Indexer Going IN! #20 - Abu Dhabi, UAE

[kaartman]

Thank you Gerald and GregM, I am proud, strange how something small like pasting a name can make a man so happy.
What would be the range of Velocity and acceleration values be for the Z axis, mine i have set to Velocity 300 and acceleration 100 for the direct drive motors, does that sound right
Regards

[sailfl]

Koning,

Welcome to the Members Serial Number Club. Congratulations on #20.

[bradyaero]

congrats #20 from #19

[myozman]

Congratulations!!!

[jhiggins7]

Koning,

Congratulations on Serial #20, one fine machine.

The updated Builder's Log is here.

What are the cutting dimensions of your MechMate? I would like to add this information to the Builder's Log.

Regards,
John

[Kobus_Joubert]

Well done Koning...you just pipped Hennie too the post....looks like it was a busy weekend for building and finishing Mech Mates this weekend. Looks like you are putting a band aid on a patient there....Well done

[Lex]

Baie geluk Koning!

[kaartman]

Kobus I had a bussy few months behind me, first my 21 days vacation in SA was cut short to nine, been in Pakistan end December-January,Philipines beginning Feb, (18th honeymoon) and next week Turkmenistan. The good looking man on Kobus's left is my father, I could not wait to show him what the MechMate is all about
Regards

[domino11]

Well Done Koning! That is a great looking machine!

[Kobus_Joubert]

At last, I thought you lost that photo...ha ha

[jhiggins7]

Koning,

Thanks for the E-Mail with information about your MechMate. The updated Builder's Log is here.

Please let us know how that spindle works for you. Pictures always appreciated.

Regards,
John

[kaartman]

Thank you John
You will know the day i get the spindel controlled with mach, at this moment i control it manually, I cannot get to calibrate the spindel with the PMDX 106, all the LED`s light up that should but no spindel turning, I have send a copy of the andeli VFD to Steve Stallings, and is awaiting his comments, I will soon post the wire diagram and ask help from the brotherhood.
It Happend today...... gantry lifting off the rails.....

[Gerald D]

A gantry lift off is good . . . . . . less damage than if it could not lift off!

[kaartman]

Hallo to all the friends
I have not posted for some time, but here is some pictures of what I have been doing, I have divided my dust collection hose so that I have a nice moveable hose to suck all the dust on the table, the vacuum is controlled by two slide gate valves that I made from MDF and Plexiglas, the collection bags have also been moved away from the MM to reduce the noise level and to keep the dust level low that will soon be a closed room.

I have place thin conveyor belt rubber between the spoil board and the X axis channel, cleaning up is now effortless and dust collection suction has a better effect when cutting is done on the edge of the spoil board.

Because 99% of the work on the MM is done at night ( because the boss think I need to spend more time at work) have I placed a florescent tube light below X axis that make it much easier to see what is going on at the table
I have started to close the famous patio with dry walling and will install a air conditioner to keep the humidity levels low during the hot summer months

[Kobus_Joubert]

Nice to see these pictures of your machine. Well done Koning. Closing up will also keep the neighbours happy.

[Lex]

Some nice ideas there Koning! It is really looking good.

[kaartman]

Hi Chaps
The rubber does helps allot to keep the work place sort of clean, it is the type that is used on luggage X ray machines, thin so its easy to lift it for clamping. Soon I am going to move the spider plate backwards to allow the vacuum hose to be right next to the spindel,
I never see or hear my neighbours, all property is surrounded by high walls and they spend no time outside, bonus for me.

[kaartman]

Not to bright just right

[Gerald D]

Be careful about moving the spindle far away from the Y-motor. You could get to a point where the y-car rotates when the cutter takes load. A cure for such an issue is to put a second y-motor on the back of the y-car. Also, the table top then needs to be moved if you still want to cut full sheets.

A nice thin rubber with fiber reinforcing is used for gasketing. We call it "insertion rubber" out here, but google says it is not a common description around the world.

[Appimate]

Hello Gerald

That's the term for that type of rubber here in Australia to.

Ed

[kaartman]

Hallo friends
I am bussy to do the 3:1 gear conversion, I have send the files for laser cutting and all that jazz, then am I starting to plan the rotary addition to my Mechmate but I have the first question, If I have the 3:1 reduction ratio on the Y and Z axis can I have direct drive on the X for the indexer, the spur gear that I am planning to use for the indexer is Boston YA140 cast Iron DP20 PA20 or do I need to have a reduction system for the indexer drive?

Regards

[Kobus_Joubert]

Hi Koning,

From the name of your spur gear Boston YA140 I would think it is a 140 tooth gear.
I would run this directly on the 24 / 28 tooth pineon that you should have on the stepper...no further reduction.
Mine works VERY well with a 120 tooth connected to my 20 tooth pineon.
Good luck en LEKKER SPEEL een van die dae op die indexer.

[kaartman]

More Kobus
Thank you for the reply, yes 140 tooth gear, I will start this weekend to gather the needed material, I will buy a complete lathe for this 300us$, the gear is in the mail, hope to be finish by end of August,

[kaartman]

I have fitted the lathe yesterday, it is a Pioneer Veriable Speed Swivel head lathe,got it for 300usd. The idea is to use it as normal lathe and when i will use it as a cnc lathe just remove the belt.
Some shopping arrived but still waiting for the large spur gear to be used on the lathe

[danilom]

Very nice lathe! I am sometimes sorry that I left out the room for indexer.

[Kobus_Joubert]

Nice nice nice... can you move the HEADSTOCK and lock it in a different position just like the tailstock ?

[danilom]

I think it can ... look at the second and third picture, in second its near mounting bolts and in third one its more to the middle. But its maybe an optical delusion.

Seems like a nice feature, if I ever look for a wood lathe, what would be an advantage of moving headstock?

[Kobus_Joubert]

Not much, the swivel action is of more importance when turning bigger bowls etc.
All I can think is that one could move the complete workpiece to the centre of you MM and not feel like working in a corner....

[MetalHead]

I have a lathe with an adjustable head. It rotates and can be moved across the bead like the tail stock. This way you can put the head all the way at the end and rotate it for bowl work.

[kaartman]

This past two days must have been my most productive days in a long time, I have mounted the 3:1 reduction drives based on Dmitriy`s drawings, the cut quality 101 % improvement. Thank you Dmitriy for posting the CAD files, this was easy to use.
I used the Z motor plate from the direct drive to mount the stepper for the Rotary axis, 24 tooth pinion on the stepper to a 140 tooth gear. I only managed to calibrate the rotary axis, but did not cut anything yet… thank you Kobus for the advise on calibration.