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  #1  
Old Fri 15 May 2015, 11:58
Rocky Mountain Teardrops
Just call me: Lee #124
 
Golden, CO
United States of America
Wink New /old Machine making dust #124 - Golden, CO

Hello everybody.
This post has been a while coming....
I actually finished my Mechmate a year ago (2014)

I never made a build thread because there is nothing special about my Mechmate.
It's a typical 4'x8' machine, 7" Z axis , welded base, geared motors etc, etc, etc.

However, I have done a couple of things that I haven't seen or heard about very much, so I decided to share them here.

First, a picture of the Mech is all of it's glorious blue-ness.



Obligatory picture of the control box.
Not a tidy as most, but a lot better than my usual wire tangle.



Some of the interesting things I have done.
I've always had problems with Mach3 starting the router I'm using (Porter Cable 7518). The onboard relay on the PMDX doesn't have enough amps to run it, and I could never get a Solid State Relay to work correctly with the electronic router speed control.

Many months of on and off work and thinking brought me to a solution.
We know that the SSR needs a load to engage. (a 40watt light bulb wired in parallel to the electronic router will make everything work just fine)

So I came up with this solution.
Wire a small resistor in parallel with the router. (kind of a parasitic load)
So after some maths, I decided on a 10K resistor, hooked to the output side of the SSR going to neutral line (here in USA, we have three wire systems, hot, neutral, and ground)


Now the electronic router will start via Mach3 with the SSR relay.
Keeping my control box very tidy.


Next project:
I put a vacuum hold down table system on it with three zones.
First layer on the table is the standard MDF with the bolt holes to hold everything down.
Next layer is another standard 3/4" MDF with grooves machined in it for vacuum flow, grooves sealed with polyurethane.
No picture, but here's the simulation.


Top layer is a sheet of ultralite MDF for vacuum flow.
Mounted under the table top are three industrial vacuum motors.

Since the vast majority of my cutting involves 4'x8' plywood sheets, this system works very well to keep everything flat and in place.
I still use some edge hold down clamps just to make sure.

Next thing is the dust collection.
I have very limited headroom (8'), so I needed some way to make it fit.
I have seen other people use a LONG hose suspended from a tall ceiling, but that won't work for me. I also didn't want to run the hose along the cable tray or build another tray to run it along the gantry.

So what I did was got some strut (I used Unistrut), got some strut trollies (from McMaster), and made a sliding hose support.


Another short piece of strut along with a modified conduit clamp and a piece of HVAC duct.


Dust foot. Just a flat piece of sheet metal, bent edges, with conveyor brush (McMaster) around the edge.


Sorry about the sorry shape, I hit a clamp a while ago and haven't bothered to repair it.

Hope this will be usefull to somebody.

Thanks,
Lee

(HEY MIKE! How about a serial number? )
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  #2  
Old Fri 15 May 2015, 15:09
timberlinemd
Just call me: Steve #66
 
Arizona
United States of America
To be completely compliant in getting a serial number you need to show us something that you have cut with your M/M, but outside of that it looks great! Congrats!
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  #3  
Old Fri 15 May 2015, 15:25
Rocky Mountain Teardrops
Just call me: Lee #124
 
Golden, CO
United States of America
This is the first thing ever cut.
"Das Blinkenlights" (Google for explanation) on 3/4" melamine.


Here's a picture of the vacuum bag platten and half of a door.


A router cabinet for doing round overs and misc jobs.



Well, here's a picture of me making off center holes.

Or out of square drawer fronts.


If anybody has an idea on what could be going on (it's not loose grub screws),
I would appreciate it.
http://mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4978

Lee

Last edited by Rocky Mountain Teardrops; Fri 15 May 2015 at 15:37..
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  #4  
Old Sat 16 May 2015, 00:55
KenC
Just call me: Ken
 
Klang
Malaysia
Looks very much like a mechanical problem. I would start by yanking parts of the machine to see if they are totally secured, such as the router holder, W-wheels, etc etc.
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  #5  
Old Sat 16 May 2015, 05:28
lonestaral
Just call me: Al #114
 
Isarn
Thailand
Send a message via Skype™ to lonestaral
The Flashing Lights.

A good looking machine.

Sorry to hear of your problems.
Check for loose components.
Check for Exact stop / Constant velocity settings if using Mach 3.
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  #6  
Old Sat 16 May 2015, 10:06
Rocky Mountain Teardrops
Just call me: Lee #124
 
Golden, CO
United States of America
Constant velocity settings are off.

Cut this today


This is the problem I'm having.
This step is at approx 11:00 (on a clock face)
There is an identical step / gouge at 1:00 also.


This is a circle cut where the Y travel is shifting to X angle.
I get flattened circles if they are small enough, and bumps where the circle is big.

Here's another strange thing. This was set to run on the vector (VCarvePro).
Why is one corner round, and the other square?



Spent the better part of two hours this morning shaking, twisting, and all around checking everything and I can't find anything loose. (except for the slop in the motor gearboxes - please see my troubleshooting thread about that).

Thanks,
Lee

Last edited by Rocky Mountain Teardrops; Sat 16 May 2015 at 10:15..
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  #7  
Old Sat 16 May 2015, 11:14
Regnar
Just call me: Russell #69
 
Mobile, Alabama
United States of America
V wheels are free from compacted dust? Also adding direction of the axis in the photos will help further with which axis is causing the trouble. Have you tried different speeds? Make a series of squares and circles going at different speeds. Did this problem just surface or did you change or upgrade any software like Vcarve?
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  #8  
Old Sat 16 May 2015, 11:30
Rocky Mountain Teardrops
Just call me: Lee #124
 
Golden, CO
United States of America
Quote:
Originally Posted by Regnar View Post
V wheels are free from compacted dust? Also adding direction of the axis in the photos will help further with which axis is causing the trouble. Have you tried different speeds? Make a series of squares and circles going at different speeds. Did this problem just surface or did you change or upgrade any software like Vcarve?
Rollers are dust free. (I'm very careful about that)

All pictures are X (long axis) running top to bottom.
Y axis (short) are left to right.

