Inspired by Multicam, Y Car Mounted - Randers, Denmark

[edgey]

Holly smokes I never thought of that Gerald! Makes me think twice about posting progress photos if they are lurking and waiting to steal it.

[Gerald D]

. . . . or think twice about disclosing full names and/or addresses

[edgey]

I just had a look at the post where Kim sells to Mike and there is a photo of the front of Kim's shed, a photo of Kim...yes he is identified in the text. Anyone from that area may know Kim and after reading his post could work out where his shed is. It's just a shame you have to be so dam careful these days.

[IN-WondeR]

I'm sorry to say, that I also have someone who has looked in the forums suspected of being the thief. But who. I have postet pictures in 3 other forums than here, but the only one where you actually see my house is in Mike's thread in here.
All other threads have only shots taken inside the Garage.

I have never given my full adress to anyone on any forum, except a select few that I trust in completely.

About what the thieves have taken, then yes., They targeted the machine only, none of my tools where taken, and I have a lot laying around. So that puzzled me also. I do have a few peopke suspected, but before I go on accusing someone of haing stolen my machine I had bette be sure.

I have teamed up with another CNC guru here in Denmark and he is looking over a few places for signs of my parts, and if we do find them then "hell is endeed on earth"..

But I must also face the fact, that I will probably never see any of my parts again, so I'm just hoping that the insurance company will get my claim processed fast and effortlessly. So I can get back to completing my build again.

I'm going to make som design changes on the machine, actually quite alot. I will go with servoes instead of steppers, I will go with belt drive instead of rack and pinion, and if the finances allow it, then a 3kw spindle will be bought from either Fimec in Italy, or I will buy a Chinese Watercooled spindle instead. I'm not sure. No matter what, then the new design will be heavier, stronger and more durable than the last.

I thank you all for all of your concerns and appreciate all the backup I have from the world of good people that is here. You guys make it worth building once more.

So thank you all..

[IN-WondeR]

So the new design is taking shape...
Even though I hate to have to redesign the machine, then I can't help think that the changes that I was thinking of implementing over the next few years, will actually be implemented now. And what nice changes.

New uprights designed, and the motor will be integrated inside this, and so will the gearbox assembly. The axle in the bottom will on this particular model, drive a rack and pinion version, I'm also making one for Belt drive, but wanted to see if the Rack and Pinion version would work as great as I hope it will.

[Alan_c]

Kim, that looks very nice, keep sharing. I have been wanting to change the gantry to a single beam type for some time now, mainly for ease of access to the spindle.

[IN-WondeR]

Well isn't this fun.

Just got at PM from Metalhead saying that he is going to close my thread inhere because it's not a MM anymore. I'm sorry to say, that I'mn puzzled at that reaction, and I do not believe that anything in my thread collides with the rules and use of this forum.

So well, it seems like this might end up being my final post in this forum, I do not work well under censorship. :-D

There is a link in my thread to my profile at CNCzone.com, so people who want to can follow the progress of the new build. I'm just sorry to say that people in here will not benefit directly with posts in the forum anymore.

It's a sad thing when money sets the rules. Now also on a site that was considered a user kind forum.

So thank you everybody..

[Gerald D]

Kim, the title of this thread is MechMates already cutting - what you have here no longer resembles a MechMate.

I was the one that suggested to Mike that you no longer fit in with this forum.

[IN-WondeR]

Gerald

Can we please agree, that this forum is called, construction started, but not cutting yet?

[Gerald D]

Kim, I am not in the mood for word games......

This is the MechMate forum. It is privately owned. The owner decides who is allowed here or not. End of story.

[Richards]

If there is only one design in this entire world that is acceptable, then perhaps we should all find another forum.

Synergy comes from a group of interested people helping each other refine ideas. No one person has all the best ideas.

Mike, you can remove my privileges if Kim's modifications are not worthy of being seen.

[MetalHead]

Lets not get all worked up here.

I just want to keep the forum focused on MechMate related builds and ideas. So if we stay in line with that I'll leave the thread open.

Kim I like your input and really want you to continue to contribute to the group. You have in the past and I hope in the future provide great information for those that are here building MechMate machines. You obviously have a lot of CNC knowledge.

I just think if we start to get off the topic of the MechMate design, this forum will become a free for all with Machine designs and start becoming confusing.

We could have had this discussion out of band and not created a stir. I try to keep things cool and not create a public debate on everything.

So feel free to PM me and we can talk about this some more if you like.

[Gerald D]

Mike (Richards), that post was not called for. There is a real chance that if Kim's (and some others) posting of their non-MM machines continues, that I (and some others) will stop reading and taking part in this forum. But to verbalise that as a threat to take my ball and go?

The collective forum is bigger than the people taking part in it. The forum must not loose its focus because there are some members who simply want to maintain their friendships & communications channels. Imagine the senior guys in a football club trying to turn it into a baseball club

[Richards]

Gerald,

I believe that my post was called for and that it was accurate. You bought a very inferior Shopbot PR. You modified and removed as many of the Shopbot's weak features as you could and called it the MechMate. Your design was vastly superior to the Shopbot. In the meantime, Shopbot threw away that faulty design and produced the PRT series and then the PRS series. Their improvements remedied many of the original design failures.

