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  #31  
Old Thu 07 May 2009, 13:54
ria@mooregear.com
Just call me: Ria
 
Hermann (MO)
United States of America
No problem Ries. I'm glad you were able to locate some gears and rack. Maybe next time Moore Gear can help. Keep us in mind!
Thanks and best regards,
Ria
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  #32  
Old Fri 08 May 2009, 06:17
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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<frustrational text>I am having some fun getting it through customs now in Ecuador.
Bloody DHL didn't contact me and it's sitting in customs because of some HS code. Customs now want's to charge me 90% taxes over 365 USD, I supplied the HS code and they say 'this country doesn't recognize this code' WHAAAAAT.
now I need to find a good HS code to get it in with 30% tax :s </frustrational tex>

anyways, it took 4 days from hong kong to Ecuador, it takes already over 10 days in customs

Ries
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  #33  
Old Fri 08 May 2009, 08:23
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Our South African HS (Harmonised Schedule) code will be 8483.40 and it will be free of duty/tax. In the United States the the code will be 8483.40.90 and it will have 2.5% import duty/tax. In Ecuador it should also be in the 8483 family.
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  #34  
Old Thu 28 May 2009, 14:37
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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Grinding

Last weekend we did some grinding and tomorrow we will do a bit more on the constructions.
We are about the order the laser cut parts also... We do need to change some drawings because some materials do have different dimensions.

Anybody knows a free CAD tool for teh mac, to modify the drawings?


Ries

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  #35  
Old Thu 28 May 2009, 20:52
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Lots of free CAD programs mentioned in this part of the forum: Graphics & CAD

What sort of changes do you need to make? I could help you with small changes.
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  #36  
Old Fri 29 May 2009, 07:26
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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Gerard,

de 2 large beams of the gantry are of different size. I am going to measure this up this afternoon and see what the exact difference is.
I will checkout the CAD links also, I prefer doing it myself... I need to learn it anyways, right?

if I come into trouble and have questions, I will for sure post a message for advice!

Ries
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  #37  
Old Mon 24 August 2009, 09:03
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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Hey All,

I need a little bit of help today with a file that needs to be cut..

I finally found a plasma cutter (no laser here!!!) that can do cutting and bending for a reasonable price, 400 usd in total.

However I had to modify all plans to add 2mm for the plasma cutter because there software couldn't do that automatically. However one plan that he cannot read anymore on his version of autocad (I use qCad).

Is anybody that can check design for me? I suspect it are the ovals that Autocad cannot do, this because all ovals I found within the original plan are made up of a lot of little lines. I might need to change the ovals, but I would like to test this with somebody before I go back and forth to that workshop.

Attached the design :

Ries
Attached Files
File Type: zip 1030455PB.dxf.zip (15.0 KB, 50 views)
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  #38  
Old Mon 24 August 2009, 09:32
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Hi Ries

It is okay to cut the ovals as a lot of little straight lines. It is also okay to cut them on the original lines (without 2mm offset) - your oval holes will be slightly bigger than ours, but it will make no difference.

(I cannot open your file with AutoCad)
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  #39  
Old Mon 24 August 2009, 17:17
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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Ok, great!

I modified the change by copying 'your' ovals into my design.

Attached a new zip file, this should work then...

Ries
Attached Files
File Type: zip 1030455PB.dxf.zip (17.8 KB, 46 views)
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  #40  
Old Mon 24 August 2009, 21:12
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
That is okay. (Is the plasma cut really as wide as 4mm? - with half the width added to the part)
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  #41  
Old Mon 24 August 2009, 22:20
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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Hey Gerald,

yes the plasma is indeed 4mm, and the flame (if I can say so) is not round but more like a oval... so my parts are slightly off on each side with around 0.25mm difference kinda problematic, but really my only option for now.

So I already have all parts back except 1030455PB and they are all workable but need to put some amouth of work in to make it work. For example I did remove (had to..) all holes <10mm because the plasma cutter couldn't work with them well.

I will send them my new dxf and see if it works...

