Greg,

I was using a center punch, but I think you are talking about a transfer punch set. You can get them in different sizes to match whatever hole you are trying to copy but I don't have a set. :) The six rollers are there as Sean says, it gives the Z-slide a little more movement in the Z direction all while always having at least 4 V rollers on the slide at one time.

Nic pic John!

Sometimes you just want to pull that slide 2" further up to get a long cutter clear of a thick block on the table . . . . .

To match the holes, I tack-weld the tube to the plate and drill the pilot holes right through from the plate side.

Gerald,

Do you leave it "welded" or do you subsequently grind it off and clean it back up?

Grind one tack, break the other tack, then
- tap holes in tube, de-burr, paint
- enlarge holes in plate, countersink, de-burr, paint.

You can't leave them tacked because the plate side holes must be clear and not tapped. If you tap through both, the joint doesn't tighten.

Duh, sorry. :eek: Didn't think that through. I realized it after I read about 3 words in your reply.

Some days you eat the bear and some days the bear eats you!

I am very fond of tack-welding. But it must be done with some finesse. When deciding the tack location, consider if you will get a grinder to it for breaking, as well as for cleaning.

You have a real talent for making people think...

A couple of (very tiny) dabs of thickened epoxy would work also. A little bit of heat would pop it right apart. the heat wouldn't distort any more than the tack weld.

Thx!

If you tack weld something right at its end, it cannot cause any distortion. And that is normally an easy place to get in with a grinder.

By the time I get this thing done, I will have your picture on my wall, and J.R.'s and Doug's and Sean's and Mike Richards...

I have so many watching over me that I can't fail!

Picture, or stuffed head with a bullet hole behind the ear?

Hey, I work in the theme park world....maybe you would like a nice animated bobbing character of yourself Marc! The sounds of "it's a small world" running in the background makes a nice picture :)

First there was the notion of coffee cups, baseball hats, pocket protectors and ink pens. Then came the kilts and coat of arms, now Sean wants to make bobble heads!! :D I suppose we could velcro a Gerald bobble head to the gantry he could be kinda the patron saint of MechMate. :D

Craig,

You forgot the secret handshake.

Here's another update: The Cable chains are installed.
Attachment 1105
The Mamba supports worked very well, except for the X-axis where I had to do a little clearancing with the angle grinder on the last link of the chain to get it to snap together at a 90 degree angle. That would have been the chain's problem, not the supports.
The chain is Murrplastik, it is very robust stuff.
John
Attachment 1106

Hi John

The bend radius on your chains is slightly bigger than what I allowed for in the design. This means that the point where the y-chain attaches to the y-car may have to be lifted a bit if the chain binds on itself when the y-car is over to the y=0 position. You can bend the bracket's point up, or put in a spacer.

The X-chain could have a similar issue - already you had to modify the chain a little, and that has probably cured it.

If I remember correctly, I worked around a 3" bend radius - yours looks nearer to 4"? Very nice for low strain on the cables, though.

Gerald,
The particular chain that I ordered was the MP3000 Series Multiline chain and I specified the MP3002 chain which has an inside width of 37mm (1.46") and a bend radius of 70mm (2.76"). The problem that I had with the end link on the X-chain was that I couldn't get the end link to snap together at a 90 degree angle. It would go together at about a 45 deg. angle but no more. So I had to grind off a little bit of the end link to give enough clearance between the pivot on the chain and the end link.

The bend radius looks pretty good I think, when the chain makes the loop, the links are snug but not stressed at the pivot at all. Your design worked very well with what I have for chain. Thanks. :)

It moves!
 

