Thanks JR !
Here’s other views of it !

Attachment 7430

Attachment 7431

Amicalement, Robert ;)

What if the motor mount \ spring holder was completely flat and without the fancy taper, and we cut a slot in the spider then feed it through and weld it in place??? Now that would be :cool:. Think how easy that would be to align. Of coarse, we will need to check for any fouls.

Hi Rob,

I wrote is already once but my message got lost somehow.
I like the...absolutely clean work you did and also the new feature for the tension Spring.
Admireable is the courage for trying a new approach.

Of course time will tell if the new part will be reliable under full working condition as with any Prototype. Who knows maybe it will bend sideways and we can go back to the good old construction? But the "Give it a try" is the way to go and to have personal challenge and confidence.

Respect
Claus

Laser part
 

That part looks great, but it is going to cost alot more to make it as it will take up more room on the nest.

So if the original cost $3.00 what will this one cost ......?... $8.00, now subtract the cost of the other spring holder - $2.00 .... I think it will be worth $6.00. Sure will line up good :)

Cost
 

Dont get me wrong it is a nice design and it looks great, But I would probably add another $20.00 to $30.00 to make it. It will add alittle more to the nest and it will add two breaks that can not be formed using a standard cnc back gauge , It will need to be laid out by hand and then formed on the lines by eye 14 times , Not a big jump in price , The part that is used now to hold the spring and the motor mount are about $1.60 for both. But as I said before it is a great looking build

Leo please check out post #82. If it will work this way then it wouldn't have any breaks.

keyed
 

Yes , I did not see that before. Yes you could add some tabs to the motor mount for alignment. I would have to take a closer look , but that would be a breeze to do.

Robert
 

Robert how much tension do you have on that spring? The distance it is stretched and the angle that it is at ,it looks like it might not have enough tension on it to keep the motor pulled up tight enough. Or it may just be a lot stronger spring than I am using.

Copied from another thread:

. . . . . I took a look at my machine and realized the "motor mount/spring holder" will not work flat because it will foul the router, therefore I agree with Gerald and Leo, it is too complicated for the improvement it makes. . . . . . .

A simple (no-cost) change to 10 30 455 (with matching change to 10 30 422) can give exactly the same result as the modification contemplated above.

Hi Robert,
Congratulation on your build, have been reading your tread from the first post.

I have a question about the dust foot collector, first have you done it yet, I have seen that you also posted in the dust collection tread by Gerald D and my question is: Where can we find the flexible PVC brush.

Gerald mention that it is available at Mcmaster but the problem is that they don't take any new orders from us Canadian only old customers.

Félicitation pour ton travail de Shawinigan, j’ai presque complété ma table avec un indexeur, ce n’est pas un MM, mais beaucoup d’idée découle de la MM

Hi Mars….
Thanks for the complement, appreciate
Have not gotten mine YET…. But will get it from McMasterCarr. I may be able, MAYBE, to help you if you’re not in a rush… I’ll PM on this !
Amicalement, Robert ;)

Thank You. Robert, It beautiful

Hi all….
My deepest & very warmest holydays seasons greeting to this great bunch…more like a 2nd family !
December was a very busy month for me, not much progress, but have schedule some time to get more going on for my beast during this little break !
Let me tel ya, I’ve been off before on scheduling & time estimate on project…but never as much as this one….
What can I say…will not sacrifice on what I’ve dearly learn here for my build to the detriment of speeding up to the final line….nop…not me !
So, it will take the time needed to accomplish the way I see it !

Thanks all for your great support & tips, hoping I’m also continuing & giving some back !
2009 was a good year, but 2010 look very interesting for me, many thing will come to life FINALY !
Hoping 2010 will good to others too….
Amicalement, Robert ;)

Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Can`t wait to see some new pics of your build...good luck:)

Claudiu

Gerald
MechMate 2010 modification Drawing ?

Tufanca,
All the latest drawings are in the download section. :)

domino11
:)
thanks

My little adventure in Spindle On / Off mode !!
 

It’s a shame ( mostly for me) since it appease I’m getting a hard time to get…either understand in some of my questions and/ or answers..…:(

In regards seeking for help and my questions in this thread, I finally found the answers / solution.
BUT…anyONE… anyone who runs a Mach3 could have just answer
either:
my question “ B “ in post #9 or post # 14 By something similar to =>

[I]It should go on & off if you click the “ spindle CW F5” button on the Spindle speed column found in “Program Run” screen…. and/or the “ MDI “ Screen and/or the “ Spindle toggle” button found in the Diagnostics screen….
IF NOT…. Most likely you have a mistake in your Mach set up since you already confirming it triggers when you click on “active low / active high in “Port’s & Pins” under “Output Signals”…..[/I]

but no… no one did answer….what now appears to me quite simple ( bias opinion :D) ... it’ was a pita for me !

