Sergio, in the perfect world you have to match the cable and the cable chain exactly . . . . . that is for very high speed and 24 hours a day movement. We can make some compromises. My cables officially need 150mm radius, but my chains are 75mm. I would not exchange the chains. That http://www.parpanelas.gr/index.php?o...d=24&Itemid=34 cable should be fine in 75mm chains.

I wouldn`t use a 150 radius cable chain. You gonna have a BIIIG LOoOP like a rollercoaster on your table which will attract attention to the wrong place.....:D

Thx Claus & Gerald

You saved me from an ugly visit to downtown, which in these days is veeeeryyyy ugly.:D

Happy New Year to Everyone

Back to my MM and i hope this month will bring me close to sawdust.

I've done some wiring in my Control Box, ordered the steel for the table and waiting my motors to arrive so i can start REAL construction.
http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...trolboxnew.jpg

I also had my Bruce Lee Spindle, VFD and Cables arrived during holidays :)
http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...SpindleVFD.jpg

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...len/Cables.jpg

What i haven't figured out yet is RELAYS.
Reading about some setups and furthermore into relay operation as i'am a bit slow concerning electricity, i still couldn't find out if RELAYS is a must for spindle and dust collector according to 230v single phase circuit designed by Gerald or they could be ommited ?
Can someone please explain me the advantage of using them or not and if i must add them to my control box, can someone point me to a specific type from this site http://www.markidis.gr/index.php?cPath=39 ??:o

My spindle is a 2.2kw water cooled and my dust collector is this one http://www.emboridis.gr/bostondc300l...ml?language=en

Sergio

......forgot to add one more question :o

Concerning my isolator (main switch) http://www.noratex.gr/newpdfgr/pg40-44.pdf

is the LB225:31309 with 25A enough ???

You do not need a relay for a spindle - a BoB can usually switch the small current signal for the VFD.

But, for a dust collector, you will need a heavy duty "relay", or a "contactor" (something like this) but I don't enough about your Bob and your dust collector

The LB225:31309 with 25A is enough.

Hi Gerald !!

The contactor you linked is allready in my control box.
Did you mean that i should buy a 2nd one for my dust collector or just one is ok ?

A second one for the dust collector. The first one is for your emergency stop.

Sergio,

with such a big BoB, you might want to add consider make full us of all 6 attachments on the board instead of just the 4 corners.

apart from that yoy are doing a very nice job!
Ries

Thanks Ries

I'm really doing my best cause i was always absent on electricity class on school :o

Just imagine that i read 5 times before i make one connection :D

Ground Flat Stock Needed
 

Hello again.

Table welding going good so far (i'll post pictures when ready) !!

My big problem is that i cannot find any ground flat stock here in Greece.
I have only found A2 plates but their not grounded to precision and the quality is really poor.
I've contacted 2 sites so far for buying my stock from the US or UK but none is shipping items to Greece.
Is there anyone who can send me a piece of ground flat stock 100x500x6 mm
in Greece ???
All expenses will be covered through PayPal.

Thanks

Sergio,

I'll help if I can. Let me know the specific product you wish to have purchased and sent to you. Also, I would want you to do the research for the cost of shipping from me to you. There is also a cost to me to receive funds from PAYPAL. For international currency, its a bit more.

Let me know if you want me to help.

Sergio, some of our steel comes from Uddeholm, who have these representatives in Greece:

STASSINOPOULOS-UDDEHOLM STEEL TRADING S.A.
20, Athinon Street
GR-Piraeus 18540

Telephone: +30 210 417 21 09
Telefax: +30 210 417 27 67
[email protected]
www.uddeholm.gr/


SKLERO S.A.
Heat Treatment and Trading of Steel
Uddeholm Tool Steels
Industrial Area of Thessaloniki
P.O. Box 1123
GR-57022 Sindos, Thessaloniki

Telephone: +30 2310 79 76 46
Telefax: +30 2310 79 76 78
[email protected]
www.sklero.gr/

Gerald
I allready contacted Uddeholm and Mr.Stasinopoulos
and what they gave me was a piece of Sleipner (230 Brinell) rusted with
rough cuts on ends.
They told me also that they have stopped importing ground flat stock because there's no demand.
What can you expect in a NON Industrialized country.:(

Sergio,

I don't have a solution for you but importing... I also life in a non Industrialized country where making anything is more of a challenge...
We had to go for some other material aswell, I don't know exactly what it is but Jairo (father in law) told me it a hardened piece of stainless steel (I broke a bit on it during drilling :) )

It wasn't perfectly flat, but all we could get our hands on without importing.

Good luck with the search, that took for me up quite some time during my build.

Ries

Sergio, rough cuts on the ends are normal for these plates - only the 100mm and 6mm dimensions are ground and controlled. Unless the rust is very, very bad, I would use the Sleipner.

Gerald

I would be happy if the plate was 100x6mm but it's not.
it varies from 100 to 102 and the rust has made some holes (deep spots actually) allready in the plate.
I searched for someone who could grind that plate for me in the exact dimensions but only mould makers have these tools and they don't stop their production for nothing.
Do you think i could do the job with stainless steel ?

I am not a fan of stainless steels for rail surfaces. Some are quite soft, others like sticking (galling) to the rollers. It would be safer to use mild steel if you don't know how hard the stainless steel is.

Ground Plate
 

Sergio

I found this http://www.ground-flat-stock.co.uk/products.html If they have problems shipping it to you get it sent to me and I will forward it on. I no experience of working with this company but they seem well established.