Ries
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  #42  
Old Mon 24 August 2009, 22:51
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Here is a version with 2mm added inside your ovals:


Adding an offset onto lots of joined lines is something that you have to do a lot for CNC cutting. In AutoCad, it is done with two important commands.

Boundary: it makes a joined polyline of all the little lines. Similar concept to hatch: click once inside the area enclosed by the little lines. Hatch fills the area, Boundary gives the outline.

Offset: One click gives the offset right around the whole boundary
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  #43  
Old Tue 25 August 2009, 08:53
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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Hey Gerard,

thanks for the file!
I have most commands here on qcad and used the office command to make a 2mm offset to the designs. I couldn't find a equivalent for Boundary yet...

Ries
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  #44  
Old Wed 30 September 2009, 20:35
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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Quick progress report

Hey All,

currently I am spending around 5-8 hours working on the mechmate a week, trying to do as much as I can, but time is a bit limited as always.... However I managed to find a plasma cutter that could cut my parts and bend them properly, they actually did a very nice job. Only the plasma left some debris I had to clean up, and I had to drill more holes myself because the plasma cannot cut thàt precise. Holes < 10mm are out of the question, besides, I liked to drill them anyways so they are more precise. Bottom line, if you can laser cut I would pay the extra bucks, will save you quite some time...

I did learn some welding hurraaaay, I think we have a mig/tig machine here and we used mig, quite cool and learning a lot. I only used to solder electronics the size of transistors, SMD and such... so this is quite a different story.

Today I bought all (almost all?) nuts and bolts so my father in law can do some turning on it where needed and prepare the second grinding.

As you can see, going strong but plenty of things to do, I am highly curious about how correct (or not correct) the current build is, but so far we double check everything and we take time to think about our actions. Hopefully next week we can try the the setup with the V-Rollers.

We decided not to cut the L rails lower and I am not sure yet the consequences. Should we expect problems when not cutting these?

Attached a photo of our progress.

have a nice day!
Ries
Attached Images
File Type: jpg IMG_0108.JPG (109.2 KB, 1270 views)
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  #45  
Old Sat 10 October 2009, 21:21
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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Some woodworking....

For some time (1.5 weeks now...) no work on the mechnate.... Family business took some time and my mom is coming over next week and had to make some furniture, to be precise a bookshelf and a 'new' table...

The bookshelf was needed because we don't have one in the house and we thought it would be nice to build one before mom is here. The attached photo's shows the stage of almost done, I only need to make rounded corners on it, I never made rounded corners (straight corners where always easer) so I was just thinking to make a block of wood and use some good gold sanding and shaving. I think it will work fine.... People must have done it already before electricity, right?

The table's legs are actually 20 years old made by my wife's uncle and looks nice, only the table top was made with a multi-plex and some very ugly borders nailed into eachother. We decided to replace the table top with 40cm mascarey and slightly bigger then the origional. As you can clearly see in our 'professional' workshop (my wife helped me with it, so I am fine...really!)


Ries
Attached Images
File Type: png make-corner.png (13.8 KB, 1202 views)
File Type: jpg DSC03976.jpg (88.2 KB, 1217 views)
File Type: jpg DSC03977.jpg (99.8 KB, 1219 views)
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  #46  
Old Sun 11 October 2009, 07:07
jhiggins7
Just call me: John #26
 
Hebron, Ohio
United States of America
Ries,

For your edge round-over, if you don't have a router or shaper, you can use a table saw, or joiner (set at an angle) to remove most of the wood and then rough finish with a surform file or wood file, before finally using sand paper. Of course there are power sanding options as well.

If you're prepared to select and purchase the router (toolhead) that you will need for your MechMate, you could easily complete the round-over with the router now and use it for the MechMate later.
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  #47  
Old Sun 11 October 2009, 20:14
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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hey Irfan,

this is mostly what i was planning to do.. I made my 'shape' today and already cut most of the wood out.
Tomorrow gluing it one the frame, then removing the the wood using a shaver, then sandingf very rought. My wife will do the final sanding.
I already printed a 1:1 shape of the correct negative circle as guidance during sanding, I think it will look fine...

