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Darn, the caps were going to be so easy - my neighbour is a CNC embroiderer and he owes me lots of favours. :)
Paco, I am trying to get a costing together that will make sense to someone outside of Cape Town. This actually means coming up with a shopping list that can be used in America. But I have to figure out if you guys buy screws and springs at the Home Depot, or at MacMaster Carr - that makes a huge difference on costing! |
Gerald why not get everyone to contribute (keeps all the work off you). Maybe start a subject named Materials, under that have a thread named bolts. Example: Everyone cas see I'm from NC USA I buy my bolts from Agri Supply in Garner, NC, I pay around $1.70 per pound for any size bolt, nut, washer, in SAE or Metric.
Would something like this work? The first post could be a list of all bolts for a certain size machine, even if it's not the size I'm building it is easy to adjust. |
J.R.,
That is one reason I created the spreadsheet. I figured that if everyone used it or something similar, we could all just post our updated versions periodically and all the purchasing alternatives are easily illustrated. People could cut and paste parts and suppliers and very quickly create their own "purchase orders". Questions about cost would take care of themselves. Just my thoughts. Regards, Marc |
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Marc, I have never done this kind of controls either. It is do-able, but its not "step-by-step". I also don't think it can be a "step-by-step" process, since every table is different. Everyone has different requirements, cost constraints, capibilities, etc. The help from this forum is exceptional and if there is anything I can do to help, just ask. I think we are around the same point for the control box. As for my schematics, I update with Gerald's corrections soon. Even with his corrections, I still have a thousand questions. Good luck and most importantly, have fun. Greg P.S. - My vote is for hats and coffee mugs. Not the travel kind, I'm a traditionalist when it comes to coffee, just the good ole ceramic coffee cup. |
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Hi Gerald,
This is great info. I am still undecided about the size, should it be "squeezed" or normal size. Regarding my decision, if machine is regular size (4x8), how much of the room around machine you really need? My intention is to build it and use it in my single car garage which doesn't have to much of the width. How much of room around the machine you really need for normal operation and maintaining of Mechmate? Beside that, I would like to express all compliments to Superior Bearing company. Quality of the product, way of communication really correspond to the their name - superior. This is my experience with them. Milosh Quote:
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In the Y-direction (your 4'), the back of the y motors are 350 to 400mm [14 to 16"] outside the edges of the 4' wide board. ie across motors with gearboxes that is 48" + 16" + 16" = 80" at the widest points.
In the X-direction you just take the length of the main beams - the gantry does not run beyond that. Now it depends how much you are willing to suck in your gut to squeeze past the gantry ends....:) |
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Milosh |
i just found this site and so far i think that this is the best over all so far. as for a table size i will be using a max of 48 inches and 48 inches the max z height that i would need is 3/4 inches but of course i will be using a bigger z axis just in case i want to do something other than the project i am working on now.
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Printing out the drawings
Hi All,
I had a post on the forum before which suggested printing out two sets of drawings, but can't find it now. It went something like this: Print two sets of drawings . . . . . Set 1: Sorted by drawing number, bound and filed as the reference file. This file collects all the notes, prices, phone numbers, and this set never leaves your office. It is the clean set. Set 2: Sorted by process code first, and then by number. ie. All the welding drawings will be together in a batch, all the drilling drawings will form a set, etc. You will probably scan the batch of drilling drawings and decide if your drill is big enough, or scan all the W (welding) drawings and decide if you want to get help with that. All the T(turning) drawings would probably go to a machinist. These drawings go to the shop - this is the dirty set. And then, when the parts come back, you refer to Set 1 to see where the parts fit in the bigger scheme of things. Can anyone remember this post and which thread it was on? |
Big spindels and Other-Cams
Evening Gerald,
Wow, what a labour of love you have going here. Im not sure if I should be starting a new thread with these questions so am just tacking it on here. I was doing a bit of research into the 600k-+ machines when out the net you pop and put a new spin on what is possible. I want to cut aluminium, 3mm to 12mm, on a 6m table, so have been advised that I should be running a 11Hp 4pole spindle. Is it possible to upgrade your Mech Mate to drive a beast of this size,also, with your rack and pinion being straight cut and having seen a helical cut rack on an American made model which to my mind should give you a better opperating system due to the number of teeth in contact with the rack at all times, would you at some time look at this as a modification, or do you see problems in regards to the variations in build quality that could cause uneven tracking due to slight diferences in measurements between the track and rack. In awe of this site Nigel PS is there a GA of the whole layout some where |
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MDF in SA varies from 1830 and 1860mm in width and 2750mm in length |
...and because I built a 5 x 10 table, I used 275' of cable.
