6x20 build details
 

Hi Chuck,

Great looking machine you have there! Can you share some more details on your build? I'm planning the same size table, so I'm very curious:

Is the cutting area exactly 20' long? If so, how did you make the X rails longer than 20' (which is the common length for steel)?

Are the cross bearers welded or bolted to the main longitudinal members?

Was the table built upside-down, welded and then rotated? Or built right-side-up due to size?

Thanks!

Michel

In our local steel industry, 9m (30ft) are available. Even 12m if you are willing to wait for inventory.

Steel mills have to make much longer lengths because of the rolling process. 20' is the shortest they cut for transport purposes. As Ken says, you can typically get 30' but that depends on distance from mill and how much transport damage you are willing to tolerate.

Michel,

The table has a cut capacity of 20'1" X 6'1", making it some 22-23' long. It was built right side up, all welded construction. I personally wouldn't want to bolt one together though I know others have done so with good success. The beams were extended with angle, were I to do it again I'd just buy longer steel.

Latest addition is inductive prox switches with XYZ sharing one input and A with a separate input allowing active gantry squaring. I ended up driving optoisolators with my prox switches, the opto outputs are tied to the breakout board input. This is working well.

99%, really 100% of the work we do could be done on a much smaller table. For the few times we actually use the full capacity of the table we could, with some effort, do our cutting of larger sheets by repositioning material. We have a sacrificial fence running the long direction so it would just be a matter of repositioning mtl along the fence, ref all home, and let her rip. Just sayin, this puppy is big and takes up lots of space!

Good luck and keep us posted.

Chuck

Thanks for the replies. It didn't occur to me that steel comes in lengths much longer than 20'.

My thoughts on table size are based on the comments I've heard on the forum about "I wish it was two feet longer :rolleyes:" and the fact that I have the room for a 20' machine.

The one bit that concerns me is the welding -- I know my welding skills aren't up to welding overhead. Heck, I'm still working on striking the arc, let alone attaching two pieces of steel! :D

Many things to consider. I'll start a new thread for my build soon.

Michel

Maybe its time for a new welder... With one of these babys everyone can weld like pro :)

Have it ever cross you mind that hiring a professional welder (person not machine) for a day? This would clear one hurdle of your build.

Sorry, Ken, I don't see your point.... ;)

You don't have to weld it yourself if you know you are not up to it. Hiring or ask a favor from someone who can weld better the me when its call for goes a long way for me.

My scenario.
I only have stick welder (borrowed). I know my welding skill is not up to par. BUT sufficient for horizontal welds & enough to keep the metal sticking together, (ugly but that still get the job done :o). I also know I can fit fairly well & I don't trust contractors to pay as much attention to fitting as I wish. So, I build the table top side down to eliminate overhead welding, Fit the gantry & Y-car as best as I could then did all the spot weld & haul the lot to a welding shop with MIG facility to finish off the full welds under my own supervision (make sure the welding sequence is followed) this cost me peanuts when consider the outlay for a MIG welder & hiring CO2 just for this job not forgetting that the weld quality is guaranteed.

In fact my total outlay for the welding
~US10 welding rods, with 75% left over
~US20 welding fee (for a familiar face :) )for 1/2 hour job.
~ 1 big favor to a friend who borrow his truck for sending the Gantry to the welding shop.

Compare to ~USD600 (this is cheapest local price for MIG) US30 hiring+deposit of CO2 cylinder, +XX for consumable...

BUT you can also hire a pro welding person or get a friend to do the welding with your equipment.

Acquiring new skill would be nice, but it depends on if it is your objective.

Michel, you will get used to welding after just a few inches. It`s not that hard, just a little bit of training.

Ken, I think you wrote this in another thread: " ...You only need that "can-do" attitude...":)
and like Gerals said: ...Welds don't have to be beautyful, they have to be strong...
I used only stick welding on my MM, and allthough I`m not a welder, everything went smooth and now I can weld.:)

can not agree more. :)

Not forgetting, there are more then one way to skin the cat. :)

Chuck,
Great looking machine! How are the linear bearings holding up? I am thinking about using them on my machine and was wondering about the life of the bearings. And how do you calculate the size you need?

Thanks,
Terry