The table is ready to pay pained with clear satin water based varnish...

Ries
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  #48  
Old Tue 13 October 2009, 13:32
MACHINEMAN
Just call me: Garth
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Hi Gerald
I worked there a few years ago at a site about 3 hours from Quito, 13500ft above sea level awessome view most times looking down! on the clouds.
and now I am almost down the road from you in Fish Hoek
starnge how it all glues together!
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  #49  
Old Sat 07 November 2009, 17:52
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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Some more work today + Pictures

Some more work has been done today,

attached a link to a youtroep video that shows the gantry rolling (I push it...) to see how that goes, how it rolls out etc... This seems to work fine as far as I can see and hear.

I also started to attached the little things that goes on the mechmate like the E-Cables holder, that is... if I can find them here for a normal price.. As always in Ecuador things goes for 3 times the US price, e-cable at 120USD/meter.... I might build a cable chain out of some materials for starters..

Here is a video of the gantry rolling : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOxyzZZ_vFI


Attached some Photo's also of:
1) Quality of the plasma cut
2) Grinded V-rail
3) A good weld, or at least it looks good to me...
4) Grinder setup
5) Home made V-Roller (made by my father in law)
6) One of my first vertical bad welds


So far this has been a great experience, never did any serious metal working, never welded or really grinded.

This week I am going to start gathering a list of electronics stuff to buy and a bug to put it all in.

Ries
Attached Images
File Type: jpg quality-plasma-cut.JPG (75.3 KB, 1072 views)
File Type: jpg v-rail.JPG (68.0 KB, 1071 views)
File Type: jpg Good Weld.JPG (58.8 KB, 1067 views)
File Type: jpg Grinder Setup.JPG (64.9 KB, 1078 views)
File Type: jpg V-Roller.JPG (65.7 KB, 1074 views)
File Type: jpg badweld.JPG (110.2 KB, 1075 views)
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  #50  
Old Sun 08 November 2009, 04:33
isladelobos
Just call me: Ros
 
Canary Islands
Spain
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Buen vídeo Ries, rueda muy bien ese pórtico. se ve que tiene un buen suegro

Good video Ries, wheel good this grantry. i see you have a good father in law
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  #51  
Old Wed 11 November 2009, 16:11
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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Today was shopping day,

left at 10AM, came back at 5PM.

I bought most parts in one shop so I am pretty much good to go...
There are some small issues though,

1) shielded cables (2 and 4 core) was something we couldn't find yet. So for the time being I bought un-shielded cables. At 1.06/meter for a 4 core AWG 16 I think this is a good experiment. We might beable to buy them in a other valley (100 meter rolls) but since that is around 1.5 hiurs away I decided to first go for this, after all... a cable is easy to replace, just I need to be reminded that if the steppers do 'weird' I need to take teh cable into account for any problems.


2) A 35V / 500VA transformer was also quite impossible. Funny thing is, if you tell them that you need a transformer for 500VA, they look strange at you and ask you if you really need 500 V. Then I am generouse and tell them I need them as around '15 Ampere' (I calculated 5 engines, motion-tech at 4 Ampere each)

Needs some small stuff still like Alu-plate, 'trek ontlasting' (no idea what that is in english) and some other small things.

That's all for the quick update!

Ries
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  #52  
Old Wed 11 November 2009, 17:41
Robert M
Just call me: Robert
 
Lac-Brome, Qc
Canada
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Ries…
'trek ontlasting' (no idea what that is in english)

Not sure where you got this…but it is dutch and in English it's “ pull relief ” !
Maybe you are looking at some Netherland parts supplyer ?

