Greg, Thats a very nice dust foot that's so simplistic and yet functional. It's amazing how people with good ideas can come together and share those ideas to produce something that is better than a lot of commercial offerings for a fraction of the cost. I'm just starting my build and I feel like I'm already part of the community from all the help I've received just asking questions before I start my build. My hats off to Gerald and fellow builders. Great Job Greg!

Beautiful pictures Greg. I jumped to attention when I saw the flags! :D

I think that brush is going to be very functional. Maybe you need an alu cover strip to pinch the brush to the foot along its length, so that the PVC brush backing doesn't tear at the screws. Our brush actually takes quite a hammering with time, and we have ordered some replacements now.

Greg,

The machine and dust foot look very good. Looks like you cleaned it up for magazine photos.

I would think that you would get additional pickup on the dust collection if the hair brush continued around to enclose the whole foot or you left a smaller opening so you can see. But the whole thing looks great. How is it at picking up dirt.

The whole machine looks toooo clean. You best be careful to leave some dirt or Gerald may take you #13 away from you. Oh, I forgot you have his picture over seeing things so you are OK.

Did you think of cutting the same profile for your dust collection out of plexiglass?

Thanks Guys.

I haven't had my MM operating 8 hours a day (yet), but I also haven't been cleaning the beast after every project. The high volume DC works great. I haven't finished the exhaust on the DC system and my equipment room is dusty. Maybe I'll post a pic of that tonight.

I really like the open front on the DC foot. Makes changing bits a snap. I still have some other skirt materials to experiment with. I may have to enclose the front when cutting plastics. Cutting plastics has much larger chips and it does escape the foot.

Strange Problem
 

I’m experiencing some strange problems.

Everything was operating fine. I made a new tool path in Vcarve Pro and saved it in Mach 2/3 ATC arc (inch) (*.txt) format.

I had been saving all previous tool paths in *.cnc format.

When I started cutting, the tool path was not right and acting strange. I stopped the program and haven’t been able to get the machine operational again. I've tried reloading a previous tool path and same results. Everything has been shut down and re-booted.

After the reset button is press, on the program run screen, the cycle start is blinking and wanting to start. I get a “nothing to feed hold” message. Not sure what that means.

On the settings screen, the override limits is blinking red.

On the diagnostics screen, the below input signals current states are lit
M1++Limit M1--Limit M1 Home
M2++Limit M2--Limit M2 Home
M3++Limit M3—Limit M3 Home
M4 Home

I am totally stumped on this one. Any help is appreciated.

That sounds like a loose wire / bad connection of an input to the PMDX, or a bad parallel cable between the PMDX and the PC, or maybe even a loss of power supply to the PMDX ??

Thanks Gerald,

I was focused on a software issue. I'll check the control box and other hard wiring this morning.

Gerald,

Damn, your good. :) It's amazing what kind of support a SA flag will buy these days. ;)

It wasn't a loose connection, but the hot wire exiting the main contactor was not making contact. It looked good, and it didn't move. But continuity and voltage checks showed a bad connection. I removed and replaced the one connection and everything works. :D Weird. :confused:

Thanks for the help. I was getting stressed because my young (18 yrs) friend from Zimbabwe is coming over this morning to see the MM. He's been in the U.S. for only 4 months and bored silly. Maybe I can make a MM CNC operator out of him. :)

Ah, glad you found the problem! Did you perhaps pinch the insulation of the hot wire out of the relay?

Zimbabwe are our troubled northern neighbours - lots of them are in South Africa at the moment to escape their strife. They are generally good and hard workers.

No, I didn't "test" the insulation. I'll go back and double check.

Yea, this Kid (actually a young man, anyone younger than me is a kid. :)) is very polite and a pleasure to have around. You should have seen him light up when he saw the MechMate. He must have said "that is so cool" a half dozen times. Didn't want to leave, but his mother was calling.

Thanks for the help. You hooked a young man on MM, and made my day.

Shop Pests
 

Saw this guy (rattle snake) trying to enter my shop this evening. I jumped 10 feet in the vertical direction when we met. :)

Attachment 1763

Which of you two are too scared to move? Or, are one of you dead? :eek:

Let's just say, I'm still drinking beer. :)

At that time you need GUMBOOTS ...the poo needs to be kept neatly INSIDE:D

The only good thing about that thing is it would make a nice belt:D
You probably made another door on the other side of your door:D

Greg,

The only snakes I have seen in my yard is my local black snake. I am glade I don't have to worry about 3' one of those rattler kind.

Greg,
Is it safe to pick them up like that? :eek:

Heath,

Yea, it's safe. I liked that picture because it's hard to tell that the head is no longer there. Dead snakes will still move long after you've killed them. If you don't cut off the head, they can still bite you long after (up to an hour) they are dead.

How I handle snakes
 

The only way I deal with rattlesnakes (makes me quiver just to type the word) is at the end of a shotgun 20 feet away. Oh wait, I don't have a shotgun, I guess you know what direction I go in.

Kevin

Geeeez, Gerald, you didn't waste any time archiving that birthday thread. :D

'Life should begin with age and its privileges and accumulations, and end with youth and its capacity to splendidly enjoy such advantages.'
- Samual Clement's Letter to Edward Dimmitt, 7/19/1901

I got on the scale this morning and realised that the party must end now :)
Samuel Clement was 85 when he made that observation - compared to that, I am a youngster at 53 :D

Wait a minute, Samuel Clement died before 1901 - that must be Samuel Clemens, who is better known as Mark Twain. He was 66 when he wrote that, so I am nearly there . . . .

"So I am nearly their..."
Mmmm…I don’t buy that !
Life expectancy is around 77-80, your still way back, you young white bearded man...:p
Ok I agree, not as back as a young rooster that is ONLY 43, but...:rolleyes:
On the other hand, you right about it’s not too late to challenge a scale that suddenly thinks there are two of you weighing on it :eek:
Amicalement, Robert ;)

Hi Greg,

How far up from the bottom of the slide plate did you place the mount for the Milwaukee?

Greg,

I placed the router bracket at the bottom edge of the slide plate. Bottom edge of router bracket is flush with the bottom edge of the slide plate.

I'll post a picture tomorrow if you need it.

Thanks Greg, :)

I was thinking of one of two ways.

The first was to place the bottom of the router collet at the bottom of the plate thereby gaining the most clearance.
Because only the router bit would extend below the lowest point of the gantry.

The second was to put it at the bottom because I couldn’t think of a better way to get the dust collector to work with the first arrangement.:confused:

Greg M

Greg,

I'm redesigning the dust foot. Should have 3D model done this weekend and cutting shortly there after.

If your using the Milwaukee router and K2 bracket, I'll post the dxf file (if you like the new design. )

That's the combination I'm using.:)

I saw that you received a second set of parts.:D Do you have that much work already?

If I remember right your first build is a "classic" design. Now you'll have one of each.:p

Take care.

Greg

Greg,
I see you got another set of laser cut parts. Are you starting a new machine? What will it be this time, Plasma or laser? :eek:

No new machine in the near future. Just stock piling parts while finances are in my favor. If and when, a new business venture is started, the plan is to have minimal/no debt.

I'm quickly learning that one person (myself) can operate two MM's. If a cut file takes 1/2 hour (+or-), I can be setting up the other MM. Productivity, efficiency, "time is money", what ever you want to call it.