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  #1  
Old Thu 11 September 2008, 16:15
Delamination
Just call me: Travis
 
Delavan, WI
United States of America
Two MM's being built in Delavan, WI and McHenry, IL

I and a friend are starting construction on two MechMates. Laser cut parts ordered (thanks Joe). Working on getting the other steel.
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  #2  
Old Thu 11 September 2008, 17:39
Doug_Ford
Just call me: Doug #3
 
Conway (Arkansas)
United States of America
Welcome aboard. You'll enjoy it.
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  #3  
Old Thu 11 September 2008, 18:11
domino11
Just call me: Heath
 
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
Welcome Travis!
Hope you have your camera tuned up, we like to see lots of pictures. Will be starting mine this fall too. Good luck.
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  #4  
Old Thu 11 September 2008, 22:22
Kobus_Joubert
Just call me: Kobus #6
 
Riversdale Western Cape
South Africa
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Good luck, this machine is worth every penny and effort you put into it
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  #5  
Old Fri 12 September 2008, 09:18
smreish
Just call me: Sean - #5, 28, 58 and others
 
Orlando, Florida
United States of America
Speaking from experience, 2 Mechmates in the shop make for twice the fun!
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  #6  
Old Sun 14 September 2008, 22:08
gmessler
Just call me: Greg #15
 
Chicago IL
United States of America
Hi Travis,

Good luck with your build. Look forward to pictures.

Greg M
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  #7  
Old Wed 01 October 2008, 15:32
Delamination
Just call me: Travis
 
Delavan, WI
United States of America
I am still waiting for the large order of long steel pieces to arrive. I thought I would post a pic of my laser cut parts from Joe in the meantime.

I am building in a 13' x 23' basement. Hardly ideal, but it is the only space available. There are two 24" x 48" window openings, so I can get plywood in and out (on a slant ).
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  #8  
Old Fri 03 October 2008, 15:48
Delamination
Just call me: Travis
 
Delavan, WI
United States of America
Got more steel today! Cut two main longitudinals at 122" from a 20' 8"x2.3" c-channel. Total steel cost was under $1500, including laser cut parts. The guy in the red shirt is Chuck, who let us use his band saw. Mike (the guy building the other MechMate) is driving the forklift, whose shadow you can see in the left of the picture.
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File Type: jpg cam_data_photo031.jpg (53.1 KB, 782 views)
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  #9  
Old Thu 23 October 2008, 10:31
Delamination
Just call me: Travis
 
Delavan, WI
United States of America
Got the cross member tubes, cross bearers and legs cut. We just cut the cross bearers straight - it was easier and quicker. I can still cut the angles later. The cross member tubes were trimmed together to 71-1/2".

Also discovered that the main longitudinal flanges were not perpendicular to the web, and they have some crown. Having little previous experience with steel, I always imagined it straighter and squarer than I am discovering.
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File Type: jpg P1030627-small.JPG (45.3 KB, 702 views)
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  #10  
Old Thu 23 October 2008, 11:29
gmessler
Just call me: Greg #15
 
Chicago IL
United States of America
Hi Travis,

Looks like you're making good progress.

Here is a link where Gerald gives me advice on fixing warped steel.

http://mechmate.com/forums/showthrea...92&postcount=6

Hope this helps.

It worked for my rails as well.
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  #11  
Old Thu 23 October 2008, 12:04
vishnu
Just call me: vishnu
 
Coimbatore(TN)
India
Good going Travis my build is in the same position. Well would like to complete in a short span so could concentrate more on designs & sample cutting. Whats your table size?

Vishnu
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  #12  
Old Thu 23 October 2008, 12:20
smreish
Just call me: Sean - #5, 28, 58 and others
 
Orlando, Florida
United States of America
Travis,
I just finished adjusting Nils machine and the really important part of the weld up is making sure the top edge is flat and level. If the sides are toed out at +/- 3 degrees like ours, it didn't make difference.
So, you can cut all your leg steel square, but weld the out - of - whack stuff so it's level on top. Welding and filling the gap should be easy.

I didn't do the later process while fabrication was in process and ended up spreading the feet apart on the stretcher part of the rails until the machine top was level. (it was a lot like aligning a car suspension) Thus, the table's base is wider than the top by about an inch.

I hope this helps.

Sean
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  #13  
Old Mon 15 December 2008, 20:33
Delamination
Just call me: Travis
 
Delavan, WI
United States of America
I have made some progress - I have the y-car welded and painted. I have most of the components for the controls sitting here staring at me.

I started cutting the rails. I made a flat surface (12" TGI beams sandwiched between 3/4 MDF) to which I clamped one of the 6' y-rails to start. I have the grinder attached to half the skate and bolted to a base like many others have.

