $700 including taxes and transportation.

I apologize for making you feel unwelcome.

I'm actually happy to help anyway I can. For the Control Box, I built a Relay Control Board. I'm happy to share the design and the layout, if you or anyone else is interested.

I also built a dual 12 volt and 24 volt power supply using a toroidal transformer. I can share the design and layout of that for anyone interested.

For the High Voltage E-Stop circuit, I use 24 volt DC rather than 120 volts AC. I was concerned about the danger of 120 Volts on the table and the potential interference of AC cable running in the cable duct with the motor cables. I already posted the design.

Hang in there Dennis. Sounds like you are on the right track with your call to Joe, etc.

Regards,
John

[vishnu]

Hi Dennis,

When i started building my machine, i wanted a shopping list as you would do. But took a bit of G's advice and started, till date i love to work completing one by one, building yourself with a bit of understanding and planning you can master the machine once you finish you build. Do not over do anything hope you would soon earn a serial number.

[riesvantwisk]

I have a limited Excel sheet that allows one to enter the X/Y dimensions and calculated some of the beam lengths, but it's not a shopping sheet, it just gives you an idea what to buy for the table and gantry.

This helped me to transfer the knowledge to my father in law who only speak spanish, and I hardly at all.. We currently do a lot of hand/feetwork
The Excel sheet does contain references to the sheets where the beams/parts are used so it's clear for me and him where what is used

I am more then happy to to upload it somewhere, even google docs so it can be extended it will be a helping hand for some people.
As always, it a really good idea to study teh plans in detail so any user knows what's going on, where and specially why the design is like in some way.

Ries