Hi John

Dims are 2510x1910 mm, 2.2kW Spindle, Bolted Table. :)

Thank you John

Multumesc Marius,

Daca vi la Arad sigur facem si o tura enduro, sa te pregatesc pentru drumul lung prin Europa!:D:eek::D Vorbim...

Update Builder's Log
 

Thanks Claus,

Updated Builder's Log is here.

Very good!

Xmas
 

Good Job glad to see you made it ;)

Had no time to do some cutting, I want to finish up properly all details because afterwards I know I will find a reason for not fixing them ever.

So that`s the pump I got for Spindle cooling. It is used on old Dacia cars. They try to get rid of all communist relicts, but before that I buy some spare...
Attachment 7765

Today I started the Control Box and had the first failure!!!:eek:
It was the computer Source which I used for Gecko Fans and BOB. It simply started whenever it wanted without any logic reason.
I got this industrial source with 2 separate 12 VDC outputs and 8 A, which will be enough for BOB, Gecko Fan, Spindle cooling pump and not to forget the LED LIGHTS...;)
Attachment 7770

I did setup the Proxi on the Z, this is how its done. Ugly but working.
I also tapped holes for mechanical stops in Z. Now its complete.
Attachment 7771Attachment 7772

Last is the top view of the fixture for the dust system. This way I have lots of space between spider and dust extraction tube.
Attachment 7773

...but tomorrow I will cut some...:)

Greetings
Claus

Did some manual cut today just to see how it works and also to check quality of cut.

Please comment if you something like lost steps or so...
Attachment 7785

Attachment 7786

I`ll post Youtube link when everything is uploaded.

Bye

Claudiu if you want I can make Gcode file with 3D and another with a 2D in order to use it for testing. This way I think you can't discover such a problem.
Regarding the water pump: call the Holzmann company. They have the complete kit.

Got to cut a file today which I got from Marius for testing.

Feedrate was set from G-code to 2500 mm.
First half of the cutting I left the Speed at its values.
Cutting dir was from the top right to left and downward.

Second half of the knot I did some Feed overriding and went up to double the speed. It never reached 5000 because of acceleration set to 75 and also slowing down when Z in action. So Mach showed speed of 4200 to max 4600.
Attachment 7822

After I played with Speed setting some errors occured in the carvings.
Is this because of speed or lost steps. You can see clearly in the image the cuts.
Attachment 7821

Also because the mdf was too small for the carving I stopped before the end of the G Code.
Marius was the file setup for one step or multiple step over?

So, any opinions?

I also tried to upload some films on youtube, but as I live in RO and we had a little snow even uploading is a problem!:mad::confused:

Claus, those marks do not look like lost steps. If they were lost steps then your pattern will change from that point to the end of the file. Your pattern looks like it recovered immediately after the marks?

What is also interesting is the sides (left and right in the pic) are not regular even though there is no disalignment in the pattern, thats why I wondered if it`s just a rough pass or errors? I guess I have to do some more testing.;)

Something to think about, when you use the percentage feed increase on the Mach screen I think it tries to increase the jog speed also. I have my jog speed set as high as it can go without missing any steps, therefore an increase will cause it to miss lot of steps in jog mode. I learned this the hard way :(:o it took several screwed up items to realize this was the problem. Now I just edit the file to change the feed rate.

This is strange... The file was made for one step only (not to make you to lose time just for testing). But one thing is sure: those marks are not because of losing steps. I never had such an issue.
I forgot to tell you one thing: during the cutting operation never "play" with other software. It could send some false signals. Try to avoid opening or closing other programs.

Did some cutting today.
Used Aspire, pocket, 1.7 mm rounded end mill, 12000 rpm, 2400 mm/sec.
I`ve put a guitar pick sou can imaginr the size.

Attachment 7909
Attachment 7908

Attachment 7910

Here some videos of the cuttings.
one, two and three.

Greetings
Claus

Hi guys,

I present my very first finished job.(very tiny)
Against all beliefs I waited to cut big jobs, never thought this machine was capable of such precision on very very small pieces due to its mass and size! Great Blue MM:)

Job Size: 68x25mm
I did this piece with an 0,8 mm EndMill, Step 0,5 mm for the pocketing and 1,6mm Endmill, step 0,65 for the profile.
After starting first two bits broke during cutting due to overspeeding :eek: (1400mm\sec):eek:. I had good results with 350 mm\sec. (would have gone a bit faster but I didn`t have any tiny router bits left and wanted to deliver)

I did four pieces which results in a 65000 line G-Code from Aspire. Working time 5 h !!!

I would have liked to give it a clear finish like Nils said but I have no hidrogen.

I loved the time spent by the machine admiring it working.Great learning.:)


Greetings

Nicely done Claus, You are right about the resolution capability of the MM, I am testing mine doing tiny stuff and MM seems to beat my other router with leadscrews. Spring loaded rack/pinion amazingly show no sign of backlash.

The "millimeter-challenged" folk probably don't realise that these things are the size of key-tags. Only 2.5" x 1".

Good learning Claus, but maybe you need a much smaller table! :D

I hope to get some day also a bigger job when a grow up...:):D

HEY! I resemble that :D

Thanks for showing off that small piece Claudiu. That is going to be the incentive for making two of these machines!

You can see how much the bit was bending. I am surprised that it didn't break higher up - maybe the break point was where the cutting edges stopped.

No comment on the fingers and using another bit to clear the first one, except that dentists often work near their fingers with high speed cutters :)

Claus,

What CAM software are you using?