But when I start to break through the other side of the rail after making many light passes, the grinder starts to bind up and chatter and jump out of the slot. Do I just muscle through until it is completely cut along the entire length, or am I missing a finer point of grinding/cutting finesse?
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  #14  
Old Mon 15 December 2008, 21:10
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Quote:
Originally Posted by Delamination View Post
. . . when I start to break through the other side of the rail after making many light passes, the grinder starts to bind up and chatter and jump out of the slot. Do I just muscle through until it is completely cut along the entire length, or am I missing a finer point of grinding/cutting finesse?
This doesn't sound right. The slot shouldn't get that much narrower purely from the weight of the scrap above the slot. Can you think of a force that is making the slot close up?
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  #15  
Old Mon 15 December 2008, 22:17
Kobus_Joubert
Just call me: Kobus #6
 
Riversdale Western Cape
South Africa
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When you cut thru just wedge a screwdriver or something into the end to keep it open
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  #16  
Old Tue 16 December 2008, 00:10
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Oh, you must be talking of the stress in the scrap that makes it curl sometimes. Yes, just wedge it open, or bend it back with a wrench.
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  #17  
Old Tue 16 December 2008, 19:55
Delamination
Just call me: Travis
 
Delavan, WI
United States of America
Thanks - wedging a screwdriver worked.

I find that I am taking about 1/2 a thousandth (0.0005") each pass. Is that about right? That means to cut through 1/4" requires about 500 passes. Yikes!
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  #18  
Old Tue 16 December 2008, 20:23
hennie
Just call me: Hennie #23
 
Roodepoort JHB
South Africa
Travis think about the meters you walk to do all those passes
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  #19  
Old Tue 16 December 2008, 21:10
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Travis, you are doing it very gently, and there is nothing wrong with that. But I wouldn't have the patience! The first passes would be gentle to establish a clear furrow and then the pressure is piled on till just before the grinder motor complains. With the extra pressure, the grinder must be kept moving so that the metal doesn't "burn". (Actually, the hot metal destroys the glue in the disk)
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  #20  
Old Wed 17 December 2008, 07:22
smreish
Just call me: Sean - #5, 28, 58 and others
 
Orlando, Florida
United States of America
...I think it took me around 20-30 passes and had each rail cut.
All I can remember at this point (it has been over a year now) is it took an entire Saturday to cut down all the rails and clean up the mess.
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  #21  
Old Thu 18 December 2008, 07:31
Delamination
Just call me: Travis
 
Delavan, WI
United States of America
I finished cutting the rails yesterday. Light cuts at first, then heavy cuts as was suggested. Worked quite well, along with a few screwdrivers to pry the cutoff away from the rail and prevent binding.

Dust everywhere. But I brushed some of it into a old plastic 1 gal ice cream bucket. The fine grindies nicely show flux lines from a few hard drive magents placed underneath,
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  #22  
Old Sat 20 December 2008, 15:17
Delamination
Just call me: Travis
 
Delavan, WI
United States of America
I am getting ready to grind the bevels, but I've run into some confusion. I've seen a few references to tapping the height adjustment bolt holes for 1/2" bolts, but these holes are .497" in diameter. Should I tap for 9/16 bolts instead?
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  #23  
Old Sat 20 December 2008, 20:32
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
You have me confused. Where are the "height adjustment holes" - drawing number please?
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  #24  
Old Sat 20 December 2008, 20:37
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
If you mean the holes in the skate, they should have been lasered at 9mm [0.35"] - meant for drilling to suit your tapping size.
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  #25  
Old Sun 21 December 2008, 00:01
Delamination
Just call me: Travis
 
Delavan, WI
United States of America
Sorry - the dwg nr is M610116PB. The holes in the ears are about 0.5".
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  #26  
Old Sun 21 December 2008, 00:33
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Better check with Joe why those holes are so big.

You could get nuts above and below the plate (I think), avoiding the need for tapping. The lower nut cut in half to reduce its height.
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  #27  
Old Sun 21 December 2008, 04:02
J.R. Hatcher
Just call me: J.R. #4
 
Wilmington, North Carolina
United States of America
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I would just spot weld a nut on the top side and have a jam nut on top of that, no need for a nut on the bottom, plus the ease of adjustment.
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  #28  
Old Sun 21 December 2008, 04:13
J.R. Hatcher
Just call me: J.R. #4
 
Wilmington, North Carolina
United States of America
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I needed to come up with a good and quick solution , since this is a drawing I modified and Joe was kind enough to just cut 1 off for me. I think his laser cutter got confused and thought this was a new modification for all .
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  #29  
Old Sun 21 December 2008, 12:05
brian green
Just call me: Brian
 
illinois
United States of America
Quote:
Originally Posted by Delamination View Post
I and a friend are starting construction on two MechMates. Laser cut parts ordered (thanks Joe). Working on getting the other steel.
Travis, I'm in wonder lake between you and your buddy, I have a 30"x40" home built running right now and I would love to see your guys progress, as the mechmate is something that I want to do in the near future. Right after I get an indexer and finish building my cnc lathe.

Brian
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  #30  
Old Sun 21 December 2008, 13:08
Delamination
Just call me: Travis
 
Delavan, WI
United States of America
That would be great Brian. Right now there is really nothing to see but a pile of semi-assembled parts, but hopefully they will become fully-assembled (and moving) parts within the next few weeks.
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