What notch? There wasn't a notch in the dxf. I'll check again.

Oh I know what notch you mean. It's there just a bad shot it . I updated one of the pics about so that you can see it better.

cvriv_mechmate_001_05-26-2009

Here's an update. According to the plans but with a few changes. Check it out.

Here's how I would like my table to be. The plans call for the 8 cross beams(1010302SB) to be welded to the x beams(1010322SA) because it's permanent. That way you dont have to worry about the able going out of square. Which is good because thats one less thing to worry about. BUT! like some,... I need to be able to dismantle this machine for transport. What you see in the image below weighs about 650lbs. Thats according to Inventor. AND! Thats only what you see! LOL.
http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_000-180.jpg

So instead of welding these 8 beams I am going to do what many others are doing. Im going to bolt them.
http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_001-180.jpg http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_002-180.jpg http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_003-180.jpg

To keep help keep the table square,... I and going to weld a support bar across the ends of the beams, in sets of 4. These support bars will hold the cross beams together so that they are square. When the x beams are bolted to them they will be square with each other. Once the table surface is bolted down to the cross beams, it will help hold the table square too. Plus the legs of the table will help to hold the table square also.
http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_004-180.jpg

Forgive my Inventor rendering abilites,... im still trying to figure that out. In this pic you can see the inventor welds for the end plate(1010324GA) for the x beam(1010322SA).
http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_005-180.jpg

Here's the bolts that will hold the x beam to the cross beams. 16 x 3/8"-16 heavy hex bolts. I have to use beveled washer because the steel channel has an internal taper. It very dark. Sorry.
http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_006-180.jpg

Im using 3/8"-16 socket head bolts for the table. These bolts will screw directly into the the cross beams for ease of removal.
http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_007-180.jpg

See:) Still kind of dark.
http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_008-180.jpg

Here's the underside. You can see the two sections of cross beams. Kind of like pallets. Really heavy pallets.
http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_009-180.jpg http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_010-180.jpg

Here they are alone.
http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_011-180.jpg http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_012-180.jpg

I dont want to weld to much because I dont want to deform the metal to much. I think i'll be fine with this. The very end with the flat side facing out gets welded all around the channels shape. The remaining 3 only get a top and bottom weld. That should be good. It's not like those support bars are going to be taking on a load.
http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_013-180.jpg http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_014-180.jpg

And thats it for now:)
http://www.theelitemodder.com/worklo...09_015-180.jpg

Now this isn't my final size. I will know for sure its final size once I build the gantry.

Charles,
Once you have the spoilboard bolted to the table, I dont think you will need the extra braces. Quite a few people have done it this way with no racking problems.

Charles, you are trying to solve problems that don't exist. Those flat bars on the end the end of the cross-suports will add hardly any "anti-racking" - drop that welded assembly during transport and it will be out. The support board does a far better job of anti-racking.

Socketed cap screws, for the support board, have heads that are too high, too hard and too small a shoulder. You shouldn't use them in wood without washers to increase the bearing area, which will make them even taller. Too hard?......well, you are probably going to hit them with a cutter one day......

Have you seen this thread?: Re-alignment after dis-assembly - getting all parts into position at the new location

Ok. I will take supports out. But someone here said that you dont agree with bolts the table together because of how easy the table can be knocked out of square.

About the socket head bolts,... whats the maximum depth I can drill into a 3/4" thick board? In your plans you have a 30mm thick board? There are low profile socket head bolts. But they for sure need washers seeing that their shoulders are even smaller. With the washer the overall height of the bolt/ washer will be about the same as a regular socket head bolt. What bolts are usually used?

I read about that thread you posted. I would rather just use a square to realign everything.

I think I will go ahead and create 1010324GA equiv's for the 302SB's. I dont like the open channel look at all. That was another reason for the support. To act as a side skirt kind of.

Charles,
I can attest that my bolt together gets hit all the time by people, equipment, pallet jacks, occasional forklift - and still remains square. The spoil board holds the alignment fine.