I would suggest an old tooth brush instead of another bit. I work close to the fast moving end of the router but that is just dangerous. Another thing you can do is "Pause" or "FeedHold" the job, clean the area and continue. Much safer - take it from one with experience.

Nils, I use Aspire. Regarding the cleaning, I had to start the job over again after breaking the first bit, then I also reduced spindle speed to 5000 rot/min and the acrilic was more cippy then melted. I`m still learning a lot...:o Gotto go buy me a toothbrush...

Nice start Claudiu ! You should do something with the resolution. 5 hours to do 4 small pieces is way to much. But it's a start wich is more than OK. This summer I'll visit you for sure ! Don't forget me with the cable chains.

Need Help...miscut
 

For warming up I cut out of scrap MDF this Collet Holder...
Attachment 8076

Then I did a business Sign...
Attachment 8077

Then I used Aspire to cut the UpperCut Logo into Solid Wood.
First I used a toolpath to surface the wood....everything worked out fine.

Then I did a Rough Cut with a 6 mm Spiral...and by the the end, allmost final depth was achieved, the cutter did not go to the starting position but somewhere halfway. From there it cut another step but of course got one of the letters. Before I could do something the Job was ruined...

I checked the G-Code, but could not find anything unusual , so I guess Aspire did not make the mistake. Is it possible if one step is missing the machine does not make a move of 20 cm?

I do not know why it didn`t go all the way to the starting point. I guess we cannot speak of loosing steps here because it must be lots of them...

I`m clueless. If you have ever experienced something like this please

By the way, chipload was perfect...see it here and here

Greetings
Claus

A 20 cm error is a very big error . . . that is not a lost step, or 5 losts steps, or 100 lost stops.....20cm is a lot more than that.

If you are absolutely sure that your g-code is correct, then check if the pinion gear has come loose on the motor shaft.

Is your figure of 1400 mm/sec correct? By my calculations that's 3307 inches/min and would make for an extremely fast machine, even at your reduced speed of 350mm/sec that works out to 826 inhes/min.

Jason

some more work done....

Attachment 8105

Attachment 8106

You can watch pocketing and vCarving on Youtube.

Greetings
Claus

Claus,

That is a nice sign... how long did it take you to do that?

Can you share some pictures of your dust foot? It looks interesting. It appears you don't have it associated with your Z.

Thanks

Nice looking sign!

Thanks Heath,

Thanks Nils, if you go back to post 116, you can see in the second picture the aluminium square tube mounted directly to the YCar. Here is also a good view of the assembly. Post 126, pic 5.
You were absolutely right, it is not together with the Z. I didn`t want anything pulling on my Z. The plastic tube is tightened to the aluminium with two clamps which are just tighten firm enough to slide the tube up and down by hand with some effort depending of the height of your workpiece. I still have to finish the front part of the dust shoe so everything is closed up tight, you see there still a lot of mess on the table.
I had the problem cutting a 40 mm plywood, the absorbtion system did not get the chips out of the deeper areas, so I need a front piece and I have to think about an intake to create some turbulence inside the dustshoe to lift up everything...
If you need some closeups I can provide some new pics, just say so.:)

The sign took me 75 min with 4mm endmill for pocketing and 12mm Vbit. Size 55x30 cm.

Jason, You are probably right. Maybe I got some sec and min mixed up, :o I have to recheck and will come back with new numbers. My machine is set up 9000 mm/min accel 75%. I could have gone higher but I don`t need at the moment.

Greetings
Claus

How about running a compressed air line to the cutter bit and directing a jet of air into the cut to blow out the chips for removal by the dust shoe?

...finally I got some bigger job to do. I got to testing the MechMate on a 40 mm strong laminate wood board cutting out windowsills. Used a 10 mm Endmill, feedrate 3800 cm/min and 4 mm step. nothing easier than that, for the MM...:)
Had to start the job three times because each time the EndMill was only touching the board and lifted up again, like a probe. I said, well maybe the board is to strong and cannot be cut, until I found out that the Spindle was turning CCW!!!:confused::o:eek:...there is only human error.
Attachment 8112
Attachment 8114
Here` s also a video.

I`m working also on uploading of making some bathroom furniture...

Greetings

Ah, now you are using the MM for what it is supposed to do! :D

Looking good! How are you holding down the parts in the center of the cuts?

The MM sure does a lot! :) Big and Small.

Steve, I used the option in Aspire to set up tabs. About one tab every 500 mm.

Hi guys,

everything worked fine until I tried to setup Mach for Proxies and Start Stop buttons.
It took me 2 full days fumbling around in Mach after setting up proxy hardware.
Now it does the homing sequence like described in many other threads.
One problem left with the proxies is that I had to set up in Mach in Homing Limits some neg and otherway around settings to have the proper direction of my x and Y moving. If I now load a GCode in the display I see my part mirrored and oposite of the table size. :confused:
Other problem I cannot zero machine cord anymore. I can only zero my work offset.

I tried everything for the last couple of days but cannot figure out why start and stop buttons are not working. The only thing that works is the e stop.

Gonna make some screenshot tomorrow of my settings in Mach, maybe you can help me along. I`m clueless.

BTW: I managed to start and stop Chinese Spindle from Mach but the Settings provided by Martin did not work in my case. I had to leave PD002 set to 0. If I put it to one its not starting. Do I have to change some other setting in Mach to make PD002 work, too?
Good night.

...happy again.:)
this is the thread I was looking for and couldn`t find it.
I don`t get frustrated so fast, it`s just a process...like one shrink used to say.