Regards

@Gerald,
That's good to know (I assume it was a response to my entry) and that is something to think about when 'things happen', unfortunately I was running out of options with my plate. This stainless still (inoxidable they called it here) was quite hard, I broke at least a bit (although a small on) and on the drillpress I did notice the difference but when this plate and the rest of our drilling.

Ries

Maybe here?

David (CNCbasher) is into exporting steel: MechMate Laser Kit Parts in the UK

Gerald
Thank you so much (again) !
How did i miss that ??:o:o
It seems that the solution is hiding within this forum for every problem
you may have during construction, you just have to DIG.

Sergio

Motors won't turn
 

Hello again
Finished the rails (phew):D and now i'm proceeding with the gantry.
Ordered my ground flat stock from David (cncbasher) thx Gerald !!!:D and....
...... received my motors from OM. (PK296AE-SG7.2)

But the good things ended when i tried to set up my kitchen table :(

I read the whole forum, contacted Steve from PMDX (waiting for his reply) and switched so many things without the motors to even blink.
I keep joging with the arrow keys on mach3 screen but no light on step & direction leds on my PMDX.
My BOB is the PMDX-125 (flame on).

Anyway,
I have attached some photo's from my mach3 setup and the wiring of my BOB-Geckos-Motors.
Any help welcomed :o



http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...iringTest1.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...iagnostics.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...putSignals.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...torOutputs.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...putSignals.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...-PortSetup.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...figuration.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/Settings.png

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a.../SlaveAxis.png

And here's also my .xml file from mach3.
Attachment 8255

Regards
Sergio

Sergio, it's a little tough to tell with the fuzzy picture, but it looks to me like J1 through J4 all have the "Common" from the G203V wired to "PC+5V". The G203V manual states that "Common" should wire to Ground, so "PCGND" would be correct.

This would make your control signals reverse voltage, and you'd get no motion. Doublecheck me before you make changes.

Hi Sergio, please also try change port n pins, Motor outputs to this. 9-8, 7-6, 5-4, 3-2.
As far as I remember it is not like stated in the manual. I will check when i get back to the mm and make a print. Have a nice weekend.

Brad you were right !
I did change the wiring from PC+5V to PCgnd and did achieve movement with
the boards TEST functions.
However when i tried to control it from mach3 i still couldn't move the motors an inch.
It's so confusing.

Claus
I did tried and altered the pin orientation like you said but still nothing.

Hi Sergio, maybe you could try different printrer port cable or check if all the pins have continuity with a meter.

I don't use mach3, but I note that on the screens above, you have the motors configured against port #0 ("step port" and "dir port" at the right side of the "ports and pins" screen, "motor outputs" tab. I would have expected it to be port #1, since that's the once you have enabled at 0x378.

Brad
Correct again :) THANKS :D
I feel so dumb :o:o:o
It was like i was sending signals to outerspace :D

We got movement !!!!!:D:D:D:D:D
Thanks to all the guys helping me out.

Off to metal work again.

Glad to hear it, and I'm gonna have a beer. Keep cranking, you'll be cutting before you know it.

Well done Brad! (and Sergio) :D

I'm Back

After a long break in which my wife and i were informed that 2 (TWO) :eek:
members more are going to join this family (we have allready 1 daughter) in 6 months, i started to think of adding a bed under the MM :D.

Well i finally welded the table and turned it over !!

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a...elen/Table.jpg

Sorry for the bad image quality but i just can't find my camera battery charger so i used my phone :o

And here is the possible problem

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/a.../tablefoot.jpg

As we turned the table over i noticed that it's not so stable as i thought it would be.
When i punch it with medium force the table is rocking a bit (2-3 times) by 5mm or so and then it stops.
The rubber feet that i've attached they seem to have LOTS of rubber on them.
Gerald
Should i leave it like this :confused: should i change feet :confused: or should i cut the rubber in half to reduce (eliminate) the rocking ??

Sergio

Sergio

Congrats on the forthcoming additions to the family.

Once the machine starts moving, there are a lot of lateral forces and if the machine can be moved now just by pushing with your hands you may have a problem later. I suggest getting a much stiffer rubber foot, one that is designed to handle the weight of the machine. Those look more like isolation mountings of the type one would use to mount a motor or marine engine. Try one of the engineering machine suppliers for special mounting feet.

Thanks Alan

Yeah i thought that even i trim the rubber they would still not be the type of feet that could do the job i need them to do.

I'll start searching :D

Sergio

Nice progress with your Family and with the MM, too.:)

Congrats to your family new member!

You are progressing well. Keep it up!

Change to solid feet... Mine didn't move a bit.

Oh well, you DID get some time together! Congratulations!

I have some experience of soft feet on a MM and it wasn't a problem if the whole machine rocked as a solid unit. I would suggest that you leave those feet alone for now.

(My son had his MM directly above my office on the next floor (concrete) and the stepper noises were loud. Then we added soft feet to eliminate the noise and there was no difference in cut quality)

LOL :D:D:D Gerald

Well, captains consider to be very strange mammals.
We usually breed on winter time and spent half the year away from family obligations.
The rest of the time they found themselves amused working on things that they don't grow at sea and with machines that can cover up the female screams.
When both fails they seem to be hiding in Acropolis Bar or Lido Bar located somewhere in the streets of Durban.:D:D:D

Sergio

That is a very solid looking build, so nicely done. Once again thanks for the tip on the spindle bracket, it makes it so much easier if someone can identify an issue before you come across it yourself.

I'm a big fan of vibration isolation to reduce unnecessary noise so now you have me thinking about that as well.

Congratulations on your family news, another chance to pass on those multi talented genes - The world can use plenty more captains and CNC machine builders.

Regards
Ross