For hardware to hold down the spoilboard, I actually use a large #14 Phillips head pan machine screw. (although plans call for different- use what I had in stock as usually and is Low profile enough. )

My spoilboard cutting profile in Mach shows a 3/8" depth for the countersink.

Unless you use a furniture style hex head with a low profile truss head, you may not find a hex head cap that will work as well as you hope for.

Good luck,
Sean

I was actually thinking about using 3/8" - 16 countersunk socket head. It has a large shoulder and I can sink it a good amount. As of now I have about .25 from bolt face to spoilboard surface and about .25" of spoilboard left. If this is not good then I'll just go down to .25" bolts instead. I'm going to post new pics soon.

I started a new thread for the screwing down issue over here:
Screwing the table top to the cross support beams

I have some question about the x rails.
 

#1: I was wondering if it would be better to use 3/8" angle instead of 1/4"? I have been scouring the forum to find a pic thats kind of orthograpic of a bearing on a 1/4" rail so I can see how much the bearing overhangs the rail. I dont mean to be annoying. Im just curious about stuff like this.

#2: I would like to drill and tap my x beams to mount the x rails. The plans call for 1/2" holes for both rail and beam. Whats up with that? There's no real explanation for it. Im thinking for bolts to pass through and for rail adjustability? Am I right?

#3. The proxy holes for the proxy switch. It says optional. What is it and how many of your use it?

Thats it for now.

#2: It is for adjustment of the rails to get them straight and parallel to each other.

Answer #1. 3/8" angle would be an overkill. The bearings ride fine on the 1/4". Also, you'll be adjusting (flexing) the rail to get the Gantry and Y-Car to ride smoothly, so the thicker rails would be more difficult to align.

Answer #2 Check drawing 10 10 300, note 8. You'll notice that the Main Beams are tapped 8 mm. I used 5/16" and bought the bolts at Tractor Supply by the pound.

Answer #3 The proxy switch is a means of feeding back to Mach3, electronically, the position of the Gantry. I believe there are 6 of them (4 for X rails and 2 for Y rails). I did not install them, but I drilled the holes in case I wanted the install them in the future. There are instructions on the Forum for how to align the Gantry using the mechanical stops.

Hope this helps. Happy building.:)

John,
Just a bit of semantics, but the proxy does not feed back actual location to Mach3 continuously, but only when the gantry arrives at the end-of-travel location. It's just a limit switch with benefits! (like sensing if the machine derails, etc.)

Some readers of the forum may interpret you last post as a "encoder" type feedback which is not the case. I know you know the difference, but others new to the forum may not.

Just a note to keep it clear. :)

Sean

Those are the number of holes at the rail ends - the number of proximity switches is half of that.

Ok. And about the drilling of holes in the rack,... I see two holes one at each end. But as an option you can drill/ tap from the back side 10mm deep and do that more than twice through out the length of the rack. My question is how would you bolt the rack to the rail when the M6 holes are right up on the leg?

I would love to do it that way but im just not seeing how you would bolt the rack up like that. Only one bolt at each end seems a bit,.... not enough. doesn't the rack sag in the middle?

So I am gathering that the proxy switches replace the x rail stopper block? The proxy switch tells m3 that that gantry is nearing 0,0 and thats how the gantry is squared?

Charles, the racks are primarily secured with high adhesive double sided tape. The screws at the ends serve to keep it from wandering, and to give the tape a chance to bond.

The proxy switches do not replace the stopper blocks! Ideally, they prevent you from ever hitting the blocks. If for some reason your proxy should fail, the stopper block saves you from a disaster.

I'm the type person that will read for several hours or re-read something several times to understand. Then if I still don't understand I will ask the questions. Charles are you sure you're reading enough??? Some of the questions you're asking are right there to be read.:confused:

Charles,

I did not add proximity switches to my machine and after several months, I have no intention of adding them. I agree that 3/8" rails would be overkill and would be harder to straighten. The longer I have my MM the more convinced I become that Gerald is a genius. I've said this several times before but I'll say it again. If you follow his instructions to the letter, I guarantee you won't be disappointed. The only disappointing parts of my machine are where I deviated from what Gerald told us to do.