Well, after much trial and error the MechMate has made it's first steps. I have run a few part programs on it and have had no major problems yet. I did have one of the Geckos show a fault at first, but it was due to one of the XLR connectors having two motor wires shorted out. (My poor soldering technique)

Anyway, now I am happily drawing things on the spoilboard with a Jiffy Marker until I get my router and brackets. :)

John

Wise people in Wiseton......delaying installation of the router until you've drawn a few pictures on the table :)

Whoooo hooo.
Congrats John, fun drawing pictures isn't it?
Happy doodling.
Sean

John,
Congrats on the doodles. Do we get to see some pictures of your graffiti? :eek::)

The same thing occurs in my abrasive chop - the smaller area I cut, the less heat, the faster the cut. For example, take a 1/4" x 3" flat bar and cut it laying flat side down. It will heat up, the cut slows down. Then try cutting the same flat bat with it standing on end - it slices right though in no time flat.

david

Here are the fruits of my labour so far...
Attachment 1224
The table bed is not quite level as you can see...
Attachment 1225
Attachment 1226
I still have a bit of wiring and tidying up to do (OK a lot) but it moves and is predictable.

Drawing pictures with a marker is fun, but I'm still going to get a router attached to that thing. :)

John

John, your z-slide assembly should be rotated 180 degrees inside the y-car. You want the router to be nearest the camera in the first pic ave. And then it would appear that your table top offset is to the far side? :(

Yes, you are right. The offset is to the wrong end of the table. I had the Z-axis flipped around in the Y car yesterday to try and remedy the offset being backwards. It will work it will just be a pain to change cutters in the router.

I'm not sure if there is any other remedy short of remanufacturing the table, is there?

I only just discovered this problem yesterday and haven't really thought much about how to rectify it. I am thinking now that all I have to do is flip the Z around in the Y car, the way it should be. Then pick up the gantry and flip it end for end on the X axis and move the X cable chains to the opposite side. I think that should orient everything so that I dont have to re manufacture the table. Is this the right idea?:confused:

Your logic in the last post is correct. It isn't a big pain to get it all correct now.

Besides the stretch to get to the cutter, realise you may still have a dust hose and collector foot. Also, it is best for vibration and flex to get the router as near to the y-motor as possible.

Rather fix it now - I'll buy you a drink afterwards :)

Thanks Gerald, I'm glad I've got your sharp eyes checking things out for me. That drink will be just what I need. :)

What more could anyone want? :)

John,

Congratulations! It is looking very good.

John,
Awesome pics. Thanks for sharing. Cant wait to see the first cuts.

Congrats John. She's looking beautiful.

Hey, thanks guys for the comments. You are much too kind. :)

Well here is another update. I have sent the drawing of my router mount in to Siemens' to have it lasercut, and they are doing inventory or something right now and haven't got time.

So, I went ahead and mounted the router temporarily with 5" exhaust clamps. I know it is the wrong way to do it but I was impatient. :)

It cuts and makes sawdust! I am having lots of fun practising on some scrap Melamine here. I just can't raise the Z too high or the muffler clamps will hit the bottom of the Y car. :o

I have already milled the top off a wood screw and run the collet into a clamp. No real serious damage but bad planning on my part. :o

Anyway, pictures will follow sometime, but right now we are just getting into seeding so am very busy.

John

Good news!

If you ever visit Siemens, tell Neville Mannoe I send my regards. He looks like Bin Ladin, but he is a staunch Catholic.

Here are a few snaps of what has been going on here.
Attachment 1316
Attachment 1317
Attachment 1318
Attachment 1319
Attachment 1320

Its beautiful John, I admire the quality of cuts she makes. Nice Work.
I see that you have wrapped plastic sheet over something, is dust settling all over place :)

The green leaves through the window gives me hope for my visit to the northern hemisphere Thursday :)

That dirty blue machine makes my day! Thank you!

Your temporary router bracket reminded me of what ShopBot supplied for a 1000+ machines. I have put it in another thread.

Curious about your lasered bracket design. . . .

Oh, forgot . . . .

An air deflector mounted under your router will make a world of a difference to the anount of dust blown around the shop.


Any old plastic tub from the kitchen will do.

Gerald,

Where is the drawing the air deflector?

Have a great trip!

Drawing for this deflector…. Mmmm, it appears to be expired :confused: …LOL
Robert ;) !!