My new MechMate, is now "officially" cutting! #27 - Randers, Denmark

[mikefoged]

My first post in this forum

Just want to say that I have bought Kim's MM (http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=175). I pick it up today and looking forward to get it up running. All electric work on the controller is still missing, but all the parts are there. It is just a matter of time before it cuts :D

I will post pic. as I come a long.

Why Kim is selling is he's personnel matter, I think he will post a reply soon.

Regards

Mike_dk

4540

4541

4542

[Gerald D]

Mike, thanks for the news. Welcome!

Kim sorry to hear the news. You have been good to us - thanks.

[domino11]

Welcome Mike,
Have a look around the site and then start up a build thread where we can help you with getting your machine running.

Kim,
Hope all is working out ok for you. :)

[IN-WondeR]

Yes it was a weird day when the mechmate left my garage after two years in the making. But I felt I did not have the time and /or the effort to finsih it and get it cutting.
But Mike was happy to recieve the machine and I wish him the best of luck getting the project completed....
I'm sure he will get it up and running very soon.

I know where I shall send jobs to when I need something cut... :-D

[mikefoged]

Hi

Made my first test today on the controller. It went pretty smoothly no problems at all. Not quite true :) had some jumper problems, but after one hour trouble shooting and MechMate research: D all 4 motors ran pretty well

Here is a video for you to see. :o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySxIj9_7l58&feature=channel_page

[domino11]

Mike,
Who are the two gentlemen in the second picture of your first post?

[Gerald D]

Well done Mike!

[mikefoged]

The one to the left I Kim and the other one is a buddy of mine whoe just happen to have a truck with a small crane on it. :)

[mikefoged]

So now the MechMate is ready to run :) I just need some electric installation to be done in my garage, which will happen today. My MachMate stickers will arrive on Thursday and that will be the last thing to be done, then I have a complete MechMate in my very small Garage :D.

Then I have to look for at spindle, I got a good offer on this one Elte TM PE2 9/2 0.75kW 400HZ (http://www.eltesrl.com/inglese/tmpe1.htm)only 986$ and that include an Inverter too :o

Please let me know if this will work on the MechMate.

But until then I just have to go with my AEG.

Mike

[Gerald D]

Hi Mike, A 0.75kw spindle sounds far too small. Nobody has used spindles of less than 2.2kW for a MM as far as I know. Your offer of 0.75kW is only one third of that power.

Take your time with that AEG router and be patient before buying the spindle.

Looking forward to some more photos! :)

[mikefoged]

Hi

I have the machine up running now and I’m doing a lot of air cuts :D
Still need some trimming to do. But the fist vid. of The Danish MechMate (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H97SJo0tgxg&feature=channel_page)

[domino11]

Mike,
Your video looks really good. Lets see some sawdust now! :)

[IN-WondeR]

It looks great mike, I'm looking forward to seeing som actual cuts with it.

[Gerald D]

Almost ready!

I would turn the z-axis around so that the router/spindle goes nearer to the y-motor. . . . . . . but then the table surface is maybe offset to the wrong side?

Also turn the gantry around and move the x cable-chain to the other side?

[sailfl]

Mike,

Looks good.... few Gerald modifications, some logos and the table should be dirty soon.

Way to go.....

[mikefoged]

Gerald

I had a look at it and I think I leave it as it is, I have to move around it and if the Cable-chain is to the other side it is not possible to go along that side. I moved the Z-axis forward because my router is smaller than the one Kim was using. He made another bracket for me.

[mikefoged]

update. It's making sawdust (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYBcvm1Ciiw) :D

[Gerald D]

Lykønskningen!

[mikefoged]

TAK!:) your Danish is good, can I write in Danish now :D

[sailfl]

Mike,

Congratulations. Looks great, I think you only need the logos......

[IN-WondeR]

I wonder which serial number you are getting. How high are we now.???

[jhiggins7]

Kim,

Serial #26 has been awarded. Next would be #27. The Builder's Log is here (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pLoxg8wu4WnsBc2_U5yEaQw).

[mikefoged]

Finally the stickers arrived it's looking pretty good now :)

[Gerald D]

Looks quite professional Danish! What is that "thing" on the top of the z-slide?

[mikefoged]

That’s a test. Forgot to remove it for the pic.:o

It’s for my dust collector system. That I’m working on at the moment.

It is not permanent, only to see what bracket need to be made.

[sailfl]

Mike,

Congratulations.

[Gerald D]

The town of Randers in Denmark is famous for being home to the world's biggest windmill producing company Vestas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestas), and for Kim & Mikes MM #27! :D

[domino11]

Congratulations Guys. :)

[mikefoged]

Yes that is right Gerald, before Vestas, it was NEG-Micon, which also produced wind turbines, and I have been working there for 10 years as a fitter traveling the world to erect the damn things

some pic. from my trip to NZ

[Gerald D]

If your company gets more orders from Cape Town, you can come and visit me. :)

http://www.southafrica.info/about/sustainable/windfarm-darling.htm

[domino11]

Beautiful pictures Mike! I sure wish I had one of those on my property to power my house and shop! :)

[jhiggins7]

Congratulations Mike (and Kim) on Serial #27.:):):) You have a great looking machine. Here is the updated Builder's Log (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pLoxg8wu4WnsBc2_U5yEaQw).