I'm no mechanical engineer, but I have seen and used the PRS series that are now on the market. They have no chatter. Their cut quality is excellent. They are vastly superior to the PR machines.

To ignore the fact that people can improve on a design and to require people to NOT improve on a design is to think that no other design has merit.

Everything that we own, including our cars, our furniture, our homes and our appliances are constantly improved. We don't drive Henry Ford's Model T anymore, nor would we be content to drive his much improved Model A. So it is with CNC routers. One design is tried and tested. Improvements are made and another design evolves, That design is tried and tested and the cycle continues. Some ideas work. Many do not.

There are many variations of electronics used with the MechMate. All variations are discussed and allowed. There are many different routers and spindles being used. All variations were discussed and allowed. There have been machines build with rack and pinion, at least one with linear rails, at least one with a chain drive, and at least one with a belt. All variations were allowed and discussed.

If someone wants to use a vertical gantry rather than a horizontal gantry, why would you be offended? He is the one sticking his neck on the line. He is the one willing to buy the materials. He is the one willing to put in the time and effort to see if a vertical gantry works better than a horizontal gantry.

If this forum is only about building an improved Shopbot PR, then that is fine. I always thought that this forum was about making a better CNC router and that the time and effort and expense expended by the experimenters would be appreciated. Personally, I find the motor mount design that Kim submitted to be interesting.

I just spent five days in the hospital in intensive care. Today was my first day home. Maybe I'm still not thinking clearly yet. If so, I apologize, but I remember very well all the times that I went to bat for you on the Shopbot forum and stood with you when you suggested improvements to the Shopbot. Many of us were greatly offended with the way you were treated. It is that same sense of fair play that generates posts like this. Kim has a different idea. It may be better. It may be worse. We'll never know if he is censored.

[bradm]

So, in one of my other lives, I moderate real world discussions among technical people in obnoxiously generic hotel conference rooms.

I recognize fully that I have no power to do this, but could we please have a 30 minute, er 30 hour, recess to allow a little back channel debate and perhaps even alignment? It seems to me the sides are closer together than apart.

Due respect to all.

[MetalHead]

Moved the rest of this thread into its own topic here.

http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showt...21&postcount=1

[IN-WondeR]

I got a message that a few inhere still wanted me to make updates here.
So here's a small update.

Got all my pullys and belts for my machine the other day, today I got all holes bored to correct dimensions, and 3 axles made for them. Enjoy.

[IN-WondeR]

A small but sicnifigant update. My new Gantry design is now rolling.. Damn it's huge. :-D Just the way I want it.

[myousry]

hi kim can you post the dwg or dxf file of your design
i am interested in your design i hope that can make if this will be the new mechmate to support more than 4 axis may be 5 or 6 axis . thanks a lot

[IN-WondeR]

I'm not sure it's going to be the new mechmate as it does not ressemble the original design anymore. At this time, there is no DXF files for upload as I'm making things as I go along.
At some point there might be a set of DXF files but for now, everything is cosumized to the existing table I already have.

[myousry]

who said that a new design has to ressemble the old one . You may end up with a more efficient and effective design than the previous one ,that can avoid lots of missed things which can be hardly applied to the old design.keep on your work, and good luck

[IN-WondeR]

A small update today again.
I have finally gotten my Gantry painted, and mountet. Also the Yaxis linear Rails have been mounted, they look awesome. Test fitted the Gearing system today, again, Awesome. Did have to make an adjustment because the belts are a bit too long afterall. So a running pulley made of 4 small skate bearings have been added. Works beautifully. Enjoy

[smreish]

Looks a lot like a Multicam (or Shotbot alpha)

[myousry]

go ahead kim i already bought theses supported round rail size 20mm and open linear bearing 1 month ago from zap automation. I like your design , I am watching your progress,good luck

[IN-WondeR]

Hehe Sean. You are dead on. I have based this Gantry on the Multicam version. The z axis will also be almost 300mm wide to accomidate both a spindle and a drill type tool that I have not yet figured out how should look. :-D

The Rails are very nice, and at an affordable price. If you see any of the China made routers, most of them actually are made with these linear Rails.

[Robert M]

This is nice of you to take your time & share your progress, congrats
Robert

[KenC]

Good job!

[IN-WondeR]

Well, now I'm almost at the end construction wise, still need to setup all of my electronics again, but that's just a small obstacle. :-D
Here's a few renderings of my z axis. It will be quite heavy. Enjoy

[javeria]

Kim - how are you making sure that the pinion is engaged always with the rack, in mechmate its the spring leverage mechanism do you have something like the off centre (eccentric hub) for the big timing pulley you have mounted??

just wondering!

[IN-WondeR]

No this time I'm trying to use a fixed position for the pinion. So All calculations have been made to make sure the pinion is in the correct position at all times, pinions have been made to specs in order, so those should run 100% true along the axis. I have already testet it on my x axis where it is made in the same manor, and it works perfectly. I have adopted the function from Industrial made machines where they also do not have any spring action to hold it in place.