I am reading but I am very new to reading blueprints like this. I am kind of jumping around a bit. There are some things I am a bit confused about such as the instructions for 10 10 246 D and 10 10 300 D. I'm trying to picture what he means and I think im right but,...

10 10 246 D:

1: Scribe the 46mm line on the x rails. OK.

2: Determine a hole pattern for the rail, center punch and drill 6.8mm holes through the rails. OK.

3: Clamp the rails to the table weldment 10 10 300 W and do preliminary alignment. So I am to clamp the rails to the x beams and align them with everything. OK.

4: Drill 6.8mm holes through the tables long beams for 10 10 300 D OK.

5: Mark rail locations. OK.

6: Enlarge holes in rails to 12mm. I misread this and thought I had to enlarge the holes for the x beams too. My mistake.

Now, 10 10 300 D:

1: use clamps to clamp the pilot drilled rails to the table. Didnt I do this already?

2: Mark the rail locations on the table. I did this already?

3: Use a gauge rod. OK.

4: align the rails to spec. OK.

5: Yadda yadda for squareness,... OK.

6: Drill pilot holes through table. I thought I did this already?

7: remove rails. OK.

8: drill to 7mm and tap to using m8. OK. FINE.

Am I missing something here? DUP instructions? I am seriously trying to follow his exact instructions. I have a good idea of whats going on and I am able to determine what I would do but its not about what I would do but more or less what its telling me to do. I am a bit confused with these instructions. I am sorry to annoy you but I just need some help with the instructions.

I will ask about doing something differently because thats just how I am. It's very hard on me to go along with someone else's design because I like to design everything myself. Unfortunately I do not have 10000+ dollars to toy around with. I have 10000+ to get a router built but not to play around designing my own. Nor do I have the time.

I am learnign a lot here. And to learn means to ask questions even if they are dumb questions. It is the very reason why a lot of people stop answering my questions. Because there is such a thing a dumb questions. People just get tired of answering them. It's cool.

I just welded for the first time the other day. I was asking a ton of dumb questions over at another forum about it. I get answers like read the manual and such. As if I didnt. People just get annoyed fast. Thats all.

Anyways,... I am not really in my right anyways. I haven't picked up a real tool ina long time and done anything creative in a while. Other than the other day when I welded some. Thats it. I have to get back into my groove again before I can really THINK. I have a lot going on right now. Sorry.

And sometimes I just like to talk.

Yes, there are some duplicate instructions, in the "notes" on the drawings.

The 6.8mm is the tapping drill size for 8mm. When steel is much thicker than the height of a typical M8 nut, you can insrease the drill size without fear of the screw stripping. Last week we tested some holes at 7.5mm and they held up - we ended up drilling 7.2mm and easily running the 8mm tap through with a cordless drill.

The logic behind the duplicate instructions goes like this:

Drawing 10 10 246 D has to tell you everything you need to know for making the holes in part 10 10 246 D, and

Drawing 10 10 300 D has to tell you everything you need to know for making the holes in part 10 10 300,

because it is possible that you could be using two different sub-contractors for parts 10 10 246 and 10 10 300. The bloke making 246 needs to know that he must not make 13mm holes before lending his job to the other guy. The guy doing 300 is going to look for the spacing between the holes - he needs to know that he has to borrow the pilot drilled rails.

The alternative way, is to give hole spacings on both drawings with tolerances of 0.1mm and then watch the price go up 3-fold . . . .

Ok. Well,... I was looking at all this more like steps where step 5 and 6 six are the same or atleast I think they are the same. It's hard when you are only X percent sure of what is going on. Same reason whay I asked about the 25.00043 numbers before. Wasn't sure if that was right not. have to question everything when you just dont know.