The baby beast is cutting away - Peurto Ordaz, Venezuela

[Gerald D]

Nice to see the progress Hugo!

In that last picture, did you grind the welds away? Good welds should not be ground at all - the people doing the grinding get tired and they grind the metal on the sides of the weld. Therefore the joint becomes weaker after the grinding.

[Hugo Carradini]

Thanks Gerald. No more grinding.

[Hugo Carradini]

Hello Gerald and friends. Some post of my progress. I will be painting again at the end so I can get a nice coated. The reason I am going so slow is that my pinions and my angle rails are not done yet. I got a good deal but had to wait a while they finish other jobs. The table is very rigid and square.
Every thing is coming out nicely.I hope to get it moving at the end of this month. Gerald, definitely you are a great designer and a generous man. I really like this baby.
Thanks

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[J.R. Hatcher]

Hugo your machine is looking great. And I would almost kill for your workspace. Way to go!!

[Hugo Carradini]

J.R . Like I said before, your machine is very inspiring because of the good workmanship so I really appreciate your comments.
Thanks

[Greg J]

Hugo,

Looking Good !! Your beast is also an inspiration.

I'm right behind you and should have some pictures of my table in a couple of weeks or so.

Greg

[Gerald D]

Some lovely steel!

Drawing 10 20 454 D has a purpose - it happens before welding & painting.

[Hugo Carradini]

Hello Gerald and friends. I want to get some new machinery for my shop and would like some help. I cut my 160mm beam with oxy-cut and I want a better cut. Those beams are uncomfortable to handle. ¿What would be the best option? I use stick Welder. I haven't use a MIG welder before. ¿Is it worsts to get one?
Thanks in advance for the help.
By the way I put together my gantry to the table and was fantastic the way it slide . Smooth and rigid.

[Greg J]

Hugo,

This is what I'm using (the circular saw) to cut all my steel. Works great, the cuts are all clean, straight and the steel is cold after the cut. Makes correcting measurement mistakes almost easy

http://www.steelmax.com/home.htm

Greg

[Greg J]

Hugo,

Just got home and ran to the shop. I cut this channel like butter. The blade seems to be holding up, not that I've cut that much to date (friends say the blades last a long time)

Also, I'm using a little wire feed welder (mig). In my opinion, nothing is easier than a mig welder.

Greg

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[Gerald D]

Hugo, if I look at your workshop (with a lot of ventilation) then a MIG welder will not work for you when there is a little wind. For outdoor use the stick welder is the best. The mig also needs a special expensive gas that might not be easy to get where you live. (When you work in wind, the gas blows away and the weld is full of holes).

The MIG makes a fast clean weld, but it is not a high-strength weld. When factories need to make special welds they still mostly use the stick. (There are other types of welding as well, but for you the choice lies between stick and mig - the rest are too specialised). People will say that the mig has less distortion, but that is because they are making a weaker weld with less heat penetration. The MechMate however does not need any special high-strength welds. Our machines were welded with mig and it will be my natural first choice again - but our factory does not have wind inside .

For a workshop that must cut lots of steel flats/pipes/angles/beams my first choice is a horizontal bandsaw. They are quiet, easy to use, and blades last a long time. To cut the big beams at an angle you need quite a big saw. If my bandsaw was not big enough for those beams, I would cut them with a grinder with a very thin disk.

[J.R. Hatcher]

Greg where did you get the blade and how much are they. It sounds like the best thing since sliced bread. I went to the web site and did some reading.

[Greg J]

J.R.

I bought it thru Lawson Products. Since then, our local weld shop sells them and they are cheaper. I haven't needed another blade, but they sell around $38 USD.

I also think other manufactures are making these saws.

I have an abrasive (big black wheel) chop saw. I don't use it anymore. Its noisy, takes about 3 times as long to make a cut, and the cut is hot, so you have to wait or cool it off to handle.

Greg

[Hugo Carradini]

Hello Gerald and Greg. The ventilation is under control if I need to. We have Argon gas with no problem. I was thinking in a chop saw with metal blade but now that Greg says he cuts ease with a circular saw........ ¿Is it that ease to cut with a circular saw? I never use one before except for wood . I look days ago for circular blade in MSC and the prices where around 159 MSC #: 48535322 and $ 203 MSC #: 01913615 and $274 for a Milwaukee 14" chop saw MSC #04437885. I was already thinking this was my best choice , but wanted to confirm wit all you "tools lovers". $38 sound very cheap. If you guys can check and suggest something else or more adequate I would not mind at all. (I know MSC is not the cheapest but I have a nice experience with them so I tried to buy all trout them).
There goes some new post. The pinion was made here in my town and the rails also . This big "baby beast" is going to be roooooaming very soon.
I think I got to excited sending pictures that I almost run out of capacity in the forum sow I will keep what is left for my machine finished.
Regards to all.

[Greg J]

Hugo,

Just to be clear. You can not change out a wood cutting blade with a steel cutting blade on a wood cutting circular saw. The steel cutting saw rotates at a slower RPM.