All straight cuts are perfect. No wobbles or gouges.
I am just having problems where the motion to shifting from one axis to another. (like a curve/circle, or corner)

Last edited by Rocky Mountain Teardrops; Sat 16 May 2015 at 11:32..
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  #9  
Old Sat 16 May 2015, 15:44
barry99705
Just call me: Barry
 
Xenia
United States of America
It's not your spindle bearings is it?
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  #10  
Old Sat 16 May 2015, 16:07
Rocky Mountain Teardrops
Just call me: Lee #124
 
Golden, CO
United States of America
Not that I can feel.
See this thread for more test run today.
http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showt...1826#post71826
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  #11  
Old Sun 17 May 2015, 00:41
KenC
Just call me: Ken
 
Klang
Malaysia
Spindle holder? Something came loose. U gotta find it.
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  #12  
Old Tue 19 May 2015, 12:32
HomeMadeCnc
Just call me: Tim
 
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
I've found on my own machine that I have some wear in the planetary gearbox on the y car. With power on I have .044" free movement. I'm taking mine apart this afternoon with the hopes of shimming to fix the issue.
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  #13  
Old Tue 19 May 2015, 13:41
HomeMadeCnc
Just call me: Tim
 
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
I took the main shaft out of the gearbox, rotated it 180 and put it back in. Regreased it and it tested to .005 now .
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  #14  
Old Tue 19 May 2015, 13:46
Rocky Mountain Teardrops
Just call me: Lee #124
 
Golden, CO
United States of America
Problem solved.
Combination of a few things.

CV being on (now changed to be "off for angles greater than 89°")
I thought it was turned off, but Gerry in the troubleshooting thread walked me to the correct screen in Mach3

Shimmed the motor to get a much better gear to rack contact.

Loosened the motor pivot bolts to allow the motor to actually....pivot, and keep in full contact with the racks. (I had them too tight, they could not freely move)

Changed the motor acceleration to 20 ips (from 6). Makes the motors much quieter and "crisper" in their movements.

I think the sloppy cutting was due to the gears and racks not being perfect, and the rounded corners caused by the CV still being on.

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

Lee
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  #15  
Old Tue 19 May 2015, 13:52
Rocky Mountain Teardrops
Just call me: Lee #124
 
Golden, CO
United States of America
Quote:
Originally Posted by HomeMadeCnc View Post
I've found on my own machine that I have some wear in the planetary gearbox on the y car. With power on I have .044" free movement. I'm taking mine apart this afternoon with the hopes of shimming to fix the issue.
Does it come back to zero when you release the gantry?
(dial indicator clamped to rail, motors on, push and pull gantry to get .044"?)
Release gantry, what does the dial indicator go back to?

I have about .030" push/pull of the gantry, but when I let it go, it goes back to zero on the dial indicator.

Tried to measure backlash today also. I can't measure any. (+/- .001")
(dial indicator clamped to rail, run gantry up to it. Check measurement on Mach3, run gantry away, compare dial to Mach3......no difference.)

Lee
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  #16  
Old Tue 19 May 2015, 15:20
HomeMadeCnc
Just call me: Tim
 
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
I had a dead zone. When released it didn't move. I'm going to keep a closer eye on it and see what happens over time.

Tim
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  #17  
Old Tue 19 May 2015, 21:24
MetalHead
Just call me: Mike
 
Columbiana AL
United States of America
Nice build !! Glad to see another MM finished!! You get #124
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  #18  
Old Tue 19 May 2015, 23:19
hennie
Just call me: Hennie #23
 
Roodepoort JHB
South Africa
Lee, show some of those Teardrops that you build.
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  #19  
Old Wed 20 May 2015, 05:30
jhiggins7
Just call me: John #26
 
Hebron, Ohio
United States of America
Builder's Log Update

Lee,

Congratulations on completing your MechMate and earning Serial Number 124.

Here is the Updated Builder's Log with your entry added.

For the record, please give us some idea of your build start and completion dates. Rough approximations are fine.
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  #20  
Old Wed 20 May 2015, 06:07
darren salyer
Just call me: Darren #101
 
Wentzville mo
United States of America
Congratulations to #124 from #101. Job well done, Sir.
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  #21  
Old Sat 23 May 2015, 06:29
IMMark
Just call me: Mark #119
 
Columbus Ohio
United States of America
Congratulations on #124, very nice looking machine.
Enjoy!!
Mark
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  #22  
Old Sun 24 May 2015, 12:25
pblackburn
Just call me: Pete #98
 
South-Central Pennsylvania
United States of America
Congratulations 124.
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  #23  
Old Sun 24 May 2015, 14:59
Rocky Mountain Teardrops
Just call me: Lee #124
 
Golden, CO
United States of America
Thank you all.
Couldn't have done it without the knowledge on this board.

I bought the plans in June of 2013, and made first cuts on Jan 15, 2014.
So about 7 month to build.

Sorry about my slow response, I'm still having repeatability issues.
Trying to get a handle on that.

I'll get some pictures of what I'm working on soon.

Thanks,
Lee
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  #24  
Old Sun 24 May 2015, 16:29
jhiggins7
Just call me: John #26
 
Hebron, Ohio
United States of America
Thanks for the info. I've updated the Builder's Log.
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