Dirk, the cut quality appears to be on a par with the Alpha, if not slightly better. (Geckos are stepping at 2000 pulses/rev while the Alpha is 1000/rev?). This is going on photos and anecdotal evidence alone.

Max jog speed is a figure I avoid stating because I simply don't know how everyone measures it. It is like asking me what the top speed of my car is. Yes, we did take the MechMate up to the point where it loses steps, but this looked like a nasty speed and so we backed off a lot from there. I picked some force value that I wanted to achieve at jog speed (dragging dust shoes/hoses and cable umbilicals) and checked that with the fish scale. If I went to read off the max speed from the Mach3 setup now, you guys are probably going to find it laughably low. (This max speed is also related to the driver current setting, no?)

Gerald;
That is truly an awesome looking machine..What size stepper motors does it use and where do I get them? also does anyone have any info on where to get the v rollers and the matching rails??? Is there a parts list that I missed...any help would be greatly appreciated...
thanks
Craig

Crogers, or craig...

Look through the forum, all your answers is there....

Jus a file for cutting process
 

Is there any place here in this forum that we can find the parts for cutting in just one file ? I mean, instead of placing all the pieces to send to cut supplier, we could find one fiel that contains all the parts togheter.

Thanks

For all the laser cut parts in 1 file try this.
http://www.mechmate.com/forums/attac...2&d=1181671900

Gerald, I built that and can post it. Let me take parts that I created - the brackets for my bolt-together components - back out of the zip file and re-zip and post. It contains a set of instructions for the contractor, a table of contents and the pdf pages of bending instructions in one nice neat package.

Exploded view
 

Thanks J.R. Hatcher for laser cut parts link.
Is there any Exploded View of MechMate here in this forum or anyone have seen it anywhere ?
I am asking this to make easier the assembly process. It will be a good idea.

Thanks.

Hi gimapere:

Check out post #1 in this thread:

http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showt...light=sketchup

MechMate Sketchup
 

Ok Marc, many thanks for the tip and Link. I can now see this incredible machine in details. It will be very helpfull in future.

Thanks again.

Giovanni

:DGerald i have to say i am getting a bit up ses lol in building this machine is there a way i can see a small video of the machine cutting if you can please


BTW i was joking about the up ses part lol are we all :confused:

thanks


manny

I was wondering when someone was going ask if this is all just smoke and mirrors :)

Manny, it does seem that the right thing to do these days is to load videos to YouTube. I don't have any "stock video" at the moment. Let me see if I can set it up . . . . . .

Gerald,
The video idea is GREAT. I have seen lots of videos of peoples cnc machines form the zone but not of the wonderfull big blue. I for another would love to see it cutting some stuff. Maybe CamCraft could show some on their website too? Might be nice for prospective customers to see the beast first hand.

Cameras and sawdust don't mix so well :(

CamCraft has promised me an hour next week for some videoing. Then I have to learn that YouTube stuff . . . . . . and how to clean a camera! :)

I'd love to see some video too. It will be inspirational.

PS. Gerald, can you put in a cameo appearance like Hitchcock used to do?

Gerald,
Sometimes when I am doing some dirty photos or stuff, take a clear poly bag and cover the camera, one that is soft enough to get at the buttons and then tape it to the lens so only the lens is getting dirty. I have used this a few times, then when finished blow off bag carefully, remove, clean lens and you are done.

The original MechMate - Cape Town, South Africa
 

The big MechMate built from scratch: (Front of dust foot removed)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGVQQf_iQpI

What was originally the 8x4' Shopbot is now fully converted except for the X-rails, x-racks and x-pinions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGQ2J4GgXkg

The workshop where it started - now the home of CAM Craft
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSelxyC5LU0

Gerald,

Those are GREAT!!!

Thanks. I can't wait till my MechMate is cutting and being productive :D

Hello Gerald

Thank you for posting the video.I will have to say your video has put me in over-dive. I do have a question and I may need to ask elsewere..I would like to know of a supplier here in the US for a spindle? I would like to buy one for my MechMate build. Thanks


Gene

Well guys, now I can testimony that those videos is not a trick:eek: It is real. The Blue Beast in action.:cool:

I agree, very inspirational. Thank you for the time and effort.