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Sean,
When you did your 5x10 how did you do the spoilboard and support board. Did you get stock in one piece or did you have to make it up out of 4x8s? I was wondering this because I cant get anything larger than 4x8s. Heath. |
I am able to find 5x10 and 5x12 MDF easily here in the states.
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Heath,
You MUST search where else than those renovation centers. Call on some woodworking lumber/sheet goods yard/distributor, they have 4x10, 5x10 and 5x12 in MDF, PressWood, Plywood to name a few. I’m not acquainted with distributors and their channels for your Cornwall region? Sorry !! Maybe try Robert Burry, Commonwealth Plywood, Weyerhaeuser, Goodfellow, Dragon Ply…to name a few of hand. I know they cover Ontario and other many other provinces, just not sure if they cover Cornwall ?? Good luck & let me know if I can be further assistance, I’ll look it up for you if you find nothing!! Amicalement, Robert ;) |
Robert,
Thanks, I have not tried looking outside for larger sheets, but it seems that all the local distributors, yards and stores only stock 4x8 sheets. I might see if they could order in larger sheets. Would have to be a large order though. :) Heath. |
Robert,
Another option is contact a local sign supplier that does sign work. You may find that they order in, and keep in stock for internal use, large oversized sheet goods. Most folks are helpful and will sell you a 1 off sheet for your use. I know this is the case with a few of the sign suppliers in florida. When I get in a bind for MDF, I call in a favor or two! Good luck. Sean |
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archie =) =) =) |
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Happy Hunting archie =) =) =) |
http://www.norbord.com/MDF_PS_Thickness.htm
MDF in sizes up to 5' x 18' pre-cut studs are 92 5/8 with 2 top plates and one bottom for an 8' wall (actually 8' 1-1/8" tall) |
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Typical Argentina Sizes (mm):
MDF: 2600x1830 Melamine: 3050x1080 Chipboard: 2820x1830 and 2750x1830 (Aglomerado) Fenolic Plywood: 2440x1220 (Multilaminados Fenolicos) Ureic Plywood: 2200x1600 (Multilaminados Ureicos) Source: http://www.sacheco.com.ar The prices in this site are in pesos, today exchange rate: 3 pesos=1 USD Pablo |
How much 'extra' width needs to be added to do 2 heads instead of one and be
able to cut the entire desired width? I am in the US, and would like to be able to cut 49 or 50" wide material, but to get both heads to cover the entire width. Thanks, Jack |
I'll take a quick crack at that; someone will correct me if I mess up.
Two heads mounted in the same car, or two cars? For two cars, add the entirety of the car width, so about 17.5". If you plan to mount two spiders in the same car, then it depends on how you mount them; you need to add the distance between the centers of the spindles/routers, plus the diameters of the largest cutters you will have in simultaneous use. As a working approximation, the centers will be 7-10" apart, plus two 1/2" cutters, and you've got between 8" and 11" of extra needed. But don't take my word for it, spend some time with the drawings until the visualization pops into your head. It'll be well worth it when you're doing the build. |
Brad, you got it about right (except for adding cutter allowances - they are there already).
