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Greg Waggy
Registered
Username: Gawnca
Post Number: 64
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 06:05 am: | 
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This post was here before. It deserves its own topic.
fabrica, what kind of shop do you have or are thinking of building? Many times you need to use other's ideas and expand upon them to build the machine you want and need. It will have to work for you. I think Gerald said "since it'll have your blood flowing through is...." which to me says, use his ideas, incorporate your ideas and those of others that seem to fit your plan and then go for it.
Gerald's forum is put forth as what he has done and hopes (if he doesn't mind me saying so) that it inspires you to use his ideas and plans to make something you can call your own. You do not need to copy him exactly. Look at his machine, look at his developments, draw from his experience and then think out side the box (or inside for that matter) and get to building.
I have gained a lot of tips on how to do things and yet I am not building a MechMate machine but, his methods have inspired me for some of the mechanics that I want to achieve.
Gerald has been kind enough to share what he has built and sure, you can build it his way but, I don't think anyone has yet come up with the ultimate machine.
I have looked at may designs and not one of them actually fulfills every need that I would like to employ in a CNC machine. I don't care if it costs $500.00 or $5 million dollars.
Gerald's machine is just wonderful and if I wanted to cut wood or cabinets, as it appears he does with his, I might duplicate it. I want more latitude as to what I can cut and what the machine will do when I want it to do it. We all have ideas and the more we share maybe, JUST MAYBE we can get close to that ultimate machine. Simple to build, cheap parts, and accomplishes so many things that we would have to learn how to utilize the capabilities it has. That's a lot to ask from a PC controlled CNC machine but is possible.
Now that I've waxed philosophically, I'll wait to see what more my little pea brain can come up with.
Jump right in there with both feet and do your thing. Maybe Gerald's W3x bearings are the right size for what you want to do. Maybe the rails are too thick. Maybe you don't have the shop space to build on this dimension, so you adjust, making an entirely new machine, based on the information you have gleaned from here and other forums.
Am I in deep now????? |
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 481
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 07:40 am: |
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Greg, I often use car/vehicle analogies...
May I ask you what your ultimate car is? The one that you use to go on a date with, and nip down to the shopping mall, that parks easily, overtakes nicely on the freeway, earns dollars by hauling the potato crop, ploughs the fields, and sometimes joins in street drag races? And, is cheap and simple to build yourself too?
(I think I'll put the MechMate in as a pick-up truck  ) |
Greg Waggy
Registered
Username: Gawnca
Post Number: 69
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 08:16 am: |
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Gerald, Here we go, waxing philosophical. HA AH I have driven just about everything there is out there and one is really no better than the other. A 57 Chevy will take you out on a date just as well as a new Lambo. Which one do you worry more about? I drive a Ford Explorer Limited and love it. I am married and my wife picked it out.
I have driven Kenworths, Peterbuilts, and other trucks that would run down a Corvette, it works for hauling the potato crop. Even got me a few dates.
The MechMate is not a pickup truck. It is a work of HEART and art. You took the information you found and built something that is the Rolls Royce of what you want. It filled your needs and felt that others would benefit from your experience. It has worked so feel fortunate that you have inspired this discussion. Not very many people can inspire and then see results.
How many have created discussions where we talk about "V" rails, grooved wheles and asked for dimensions? Just you, my friend. |
fabrica
Registered
Username: Daya
Post Number: 53
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 02:31 pm: |
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Greg This is my first experiance with a CNC machine. And also neither am I a Engineer. Due these deficiencies I do not want to be too adventerous and have a bad experiance with my first machine.
Maybe sometime later I when I decide to build the second machine I would have the luxury of incorporating my ideas into that machine.
You have inquired about as to what I would be doing with the machine. I need to do a bit of woodworking and a little bit of other things. I have no intention of making much money out of this. What ever revenue this machine generates would be considered as a bonus.
The main reason for me to decide upon making the V rails on my own was to use my existing resources to contribute something towards this forum.