Gerald,
Thank you for posting these videos. It really inspires people like myself who are in the process of building one of the Blue Beasts.

thanks again

Gerald,
Do you know what the first video is cutting out? Looks almost like a wing rib or something. Just curious.

My turn at the guessing game...

I am guessing that it is modular furniture like a stool or chair that goes together without fasteners.

Apparently it is some type of step stool for short people to reach high shelves.

It struck me today that those cuts are not that "spectacular". I've asked Sean to let me know when he is cutting something more interesting - eg. a V-carved sign.

Gerald,
The cuts look spectacular no matter what the project! A sign would be nice to see as well. :)

Gerald, Thankyou for posting the video's. Its no longer a mystery if it works or not. I have been sourcing out the parts for the machine and getting my ducks in order. I have to learn how to weld but I have signed up for a vocational class. Again thanks for the videos and all the hard work in design it!

Thanks Gerald. Super cool. I'm really motivated to get mine running.

Gerald,
If I remeber right all your mechmates are direct driven steppers? Have you tried a geared vextra either 3.6 or 7.2 on one of your machines?

No, I havn't tried them - couldn't get them out here. But, I am looking at getting a set now. (Our big machine has a lone 3.6 motor on the z-axis - you can hear it on the video)

thanks for the video gerald now i am more move to make my ASAP

hello can some one tell me if this router can work with
alluminium?

thanks

pac

Any router will work with aluminium, but you have to go a lot slower.

Gerald,
Have you or Sean done any work with aluminum on any of your Mechmates? Just wondering what your experiences were on this subject. :)

I cut alum plate on my Multicam all the time. I try not to ever exceed 3/8" .375" material....but cutting is VERY slow. A 4x8 sheet with a lot of holes takes hours to cut. Many Passes and usually more than 1 bit change. But, It does do a really nice job. I guess the moral of the story is - patience. Each cutting tool/material choice has it's own parameters to work in.
Sean

No, we havn't seriously cut thick aluminium. He has cut some MDF that about 1mm of alu on it - that was very easy. Very few ShopBotters cut alu - they have a lot of discussion on their forum about it. One if the big factors is the grade/type of alu - there are huge differences in "cut-ability".

Great site, and thanks.
 

Hi Gerald, thanks for putting together a great site, and sharing your designs with us. Just out of interest, did you copy the shopbots measurements and design, or did you work most of it out for yourself?

I have already made a machine based loosely on the shopbot principles, and a bit on my own ideas too.

The machine I built is very crude in appearance though.

I have decided to make a machine from your plans. That way I can be assured it will look a lot nicer, and cleaner.

I like your humor in this site, and the way you write. keep up the great work.

Here is my machine. Lets hope the new one looks as good as the MechMate.

Regards Benny

http://www.youtube.com/v/1HxwgAV8On0&rel

Great pictures. I only wish they were bigger so I could print them out on A4 and study them closer, (Not via the monitor)

2 thumbs up for the brilliant work though.

Hi Benny, welcome!

This all started as an "upgrade" to a ShopBot. The constraints were that the original motors had to fit and that it all had to fit on the existing x-rails. The broad proportions were kept, but everything was metricated for local materials. V-rollers went bigger, rails thicker, gantry tubes deeper, z-slide totally re-worked, holddown different, etc. Then, when the Americans got keen about the MechMate design, I had to change many dimensions again so that both metric and inch could be accommodated. (ShopBot have since discarded the "crane beam" gantry and are now following the herd with a single member as a gantry). As we speak, our original ShopBot (minus table) has been recovered from various dusty corners and reassembled - it is up for sale as of 2 weeks ago.

Lots of folk don't get my humour (or the way I spell it) and take me too seriously - you ozzies would understand me better, just a pity you can't play rugby.

Cara muito legal sua maquina!!!!!!!! Parabens!!!!!

Obrigado