Two gantries on one table (add about 850mm to table length -), each with two y-cars (add 450mm to gantry length/table width), each with two z-slides (add about 240mm to table length) will give you 8 tools on the same table! :D . . . but you may end up with 24 motors/geckos :( The z-slide was designed so that 2 of them will go into the Y-car, back-to-back. If going that route, you will have the following challenges: - dust hose route - maybe a second motor on the back of the y-car for heavy duty cutting on the "back" z-axis, which raises its own challenge: - rerouting the y- cable chain, or getting the cable chain to wrap around the second y-motor. |
Doesn't two z-slides add to gantry length/table width, not table length?
Wouldn't 8 tools be 2 (x1) + 2 (x2) + 4(y1,y2,y3,y4) + 8(z1,...z8) = 16 motors (20 if you double up on the Y cars)? Heck, that's only four or five G540s ;) Or is this an indication that you're dreaming up a mobile hexapod mounted on six articulated legs?:D |
Brad,
I think Gerald meant if you had two gantries, you would have to add to the table length so that one gantry can be out of the way so the first gantry can access all of the cutting area. Two Y cars would have to add to table width (or Y axis) so that both Y cars would be able to access all of the cutting area as well. So if you have two gantries each with two y cars, then you would have to allow extra width (y axis) and length (x axis) to allow all the cutting tools access to all of the cutting area. Did I get it right Gerald? This sounds like an interesting machine. I guess you would not have to change tools very often. Dust collection would be a nightmare though. :eek: |
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Brad, your arithmetic is better than mine . . . yup, not too many motors :)
That's right Heath, every extra tool needs more rail length to get the other tools out of the way. |
Thanks for the picture, I missed a 90 degree turn in my visualization of where the twin Z axis go.
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MechMate Mini?
Gerald,
I was wondering if you went anywhere with this further than just contemplating. A 50" wide (to accommodate US MDF) cutting area gantry that could be used on a 'small' table could be very interesting. I assume the Gantry and Z would be the same, or were you contemplating come modifications there? Quote:
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I've built the parts, but must still get around to the installation. The gantry and all the moving parts are standard. The short table will be entirely wall-mounted and extend partly over the hood of my parked car in my home garage.
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Table Size
Hello all, I am at the planning stage of building a MM for plywood and solid surface cutting. I'm a bit confused about what lengths to apply to the X and Y dimensions in the plans. Here in the US, 4x8 up to 4x12 is the standard size for plywood, and solid surface comes in 30"x12' sizes. I would like to size the Y to be able to handle 5'. Does this mean I use 68" for the Y measurement and 144" for the X measurement in the drawings? For example, in drawing 10 10 240 (steel x-rail) the measurement is X + 8.1" between stop blocks. If I use 144" for the X variable, will this allow me to make a full 12' cut? Or should I oversize the X variable (as well as the Y variable)?
Steve E. (aka newbie) |
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Hello!
My name is svein (some call me mr seven) and live in Norway. Sorry my English is not good. Thanks for this router forum and part list! Geral D I work with CNC machines and produces tools. I will build a machine-y-2550 and x-4050. I want to build an extreme machine that will be heavy and very nice! But there is one thing that I can`t, and it is all that electronic. I like servo motors, but look in here that stepper works fine. I want an exact machine as possible, Mash3 compensate for the back slash? Hwat can I do to get all the right electric equipment. Is there anyone here that has a shopping list??? And electrical building map for beginners??? :) I would like to have the ability to plug in one more motor on the y axis if I need it one day. Have some answers to my questions????? Regards from one that can`t noting with the electronics! Thank you! |
Svein,
Your English is fine. You have more experience than most of us. I never worked with a CNC machine before I built mine. I had help with some one local but there are many that have had no experience with steel, electronics or software and they have built a machine and it works. There will be others that can help you with the electronics. Gerald's design takes care of backlash so you do not have to do anything in Mach to compensate. One of the first things that is suggested to some one just starting out is to download the plans and print them off and put them a large notebook so you can refer back to them as you learn and prepare for your build. Go through the threads of people that have finished building their machine. You will learn a lot by reading those threads. Start with Gerald's build thread. Look at the Kitchen table project. You can learn a lot there also. Good luck with your build. Ask questions when you got them. |
Welcome Svein:) Hope you find all you need here and have a great build.
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