SOLUTION : MY MISTAKE was I did not reverse the output numbers of which we should ALL correct in the “relay Control” box in the “Spindle setup” out of the Ports & pins.
De-selecting the “ disable spindle relay” ins’t enough…. PORTS & PINS GUYS…I forgot to change those too ….:o
By “reverse”, I mean => By default there at :output # 2 for M3 and Output #1 for M4….
Change this to M3 output # = 1
and also, M4 output # = 1. This will work just fine, from my test anyway !


Simple fix I got from an “Eureka moment” as Art calls them….. after spending nearly 2days reading those install guides, many threads & post over here and some other forums….

On well…hope this adventure can serve other now !!?
Amicalement, Robert ;)

-Geckos trimpot ?
 

I’m hoping / surching for some advice and recommendation on the Gecko adjustment!
What are the motor tunung config valus some of you guys used when adjusting the trimpot ?

I’m assuming I must do it wrong, cause when I try at various slow revolution, on my set up ( V203 & MotionKing 9802), there is no “null noted in motor’s vibration” noticeable changes !?!
Thanks in advance, Robert ;)

Robert,

When adjusting the "trim pot", you are looking for the "smoothest" rotation of the motor at slow speed. Rotate the trim pot back and forth through "center" with the motor turning at slow speed and listen to the motor "noise". Select the setting at which the motor is making the least noise. As you move the trim pot away from this least noisy position, it will begin to "vibrate" (make more noise).

Does this help?

Finally....some progress.... ;o)
 

Well…where to start ???
Lots has been going on since last “hope to finish” my beast, that was initially for end of October, then was hoping for X-mas…. Know, …. Simply soon !!

Between working hard to bring back up the bank, finding time to finally putting my hands on a future workshop building and getting things simply rolling, not as easy as some would imagine ….

Anyway, here are some pics of my progress….. since last post w/pics ( a while back that is )

After getting the basic part PRE-assemble in order to paint it, decided to get it powder-coated.
MAN, let me tell ya, this is not just nice quality, but if I put a very modest net, net value of 25$ /hr of my time, if I would have done it all myself, it would have cost me the same to a few hundred more ( a say a few hundred more as in my case, a lots of unpredictable hidden corners would of surly required more pre-paint time and slower painting application time...) So, all in all, I got it sub out to this powder coating shop allowing me to make money on what I’m more adequately better at….making woodworking furniture that is vs painting metal. ;0)

Receiving my beast from the powder coat ….it really loaded my mini-van ;0)

Attachment 9011

After having all these parts literally sitting around for mounts crying for me to assemble them, well…finally decided to get thing going on AGAIN :o

Attachment 9008

Basics table base assembled. ( yep…that right, directly in my personnel basement family room ( was )…in meantime till I finalized the new building takeover, renovations….and all other time delay that can come up.
This is why I made my version a “bolt on”, I initially knew it was going to be assemble in a tempo location !

So…

Attachment 9009

Know we have the base table assemble, true, squared and leveled with a nice rotary laser, borrowed from my neighbor, who turns out to be a contractor…. ;0)

Attachment 9010

More to come soon…. got to go to work :o

Thanks, later. Amicalement Robert ;)

As always...Robert the NEAT one. :) Looking good.

Robert, Are you building your MM in the TV Room? I am so jealous. How did you get the wife and family to go for that one? :)

You must either be single or have one of the coolest wifes in the world. Not only is your MM inside but its on the Hardwood floors. You have something better than gold.

Well guys…..
Like mentioned earlier, this is only a temporarily set up location for getting the BEAST “rolling” and me to be more on par with CNC machining as I know “didly-skwatt “ on this + it’s only for a few months…till the new shop location get all the permits & some basics room prep/renovations done !

But, ya…. She may not be the coolest, ( like most woman, they have two sides :eek: ) but very passive, comprehensive and patient :cool:.
It’s all in the name of a better future…. As we had our share of dark days in our 20ys+ together :rolleyes:

Had a little twist in the gantry, but thanks to GERALD solution, un-twisting it work out like a real charm.