I hope that I have made made my position very clear to you. |
Greg Waggy
Registered
Username: Gawnca
Post Number: 70
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 05:19 pm: |
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fabrica, The only thing I have built in the way of anything close to being a CNC machine is a hotwire foam cutter. I started the project with the information I found at http://www.8linx.com/cnc/cnc.htm A little more digging and I came up with my own design, using the materials I had on hand for the most part. There are always items that you either have to make or buy, motors, controllers, etc.
When all was said and done and I did start the build and finished it I cam up with this...
And here is a cut that I made and photographed...
I wasn't trying to put you down in any way. I was just trying to inspire you to make changes in the design so it will be your machine. Gerald has given me many ideas for the machine I have in mind to build, but, then I have also looked at other's and have gleaned from them ideas that I want to use.
So Please do not take offence at what I was saying. I think I wrote it mainly for my own benefit. Once in a while I do that so that I can see what I need to do and be told. HA HA
Go for it, you'll love it once it is complete. |
Greg Waggy
Registered
Username: Gawnca
Post Number: 71
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 05:21 pm: |
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I built the controller from scratch and I'll tell you, when I connected everything up and the motors turned and reacted to what the PC was telling them to do, it was a feeling that can't be discribed. It will be the same way with you once something reacts to your commands.
By the way, Gerald, what are you using for controllers? |
fabrica
Registered
Username: Daya
Post Number: 55
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 06:15 pm: |
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I was definitly not offended by your remarks. I just wanted to explain myself to you.
This thread is meant for this type of expression of opinions. Your way of looking at the Process of building a CNC machine may differ to my way of doing it. But still we could be good pals and exchange ideas freely. That is what I call the Freedom of expressing yourself and also respecting other peoples beliefs and viewpoints. |
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 483
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 06:23 pm: |
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Greg, I am surprised that you asked - see this thread
I made this a separate topic "The philosophy of an Ultimate CNC machine" because I see far too much of armchair CNC builders who sit on forums talking of the ultimate machine that they are planning - not building, just planning....
My argument is that there is no "do it all" machine - you have to make compromises. The biggest compromise is to forego the comfort of the armchair and building up some sweat. Stop planning, get started and build the thing! |
Greg Waggy
Registered
Username: Gawnca
Post Number: 72
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 06:25 pm: |
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Works for me. I'm glad I didn't offend you as that was not my purpose. You just wait until you get something built and it moves to your commands... What a feeling.
A good friend of mine told me that many people who start this sort of project never finish. He builds and sells the controller cards. Of the 150 or so that he's sold, he said three of them have actually been put to work on a CNC machine. This tells me that some people don't really know what they want to do. AND it wasn't cheap to just sit and watch motors run. HA HA |
Greg Waggy
Registered
Username: Gawnca
Post Number: 73
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 06:32 pm: |
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Gerald, I guess I missed that. Geckos are the best, from what I've read. And when you consider the cost of building from scratch, they are almost equal in price without the process of soldering everything together and hope you did it right.
You are so right, there are too many out there who sit and talk and never act. They have all the theory down just never put it to practice.
It's winter here now and this is my planning time. Come Spring time, I'll put all this planning to work. Nope, no machine can do it all so you combine those functions that will work together for one machine and then build another machine or 3 to complete the processes you are trying to accomplish.
I've got several totally different projects in the planning stage and they will see action in this next year. I need to move to a climate that is the same all year long... Then win the lottery so I can have the time and money to play. |
fabrica
Registered
Username: Daya
Post Number: 57
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 06:33 pm: |
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In the dream machine that I have started to build, my priority is to have a machine which would give me a excellent finished product. I am not too bothered about the speed.
In other words I am compromising speed for quality. Greg How about you ? |
Greg Waggy
Registered
Username: Gawnca
Post Number: 74
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 06:48 pm: |
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I think it is possible to achieve both, depending on what you plan to make with your machine. I made a mistake with my foam cutting machine and bought motors that do not handle speed very well and they are really very strong. Now I have 4 new motors and I don't know if I want to put them on the foam cutter or just move on to a CNC machine. I'll more than likely opt for the latter.
It's all a big toss-up. What to do, what to do, next. |
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