John

Nice looking machine and good work.

bluieee bluieee........loooks pretty. I like the color and the way you have built your machine :)

at least u have color on only your shoes ;)

The only problem is that no one is going to believe you actually built it yourself. :)

I am daily humbled by the level of detail other builders are obtaining.....Nice work.
Sean

John,
Awesome, just awesome. I think that garage is really to clean, I am jealous! :)

Thanks everyone! I can't wait to get it cutting. Couldn't have done it without this forum and everyone's previous experiences...I studied every single build log.

Irfan, someone at work noticed today that I had a bluish tint to my hair! :o

John - i was referring to Nils, surprised G' did not pick him here :) he had his face done up with the blue spots

sorry nils :D

Blue in the hair is a sign of old-age:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_rinse
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...lue-rinse.html :D

Impressive build, the MechMate really is built like a tank. I'm located in Kent Wa. and built a Joes 4x4 this last winter, not nearly as much mass as the MechMate. I only found out yesterday that there were some local MechMate builds going on which is great. I'll be checking the MechMate forum more often.

Under Table Storage?
 

I really like your table design. The ability to take it apart to move is a good thing. This is the direction that I will go when I finally convince the boss that a MechMate would be a good idea!
Looking at the drawing in the first post, do you think that it would affect the stability of the table too much to move those verticals just enough further apart to be able to store some extra sheet stock under there? In my mind's eye I can see some sort of multi-level rack fastened across the width of the table to keep half a dozen sheets of stock.
I think that this came to me after spending the weekend fighting with my sheet goods storage in my existing shop...

Just an idea...

Roman

John,

First off, outstanding looking machine. I have looked at many machines on this forum and I will no doubt build mine the way you did, when I have everything in place to begin the build.

If I could ask you, what did you finally end up with on you X, Y, and Z dimensions used in the drawing calculations? Your first post said probably 55 & 100, but I was curious what you ended up with.

Will you leave it in your garage, or do you have another place to put it. The tear down capability is so great. Nice job.

Can't wait to see some output from your machine.

Dan

Thank you guys for the compliments.

Lsalme: Welcome and good luck if you decide to build a MechMate. Joe's 4x4 looks like a great machine, and I considered one before I started my build. And yeah, I'm excited to see a lot of builders in the area!

Roman: That's a great idea and I'm sure you can make it work. Check out Radishworks build...he did something similar to what you're thinking. Also check out bfauska's who -- if i remember correctly -- built his to fit over a table.

Dan: Yes, I built my table 55 x 100 x 8. I plan on leaving it in the garage for now. I have a basement that I'd like to convert to my shop "one day", but it needs some work that I don't want to get into right now...like lighting, power, and cleaning out all the junk!

John,

I feel your pain. I just spent a week of vacation cleaning out my garage and shed. I have no idea where all that junk came from??????????????????

Thank for the reply and again, can't wait to see some work coming out of your machine.

By the way, were there any issues you encountered because you designed your MM the way you did?

Dan

Dan...I hope you were cleaning out the garage for good reason?!!

I didn't run into any major problems with my changes, but I stuck to the plans pretty closely from the rails on up to avoid this. One thing though was that my deviations prevented me from using some of the formulas (for determining material dimensions) in the drawings, and this made planning a little more difficult and took some time to figure out at the onset. I tried not to change anything mechanically.

John

Hi everyone,

So the control box has taken me quite a long time...I had a lot of learning and reading to do in this area. Finally this past weekend, I got it together and put on my welding helmet, goggles, and welding gloves just to TURN IT ON. Good news, nothing spectacular but the click of the contactor, hum of the fan, and green lights. :)

I welcome your critique on my wiring. It works but I want to make sure I've built a safe and reliable system. Some questions that I have:

- I used 14 AWG wire for the ground in the box and to the table. Is this thick enough?
- I have a 35A contactor for the router, with a 120V coil. I hooked up the coil to the relay on the PMDX. Is this okay long term? (i.e. Is the little relay meant to handle 120V?)

Anyways, here are some pictures, and I hope to have a decent project to post soon.

Attachment 6126

Attachment 6127

Attachment 6128

The blob cutout is supposed to be the roadrunner. I didn't have a small collet, and the had to use a 3/4" cutter. BUT WE HAVE DUST!
Attachment 6125

Congrats, looks great!!!!!!

I was not sure on the 14gauge too, but I had a lot of it, so I used 2.

John,

The inside of the controller box looks fantastic and your machine looks good.

Congratulations on cutting.

Sounds like a serial number will be coming.

Wonderful job!

Well done, welcome to the club!!

Hmmm....pretty machinery!
Nicely done and well executed fabrication. Kudo's!

Sean

Thanks for sharing these and congratulation on your nice built, lots of efforts !

Congratulations John! Very nicely done. :)

Updated Builder's Log
 

John,

Congratulations on a great machine and Serial #34. Looks really good on that special flooring.

The updated Builder's Log is here.

Please review your entry and let me know any changes you'd like.

Congratulations on your superb build.

Cheers
Greeny

Thankyou, thankyou guys! I'll wear the #34 proudly! John Higgins, everything looks right. I can't believe it's been 6 months...my back still hurts from lifting steel.

Now off to study Doug's tutorial! :)

John,

Awesome looking machine. When I build mine, It will be based on your design. Hope that is OK.

Two quick questions, what is "Doug's tutorial"? I did a search and did not find it. Could you point me to the right place. Also, could not help but ask, who is the manufacturer of the flooring in your garage? I just built a new workshop and am looking for good flooring.

Can't wait to see some output from your machine. I have this thread on automatic updates by email.

Thanks,
Dan

Look here.
Basic Cutting Tutorial
:)

John: Well done! An inspiration to the rest of us Pacific Northwesterners following in your footsteps. Joe

Dan: My floors were installed by the previous owner of the house, but I think they are the same as Playmaker Court flooring. They look nice and are comfortable to work on, but not entirely practical...they trap dust, and I hesitate weld or grind in the garage. Now that the Mechmate is done, I will probably remove some of the tiles and epoxy paint the floors...once I get motivated enough to take it apart again.

Joe: Thank you, I've been watching your build too and can't wait to see the finished product. Let me know if you need a hand flipping it over!

When you epoxy paint, dont forget to include some sort of grip material (sand or similar) to the final coat, MDF dust and a smooth epoxy floor is a recipe for disaster (unless you enjoy visits to the emergency room:))