Right of Passage
 

So have we started a new trend, finish your machine and make a big gear. Pretty fancy, good job.

Does my nylon gear count?

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-R...0/DSC00937.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5...0/DSC00935.JPG

one of the first cuts on the mm a year a ago... using coreldraw

It appears someone know what they are doing <big grin>

I like gears, especially when they are put into action (like clocks, etc)

On the wall
 

Got some time to finish the Phantom.
Lancaster tomorrow I hope.

Love it.

Lancaster roughed out in no time.
It is all the other work that takes the time.
Anybody got a MechMate that can seal, sand & spray ?
Love this machine:)

Paint background, let dry.
Apply self stick masking, or a crap ton of masking tape.
Route the plane.
Paint the routed parts.
Peel masking.
Profit!
;)

That's how I do it, when possible.

Just Asking
 

Lonestaral
is there much call for a British Lancaster in your part of the world?

The Lancaster is for me.
I will tell the story of the Lancaster and the Phantom when I finish the Lancaster.

Gift
 

I am going to have a party in a few weeks time to introduce my new machine.
Made a batch of these to give away to the guests.
I will put a ring on them for keys or perhaps some magnetic strip.
Should look good on the back of the toilet door.:)

A party to commemorate the completion.....Brilliant!!

I thought a "Meet the Beast" occasion was a good idea.

Show people the machine and what it can do.
Might get some work for it.

Made another batch of gears this morning, I have 50 of them now.

Thinking cap on, need some other products to show on the night.

If any of you are passing by you are very welcome to attend.

Flying again
 

Got the Lancaster hung.
The free gears are coming along.

Party to celebrate a MechMate in production. Great idea!

Is it too early to make christmas tree ornaments? This is from where I used to work as a computer tech. Whenever I heard one of the tables going I'd go watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovlTjycC5bE&feature

Mr. Smiley
 

Some give away's for the kids.
Will fill the engraving with black paint.

The " Meet the Beast" party went well.
The machine worked perfectly.
No orders yet but a lot of Wow !!!!!!!!!

A man asked me today if I could cut some keys.
He presented me with a waney edged slab of hardwood 970mm long.
The width varied (280 / 370mm)as did the thickness (40mm).
Also a cardboard cut out.

Can do !

1 1/2 hours after getting home the wife is delivering 2 keys.
Not too bad, wife impressed and the customer is happy.
Love this machine. :)

Very Good!!

Cool
 

Some brass hooks on the keys would be a great. My wife just walked in and ask me where her keys are. Are you cutting down neighbors tree for wood?:D

What a piece of kit this machine has turned out to be.
Got the bugs out of the system.
10 hour shift today, faultless.
Only stopped for load/ unload & tool-change.

Only problem was with the router, new brushes tomorrow.

Should have built one years ago.

I love the idea of a "Meet the Beast Party". I wish you many great successes!

Simple 4th Axis
 

I wanted some 20mm dowels.
Back home I would have bought a broom handel.
Here broom handles are made fron bamboo.

I have not got a lathe (Next project).

I made a simple 4th axis.
The motor needs gearing as it lost some steps.
It did the job, got me out of a hole.:)

They say need is the big creator of ideas, very impressive adaptation Al!

Great Job. I've thought that using two 4:1 gear reduction plate sets, one driving the other, would work well for reduction.

I wonder if I could cut my own gears (Wood or Plastic)
For the reduction.
Got the machine, just need the time and materials.;)

Buddha
 

A local woodcarver gave me a piece of a root from a tree.
He asked could I put it through my saw and make some Buddha's.
A very heavy and dense wood it was.

So today I did the routing.
33 in strip form and 3 specials.

I really like the wood, not in to Buddha, but cool none-the-less.

That looks cool. How tough was that wood on the bits?

What type of wood is that Al?

Sorry, but I do not know what it is.

Not being a native of this neck of the woods it is very hard to find out what something is, where it came from or what it is worth.
The guy might not know himself.
There might be a local name, it might be what the monk calls it.

It smoked a bit on some cuts. I had the router on bottom speed.
Feed 500mm/min.
It also left a resin type deposit on the bit.
It files like cast iron.
Smells nice.

Thats about it.
Parts delivered, customer happy.:)

Looks like Siang-Malam.

Milling steel
 

I ordered some profiled plates last week for a machine I an building.
No, it is not another MechMate.

After a week of waiting they were ready.

The 42mm holes in the plates were 40mm.

Off to see my mate Mechmate.
16mm two flute router bit, router on bottom speed.
Lots of sparks and noise.
5 plates, 2 holes in each.
Job done.
Cutter to go to the grinder tomorrow.

Nice job.
Careful with your plunging rate, those spindle bearing are expensive.

Somewere somebody told that you can't use microstepping for the rotary 4th axis because it will not give a precise 360° ..... so you absolutely need reduction and more than the usual 4:1 .... I have no experience nor I am shure this is true. Anybody can confirm ?

I would not know if that is totally accurate. Whether it is 200/r or 2000/r, it is still 1 revolution. Granted a servo with feedback would be optimal. You can dial the stepper in really close using your step calculator and spinning multiple revolutions using an indicated plate and long indicator arm (24" or more). I would think the problem would be more from the limited amount of torque that caused the loss of steps while turning against the cutter. Too many dynamic forces at work. The lowest reduction I have ever read about with a 4th Axis is 3.6:1. But as Sergio stated, that is definitely worth looking into to verify. You will have backlash with any reduction setup unless it is a Zero Backlash reducer like a harmonic drive.

Very probably you will not get a precise 360 Degrees.
Very probably you will not get a precise 0.001 mm or 0.0001"

As I am working in wood which will change size with humidity and temperature I will not worry about that.

As I am not making components for Aerospace applications, that is not a worry either.

I am more than happy that I have built a machine by myself that has exceeded my expectations.
At this stage in my life I do not need to split hairs any more.
I had enough of 0.001mm tolerances during my working life.

Thank you for your comments.
I am sure that those who need a more accurate machine will pay heed.

I will get around to gearing the 4th Axis and I will post progress and results.
At the moment I am constructing a manual lathe with the option for CNC control.
Also a bandsaw build is on the horizon.
Nice to be busy.:)

It was not meant to offend.

I have mine as a double belt reduction but I would never tell you to only stop at my level. I would not want to leave someone wanting more. Tell them the best and let them make there own decision.

You are right about wood, from the time you start carving to the time you finish the wood will vary somewhat unless you are in a controlled environment that the wood was also stored there for a long, long, long time.

If you were putting this on a milling machine, I would not recommend anything under 50:1 at the lowest reduction.

I've not started work on my A-axis yet, but when I do, I'll surely have higher gear ratio for more torque to ensure the job piece will stay in place when its supposed to. The resolution & precision that came with it are bonus.

For non-metal work, 50:1 is too hard, 20~30:1 should be feasible using GT2 belts & pulley.