Mike, please let me know the size of your MechMate.

Also, I currently have calculated the build time as beginning in December 2006 and ending 20 May 2009. Of course, you have only been working on the MechMate a few weeks. If you would like a different build time, please let me know. I would think a total of the actual time Kim spent plus the time you have spent would be appropriate. Or we can leave it blank, or whatever you prefer.

Also, if you'd like to make any comments, please let me know.

I'm excited about the potential for wind-generated energy. In West Texas, we have several wind-mill farms. I've had the opportunity to see some of them. Very impressive.

[mikefoged]

I decide to try and gear my Mechmate, the arc cutting quality began to be a little irritating. So I went out and bought some parts and the last ones came today.

Looking forward to get it all mounted, hopeful this will work out better for me.

The gearing is 3.2 : 1

[domino11]

Mike,
Did you machine the plates for your reduction on the MM? Give us some details on your reduction build! :)

[mikefoged]

I had the plates machine in a machine shop just 2 min drive from my home, the also made the shaft and machine the drive wheels. I made the drawings after J.R.'s model with a small modification. Thanks J.R. for sharing with us.
I just finish mounting the gears and I must say that it is running much better with the reduction on, tomorrow I will test cut to see if my ARC is smoother.

My feed rate is now 12000 mm/min and I'm very happy with that.

[mikefoged]

Just to let you know that MechMate is still a live her in DK, this is what I have doing the last few days. it's a jump for horse jumping. I built it for my daughter's Riding School.

[Doug_Ford]

Cool Mike. That looks sharp.

[Gerald D]

That's the first time I see a horsejump looking "feminine" - I like it! Great work!

[Robert M]

This is sooo nice & good looking... Your daughter must be proud ;)

[javeria]

oooooo

I like butterflies

good work

[domino11]

Beautiful job Mike! What type of wood did you cut it out of. How long did it take to cut?

[hennie]

Heath with a MM sommer chop,chop:)

[mikefoged]

thank you all. It is made of 4 sheets of plywood 15mm and som timper for the feets. This jump is made out of 3 sheets of 15mm plywood ant it took about 3½ houre to cut one jump, and about a week to paint and assamble

[PEU]

OMG Ponies! :D

[mikefoged]

here is som more jumps that I made, it is very easy to cut the Plywood after I got a CMT UP/Down (http://www.cmtutensili.com/show_items.asp?pars=RC~190~2)cutter :)

[javeria]

Hi Mike what exactly is the meaning of "easy to cut" , was the $63 well worth it?

I am asking bcos I am planning to cut double side laminated MDF and was planning to use a up down cutter, but due to constraints I always end up using the $3.5 carbide tipped cutter which has straight flutes.

the whiteside bits here (http://www.routerbits.com/cgi-routerbits/sr.cgi?1251069621_4188+121) look much cheaper. May be CMT is better quality.

RGDS
IRfan

[PEU]

How about this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280383718118 $23 is cheap enough :)

[mikefoged]

It is worth the price, much better quality than the cheaper one. I have cut around. 25 sheets with it and can hardly be seen on it and it cut just as sharp as when it was new, has even run over 2 metal screws without damage :o

lucky me.:D

[sailfl]

Irfan,

From my experience Whiteside bits are of very good quality plus it is a great company. Let me pass on a recent experiece with them. I was searching for a bit to match a cutter configuration I needed for a potential project. Onsrud bits would only cut 70 IPM which is a good speed but I needed faster. I called Whiteside. I was given the President of the company. After I explained my needs, he asked to see some photos but thought he could help me. He eventually sent me a modified bit for free and told me that the price for the bit would be in the 20 - 25 range even with the modifications.

I will be buying more of their bits with that kind of personal attention given by a company.

[mikefoged]

just some pictures of my finished result after I cut some plywood, I use an offset of .5 mm in the final cut and cut depth 1mm.

[mikefoged]

hi

After some adjustments of Mach3, I got my MM to run at full load with out cutting corners. How is yours CV settings in mach3 and yours lookaHead

Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojdwJMVP4sI)

[sailfl]

Mike,

In General Logic Configuration of Mach.

I have Motion Mode: Set to Constant Velocity

I have in CV Control :
CV Dist Tolerance : 50
Stop CV on Angles > 45.

Hope that helps.

[mikefoged]

Okay thanks Nils, I set mine to CV Dist Tolerance 200 and the Stop CV on Angles to 70 and my LookaHead is set to 200 works great for me, I really gets very sharp corners in hige speed cutting

[Gerald D]

Are those settings sensitive to inch / mm settings?

[mikefoged]

sorry Gerald. mine is in mm

[Gerald D]

Nothing to be sorry about! I am not familiar with those settings and I just wanted to warn that one must be careful to realise that some Mach settings depends on your inch/mm selection.