From a +/- 3 mm of one corner sitting higher ( in the bellow pic, the ruler is flat on the main beam, it’s the sunlight reflection creating an optical illusion that it seem to be tipped, but no ! )

Attachment 9034

I took nearly 55mm of height compensation to bring it to a “perfect” flat ! ( look at the far left corner of the gantry vs the closest part sitting on a 55mm white Oak beam

Attachment 9035

In compression mode :

Attachment 9036

Nice, tue & flat :

Attachment 9037

Now, attacking the rail installation & calibration

Attachment 9038

….later as it is early moring hrs and need some rest ! !;0)

Later, Robert

Looking good Robert!

So to did you actually twist the gantry with the clamps to straighten it out to ride flat on the table? Using this block and clamp method?

I notice the day light is gone in the last pic there... :)

Hi, Rob.
Nice to see some progress on your build! I`m happy to see u back in action!!!:)

What moor to say…. The following pics speak for them self !

When I first saw this “fishing string” rail calibration (can’t really remember if it was initially done by Greg or Doug) , I said to myself got to use this… and It works like a charm !

Attachment 9077

On one end, needed to be “pushed in”

Attachment 9078

In mid length, needed to be “pull-out”

Attachment 9079

Leveling those was not too bad either…. :rolleyes:

Well , now is the “fishing” of these wires !

Attachment 9080

Hope editing this helps & guides some ?
More to come & follow up soon.....
Enjoy, amicalement Robert ;)

Great work here. Good job. I read that your looking to build a future witht eh machine too? My goals as well. very inspiring.

Robert;

I would like to know the dimensions of your indexer well if you would share. You have done a great job and I would like my build to be very similar. Also, what will you be using as an indexer.

Thanks

What is an indexer for?

Charles;

Take a look at this thread
http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2175

Interesting. But not for me. Not right now atleast. What I really need is to be able to thread the inside of tubes. Mostly acrylic tubes. The deep porting of the table used for the indexer is appealing to me because I see tubes being mounted in there vertical in some fashion so that the inside of the tubes can be thread milled down about an inch. Maybe my next machine. But not my first.

No big secret her Dakmonf !!
Although, I must advise you that in my planning, the indexer & lath part is a few steps down the list, say for beginning 2011 :o
It is conceived to accept a radius of 18” by 96” in length. Center axis is at table top level, with my Z height at 9.9”.
The “indexer” valley will have a few usage. Indexer, lathe, vertical jig & parts holder….etc .
As a small custom hi-end furniture maker, I had to have it very versatile, multi-task type.
With all this said, the cutting area is 43” x 97”.
Hope this helps!


Now, herewith as some more progress…..
Had some interesting “moments” fishing all these wirers!

Z- motor XLR connection.

Attachment 9122

Attachment 9123

Attachment 9124


My “y-Car” PB-station as only the E-stop, another independent switch for the router , a 2way jack outlet of the Z-zero plate to be and last, the XLR connector !

Attachment 9125

Inside the Y-car, I installed a small junction box for a regular outlet for on top of the Y-car to connect the router, which as the in line switch at the Y-car PB-station + the Z-slide motor XLR connector !

Attachment 9126

Attachment 9127

Attachment 9128


Lots of work done, lots more to come…but this is great, a real treat :D
Later, amicalement, Robert ;)

Btw Gerald, I find this new title amusing…..
This next pic shows where will soon be my beast official working roof !!

Attachment 9129

Hey robert so,... i guess mounting acrylic tubes vertically in that "valley" is very possible then right? Im talking about something like 9" acrylic tubes. Mounted vertically so that the inside of each end can be thread milled. The mounting syetem would have to be precise so that the machine knows where each tube is. I need to be able to do this.

Maybe not right now but maybe for my next machine. I need a work horse for cutting flat stock right now. Thats a nice workshop you have there too. I hope that soon after I get started making money with my machine that I will be able to open a place like that to upgrade my services.

I see that you are using direct-drive motors, with big pinion gears; that is most unusual and I think you will be disappointed with the performance . . . it will be like trying to drive a car in top gear all the time.

(I didn't change your thread title - a couple of other people can also do that)

Gerald, don’t get me wrong, I actually like & find amusing this “Cozy” tittle !
As for pinions, not to worry, I do not expect a lot from this test.
I understand very much using a bigger pinon (35T) is not made for good resolution. I also have a few others down to 20T.
When time comes, I’ll start making with the beast some 4:1 transmission with a 20 or 25t final pinion. For now, it is just for “rolling” test and see what it will gives as an end result / cut…. Kinda for myself curiosity and knowlage in practice vs only mathematical theory !
Thanks for the consern, Robert ;)

Absolutely loving your build Robert, very neat, tidy and proffessional looking. Keep up the good work and keep those photos coming!!

Cheers
Tony.