Good luck with your build & shopping !
Amicalement, Robert
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  #53  
Old Thu 12 November 2009, 09:35
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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Robert,

I got it because I am dutch, just happen to life in Ecuador...
Pull Relief/Strain relief will do it for me

Ries
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  #54  
Old Sat 14 November 2009, 08:32
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Ries, you are doing okay! Goed gedaan! Maybe practise some more welds on scrap first. With MIG, go downwards when you do a vertical.
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  #55  
Old Tue 17 November 2009, 16:10
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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Thumbs up Kitchen science!

Thanks Gerald, and having fun aswell

Today's project was all about kitchen science.

Although I don't have the transformer yet, I was going to make the rest and left enough room for a big transformer in the size of 110x130 on the back plate of the cabinet.

Pictures are attached.

The first picture shows the global overview of the wiring.
The second just a nice 'look through'.

Todo still:

1) Make room for the cables for the micro switches.
2) Add resistors to Gecko's
3) Triple check the high voltage 115V wiring.
4) Ti-wrap the high voltage wires if I know for sure everything is fine and tested.
5) Attach the transformer to the backplate
6) Create cable holes in my cabinet, we needed to buy a puncher for this but we couldn't find one yet...

On the Mechmate itself I need to do all cabling and I need to order and drill the Z plate still, the Y car is also done....
I think I will assemble it first without the paint, and if everything is file I will dis-assemble, paint and re-assemble, so I know for sure I don't have to do any welding after painting.

Ries
Attached Images
File Type: jpg _DSC4522_small.jpg (118.8 KB, 931 views)
File Type: jpg _DSC4527_small.jpg (77.8 KB, 942 views)
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  #56  
Old Fri 27 November 2009, 17:57
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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Control box testing with EMC2.

Hey all,

today I could finally test my control box. I used EMC2 for testing because MACH3 refused to start on my Dell C840 computer, it just hung there waiting for something I have no idea about. Not sure but well, it didn't work. Although EMC2 also didn't work in the beginning, for some reason I messed up the installation on teh computer and had to re-install EMC2. However, I do have some latency problems with testing because it's a laptop, sometimes the latency jumps through the roof from 8000ns to several ms. I am trying to get hold of a new old computer to fool around with and see how that will go.0

Here is a video of todays work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUHiGlzrYlA

So today it leaves me with a working control box, didn't test all gecko's and steppers though but it looks good. 115V circuit is working, PMDX is working, ventilator, switch for router.
Since I am still missing my transformer I had to make a sacrifice to get a transformer of my amplifier, I will put it back in, but for now it's my test transformer. (25VAC 150VA), good enough for testing I think.




Todo is still:

- to wrap cables to it's final position
- get the transformer!!
- make some more holes in my cabinet a punches was sold here for 150USD so I need to find a better method
- strip cables, the usual...

Ries
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  #57  
Old Fri 27 November 2009, 19:32
KenC
Just call me: Ken
 
Klang
Malaysia
Ries, looking good! Hole saw are expensive & you still need to drill a hole. Hole saw will do the job at a fraction of the price. A light deburr with a needle file after cutting will yield great finishing.
hole saw.jpg
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  #58  
Old Fri 27 November 2009, 20:15
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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Ken,

correct... in the end I indeed bought a 22mm hole saw, and I noticed that when I did it really slow, I get a nice cut.

I do need to buy one a bit small for my cables. Then the control box is done

Ries
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  #59  
Old Fri 27 November 2009, 21:59
KenC
Just call me: Ken
 
Klang
Malaysia
For your cables, are you using connector or just letting cable through the chassis. The later also call for some rubber gourmets.

I will to use these US$~1.0 5 pins 5A rated industrial connectors I found at local store for the stepper cables. they do come with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 pin. I choose the 5 pin just in case...

Stepper power connector.jpg
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  #60  
Old Sat 28 November 2009, 05:24
riesvantwisk
Just call me: Ries #46
 
Quito
Ecuador
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Ken,

at first I was planning to run them through the cabinet using the rubber gourmets and then connect them straight to the gecko's, I think most people did it this way, right?
I will hardly disconnect the cabinet anyways, so this seems like a good option for me.

However, I also like the idea of these plugs, I would need to see if I can get them here through.

Ries
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