The circular saw is very easy to operate. I'll cut my 45 degree's on the big channels this weekend. I'll also cut my support channels too. I can post pictures if that will help.

Greg

[Gerald D]

Greg, what is the correct speed for that metal saw blade? I get the impression that people just want to buy a blade to fit into their chopsaws. That could be fatal if the speed is too high.

Edit to add that you posted while I was typing.

[Gerald D]

Hugo, with respect, that pinion and rack look rough. Let us hope that it runs smooth.

I will try to increase the photo limit.

[Greg J]

Gerald,

The circular saw I'm using has a 7.25 inch diameter blade. It rotates at 3500 RPM.

From the steel max web site, the 9.0 inch diameter rotates at 2700 RPM. The 14.0 inch diameter blade rotates at 1450 RPM.

The steel max web site says that their saw has better gears and is made for the different stress of cutting metal. So I don't think someone could (if possible) just adjust the rotational speed of a wood cutting saw.

Now that I think about it, didn't you use your table saw (with a carbide blade) to cut the rails?

Greg

[Gerald D]

I used the table saw with a grinding disk (not with teeth/carbide) for the Z-slide. But I did watch the speed limitations very carefully.

[Hugo Carradini]

Gerald pinions where the only part I could not get imported. I agree with you, dint look very clean cut but I tried them with my hands over the rail and run with no effort ¿How can I tell if there is something wrong with the pinions when they start to run so I proceed to change them? Reza got the rails for me (don't know what happened with him, never talk again) I found www.smallparts.com that I will tried . If any one can send me addresses for rack and pinion to check if I can import I will appreciate.
Greg I guess we all like photos so don't stop please .

[Hugo Carradini]

Hello Gerald.
Here are some post of the progress. I made a variation on watt you suggest for the spring so it wont change much the original design. Hope you like it. It works nice and is very discrete. Hope to have the machine moving on Saturday. I have a new problem. I got 100 foot of cable for the motors and if I want to put the control box out side the machine like the original desing, with space to move arround, the cables are not long enough, so I am building the control box in a side of the table . I will post some pictures tomorrow.
Regards.

[Marc Shlaes]

Hugo, VERY NICE!

Great job.

[Doug_Ford]

Hugo,

It looks beautiful. Great job.

[J.R. Hatcher]

I think you are as ready to see yours make a cut as I am mine. Your machine looks great.

[Gerald D]

Hi Hugo

Some good ideas there!

Your plastic cable chains are a bit "unusual":

- They bend to a smaller diameter than the what I have seen before. Who is the supplier and part number?

- You run the cable chains in the opposite direction to what is on the drawing. Have you considered where is the "front" of your machine, and have you got the cable chains at the back? Or do you want to show the chains in the front?

[Greg J]

Hugo,

Nice work !! I'm jealous of you and the others who are getting theirs assembled.

Thanks for posting pictures and the progress updates. You can't believe how much it helps.

[Hugo Carradini]

Hello Gerald and friends.
Thanks guys for all your kind comments. Some extra pictures.
Gerald the chain track is from Igus. I buy in MSC http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/GSDRVS...00000029449345 and http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/GSDRVS...00000029449707 .
Yes, you are right. I was so exited about the cable track, the cables and the idea that the "moment" was getting closer that stop thinking and that is the result. Any way, this will be my learning machine (I have welded and unwelded, painted and repainted many times that I will just leave it that way for the moment) . I am committed to have the "beast" cutting on Monday.
I was concerned about how to install a simple and efficient limit switch and end up with what is on the post. One switch will work fine on each axis. What I did wrong was setting the limits to close to the ends stop. I will move the limits to 10mm after the limits of the MDF board so that will give the motor a decent space before they stop and crash the bumpers. I hope to be doing the right thing and wait for your commentaries . I hope to start installing the control box and the cables connection in the next half hour, so I will be like in paradise for the rest of the day.

[Gerald D]

Is your spider plate (10 40 432) 4mm thick? It looks thin - maybe 2.5mm?

I think that limit switch will be a problem when there is a lot of wood lying around. Realise that some wood pieces are actually quite big - bigger than "dust".

That photo from the bottom of the router is interesting. It shows perfectly the air exhaust from the router's (noisy) fan. That exhaust air blows the dust from the cutter up into the air. Here are some ideas for a MUCH cleaner workshop.

[J.R. Hatcher]

The spider plate is 3mm (1/8") thick, if it's one that came from Donald.

[Hugo Carradini]

Back from paradise.
Like J.R says is a 3mm plate.
I think you are right about the particles and the contact switch. ¿Any idea? The router I am using is a MaKita , small for the Mechmate. I will get a Spindles but first I got to get some air. Thanks for the tip in the vent system. Now I am concerned in a dust aspirator. It would be nice to see a standard solution for the Mechmate to keep the nice design. I know it sounds like we wanted every thing done for us but, you are a better designer .
Regards