Kobus, I’ll be happy to help!
Let me know if you need my assistance ?
Robert ;)

Thanks Robert, I don't know who designed this bracket on the photo, but I need something like this. If Johan (Lex) cannot help, I will push on your button.

Kobus,
I am not always this fast! Had some time to kill.
Check all the dimensions before I save it as a dxf

I think the 2 back corners need to be cut down to miss the guide rollers. If it's done now (as a drawing);) it looks better. :eek:

Good tip J.R. will check it out tonight at home.
Johan, I would rather see the front bracket "LOOSE" on both sides...this way I can put a screw on each side and if I need adjustment, it's easier to add a washer or to take some MEAT off. Will let you know tomorrow.

Do you mean chamfers on the corners? Or stepped back at the back and vertical sides, at each corner?

I think JR means the back coners chamfered. If this bolt onto the Z-plate, the guide wheels could interfere. Look at the Y-Car Z-plate assembly.

Change name of attached file to slide.dxf and it should open in CAD to give reason for chamfer

Thanks Gerald. If I use a 5 or 6 mm piece of steel that will sit on the z-slide, then mount the 2 brackets that are 110mm wide on this, they should clear the guidewheels...no harm in given the back two edges a small chamfer...got that Johan ?

I can see it clearly on Gerald sketch (thanks). Will send send something 'thro' shortly. The 6mm Pl on the Z-slide will act as a spacer to move the bracket away from the guide roller, right. Right

I am a sucker for punishment . . . . . .

Router might be too close to slide? Plate 12mm thick is enough. Depends on your laser cutter's ability to cut 12mm very neatly. Attached is a sketch - no attempt has been made to get it real world. Meant for Lex to play with.

Thanks SUCKER. ;)..that is the one I want...I knew you would come up with a good solution..

This is Gerald's bracket. More simpler

Sorry, having problems in getting the dxf attached

Hope it works now. Please change extention back to dxf

Second part. The speed is way down on our network here at work. Slower than a land line at the moment. Big thanks for your help Gerald!

Thanks Johan, Just to make sure I understand the drawing...I import it to Coreldraw and are not sure about the dimentions.. The BACK-foot that will connect to the Z-Plate...how wide is it....it should be in the region of 95mm to fit onto the Z-plate. The HOLE size for router is 90 mm ? When I screw it together will there be a gap between the 2 pieces?

This should help

Johan, your 116 dimension has different endings

Eish! Sorry .... again :o

Thanks Johan, already send it off to be quoted. Asked for Alu or Steel....price will decide AGAIN. Suppose 16mm thick material will be OK.

Kobus, are you happy that your router "top" is less than 10mm bigger than the body at the bottom? You don't want the top to jam against the slide before the bottom lies in the cradle.

Don't order alu laser cut until you have seen the supplier's quality. Alu is not as nice as steel.

Remember that this is all moving mass - you have to counterweight it carefully for a direct drive z-motor.

That's right the top is within the 10mm size. What you say is that I should go for steel (16mm) and put maybe a bigger gas strut in to counterwight it.
I think he does Alu with his waterjet...if so and quality looks good Alu is the preferred option because of weight.
On the other hand my little router is so small and light...lot less weight than the spindles I have seen.

See post #101 on suggested thickness. 16mm steel is often on the rough limit of a laser cutter's ability. 12mm will always turn out neater than 16mm. And it is PLENTY strong enough. Your router cannot take a big clamping force. Regarding weight, I am simply saying you must hou kop and get the whole thing to balance at the end. Now I am going to bale out of here for a while and get some work done!

Dag sê manne
Kobus that is one nice machine you are building, so much enthusiasm, I also want to build a cnc router but due to space limits I cannot build the MM, will one day when I am back in Mosselbay.
I cannot believe the bargains you picked up, for instance the Motionking motors, they quoted me usd 380 just for shipping 4- 34H motors cost is 230 usd, After 5 e-mails to Gecko am I still waiting for a reply
Here in Abu Dhabi no one knows about ACME, linear slides or anything, to have machining done is highly expensive ( usd 300) to have 4 tefflon bushes turned, I don’t even want to know what the MM main car will cost me here,
I am not giving up will get there one day, tuff to try and build something in a 1st world country, keep up the good work, I would like to see your first “cut”
Cheers
Koning

Thanks Koning, It is only a pleasure getting into a build of this quality. Once you start you cannot stop. Last night I went into the workshop...yes in the cold...to do some things. I made my 'teflon' washers from 1mm plastic sheet that I had ex sinage stock. Cut it out with a holesaw and used 2 of these washers at each point.
One bit of advice for future builders.

Please drill and tap your 6mm holes for the racking. I left it till last because I was not sure if everything that I did was 100% up to the dimentions in the plans. I thought I will put it together, mount the motors and check that the pionions REACH the rack at the correct position. Trust me and prepare your racks to fit flush on the side of the X and Y rail...they will fit. I had to take the Y-rail off last night to drill and tap. Tonight or sometime this weekend I will have to take the X-Rails off to do the same there....lots of extra work.:(

Kobus, you do not actually need the screws in the end of the racks. I put them in the design for the folk who are nervous about the double-sided tape. :)

"Trust me and prepare your racks to fit flush on the side of the X and Y rail...they will fit." The perfectionists may argue the flush aspect since the drawings show those tapped holes as 7.5mm [0.3"] from the edge (yes Kobus, the holes are on the drawing :)), while metric racks are 16mm wide and inch racks are 0.5" wide. Also, the clearance holes drilled through the rack are shown as 8mm[5/16"]. The holes in the rack can happily be increased to get the racks flush if you want - remember, those screws don't actually do anything ;). (ShopBot only use tape, and there have been rare reports of racks falling off. But, their care in selecting the tape and cleaning the surfaces is unknown)

Hi Koning,

Do you miss your home town?Just to let you know its raining and the wind is bad ! Previous night fishing trawler washed out on the main beach next to Beacon Isle 5 meters from the rocks.But we are all addicted to our MM build and I am already in trouble with the BOSS.

Gerald I think we must start a thread just for the other half and see what they have to say.Might become quite interresting.

Go for it Hennie, get your boss to start that thread! :)

Oooooo Gaats hier kom poefies.. Here comes trouble...BIG time