PS - What is an inch again? :)

3 potatoes or 5 eastern brown snakes in the dark. ;)

Chris

Fixed or not?

Ross

Hey Ross,

I've not had a chance to try it yet, but I will tomorrow. I've put in the bigger resistors though and my motors are getting really hot. I can touch them but not for long before it is too hot. I'm using the PK296 b2a SG 7.2.

Cheers Chris

Ross

Chris, sounds like your motors are too hot... whatever motor you are using, the hottest/warmest the motor should go is "uncomfortably hot to hold but without fear of burning hands".

If your multimeter can read temperature, use it. You can tape the Type J lead straight to the motor to take the reading.

Emissivity with a laser thermometer or IR thermometer will cause inaccurate high or low readings if the setting in your device in not correct.

Some peoples hands are more calloused than others so they can take higher temperatures. So a palm test is not a very accurate testing method. Hot metal surface contact is about 10°F(5°C) as compared to liquid to start contact burns. Liquid is 120°F(49°C) But if it is 185°F (85°C) you will be burned without much trouble. We have over 20 furnaces that use 185°F(85°C) water to heat metal canisters to melt a byproduct. Each system has it own heater with type j thermometer. A simple contact with the forearm to these canisters will burn you on contact.

I'm right then, 85C & you get burnt & too hot a motor. Some how, very few here have temperature measuring equipment handy... I do have a IR thermometer, inaccurate measurement is way better than no measurement...

I would agree. You can get an inexpensive IR. The more expense ones allow you to set the emissivity. In a pinch, you can take a meat probe (Instant Read Pocket Thermometer) for meat and tape it to the motor at the hottest point of touch. Will be within 2% accuracy. This is an easy thing that everyone should check periodically.

I think he motor is ok. It gets hot when I run a facing program, but I can still hold it for about 5 seconds.

Anyhoo, I've been cutting like a madman. Haven't had a chance to post anything I've been sos swamped. Here are some panels I made. It's a mathematically driven pattern that I baked across 4x 4'x8' MDF panels, then routed a rounded edge to catch the light nicely. I painted them pearl metallic. They look great.

I've been trying to square the machine using the method on the X square to Y page. It's pretty good now but getting that last 1.5mm square across a 4'x10' area sure is a challenge. Any tips to make it go quicker? I've gone through a few squaring sheets. Does it make a difference using the extremely thin shims as I do have some of those? Is there another way to check the squareness without cutting 2 sheets?

Anyhoo, cutting has been fun and looking great! Spindle rocks!

Thanks for the support!
Chris.
http://s29.postimg.org/lahcbnn7b/IMG_1424_JPG.jpg

http://s29.postimg.org/7fegfg3ef/IMG_2411.jpg


how to take screenshots

That looks wicked cool, Chris!!
Care to elaborate on the mathematically driven pattern??
I'm intrigued.

Thank you Darren.

It's a mesh triangulation algorithm driven by a pseudo-random point spread across a rectangle. Each seed point is the center of a cell. The spread can be as random as one wants, but the algorithm will always generate and even out the cells in such a way as to look connective to one another. I simply offset each cell with a radius at the corners to give it negative space to cut. Then fillet radius on the edges.

The great thing is, the structure is parametric, so once the programming is finished, I can change the density, randomness, size, fillet radius, and offset border size of the pattern by adjusting those variables in real time.

The algorithm is called Voronoi, named after Georgy Feodosevich Voronoy, a Ukrainian Mathematician who studied at Saint Petersburg University, who interestingly was a student of Andrey Markov.

Well I hope I am not the only that has no idea what you were just explaining. Way over my head. But the end product is very cool!

its look very nice. the rounded edges and paint made it look very well finished. By the way I'm using the same Voronoi algorithm to produce custom stippler portraits with good success, it's is a big hit at my art gallery.

Alright where do you find this algorithm? and how do you use it? I'd like to play...

Tom, I'm using it the old way with a command line but there are new frontends that make it easy. Take a look at the link: http://www.evilmadscientist.com/2012...in-processing/

Thanks Paulo, I'll take a good look at it when I've got a break, thanks again.

Hey,

Anothor project i designed and fabricated on the mechmate. Had a bit of a scare over the past few days. My power supply must have spiked or something taking out my ESS. Lukily had a spare chinese breakout board that I bought for $12 off ebay, saved the day.

All cutting well again. Smoothstepper support, simply outstanding! Greg called me on a Sat and Sun night to help sort it all out and helped me to hook up the other board. What an amazing company, Warp9td. New Board coming tomorrow.

Cheers
Chris

This is Sean, one of my guys.
http://s29.postimg.org/svj7uqz13/147...45785171_n.jpg

http://s29.postimg.org/aeot3xj2v/150...78971345_n.jpg


screenshot software

Wow!! Cool stuff!

Looks like something you'd see on a tv game show or tech type tv program

Thanks, it is going to be a news background.
I'm cutting an acrylic desk and was going to put a bevel on it. The acrylic is 3/4" thick, the bevel is going to be 30 degrees. Hopefully, I can cut the bevel in a few passes ok without chipping.

I just cut these cool headers out of foam core. They turned out nice. The Mechmate ESS is working well again after Greg sent out a replacement board.

I'd always recommend having on hand a spare cheap Chinese BOB. They only cost about $20 off ebay but are susceptible to noise.

Cheers,
Chris
http://s27.postimg.org/yg73aofs3/147...45785171_n.jpg

http://s27.postimg.org/3n9s6dbz7/148...30163536_n.jpg


how to print screen on pc

Just squared up my gantry to near perfection. I had no idea that 1 .005" shim could make sure a huge difference. 1/16" of an in, unbelievable.

Big thanks to Greg from Warp9td for all the help he gave me over Christmas while my smooth stepper blew up. He walked me through every possible fix, then helped me hook up a temporary one. I'm eternally grateful for the smooth steppers support. It is unmatched.

Hey Guys,

Just purchased an RS-485 adaptor for hooking up my VFD to modbus and it only has 2 outputs on it. B- and A+ for RS485. How do I get this into Modbus? My VFD has R+T+ R- T- on it. Is that Full duplex RS422?

Any info on the pinout for Modbus using 2 pins would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Chris

Ok, well I managed to get the Spindle running via Analoge, but not through mod bus. The only thing is that I can only get it to run very slow, and it won't go faster. There is no trim pot on the board...

Modbus, I think i need a different USB key, one with English instructions and programming, not Chinese.

What I've been making...
 

Hiya everyone,

Sorry I've not posted any updates for months. After building the last machine, things got kind of hectic and it was 7 days a week 12 hours a day for a couple months. Now I'm back in NZ about to embark on some NZ scenic stuff with the Auckland mechmate. So I thought I would share some pics of what I've been designing and fabricating with the OC Mechmate which is an indispensable tool to the business.

I'm constantly impressed at how well this machine cuts!:D These pics are for a couple studios which we designed, lit, and fabricated scenic for. Enjoy.

Talk show set, everything together.
http://s11.postimg.org/p57p7cyyb/MG_2555_Edit_small.jpg

The guys and girls at work!
http://s11.postimg.org/5kt64kycz/MG_2542.jpg

Painted Screen Surround
http://s11.postimg.org/o1nkveeb7/MG_2553.jpg

http://s4.postimg.org/p7uxkz4h5/MG_2533.jpg
News Set
http://s4.postimg.org/j9h4aqlih/MG_2565.jpg
Talk Show Different Colour
http://s4.postimg.org/56qli0qqx/IMG_2483.jpg
Starting Panel Cutting
http://s4.postimg.org/jktz9rckp/IMG_2487.jpg http://s4.postimg.org/clfxaecmh/IMG_2497.jpg http://s4.postimg.org/h9vx5l1t5/IMG_2498.jpg

Surround & Riser
http://s4.postimg.org/xm5yvbg4p/IMG_2499.jpg http://s4.postimg.org/5oqcbm5pl/IMG_2505.jpg

http://s03.flagcounter.com/count/oIK...ews_1/flags_1/

Absolutely incredible work, Sir.

great job

Nice

Thank you for the comments! Really appreciate it:)

Chris

Thank you for taking time to post pics and keep us updated.
I really appreciate that :)

Great Work.

These pictures inspire those of use looking for this type of commercial work.

Jason

You said it Jason.
I'd love to be full time in the shop doing this sort of work.

Christ,
Love your work! Particularly the lattice partition.
How did you do the lattice design? By hand or some software generation?

Ken, I think you are over-complimenting with his new name.....lol.
He does great work, but......

Ooooops... that what happen when I can't take my eyes off the nice photos...
Sorry Chris...

Thanks Darren for the heads up. :)

BTW, anyone who can come up with such great works are god-like, to me at the least :)

We are not worthy.:D:D

...and that's what #5 has been doing its entire life (and number #28) in a different company.

See....it is a useful commercial machine!

Thanks for posting!

Hey thanks for the compliments guys. Again, really appreciate it. BTW, my name is Christian, so not too far off :D I'm always impressed by the potential of this machine. I would be reluctant to purchase anything below a Northwood or Felder, or ART machine in lieu of the Mechmate. And those Vextas, man they kick arse! I get such nice cuts, they look like a laser.

I'm really wanting to get a 5 axis head on next... We shall see.

Very useful machine indeed. I'm really glad I know how to build one now.

Cheers,
Chris

nice job.. this machine has no limits.

are you using grasshopper for the patterns?

Chris, what are you working on these days?