Hi From Greece (Planning Started, Advise Needed)

[Sergio-k]

Hello MM8s

(correction i'm on planning step and not planing as i mistyped on title)

First of all i want to congratulate everyone in this forum as you guys keep it
in top notch comparing to other DIY CNC forums with paid access or not.
I've been lurking around DIY CNC forums quite a bit and finally i got here,
thank god :D

So as for my plans for my MM i rest my thoughts ahaid.....

1) As for table i was considering of building a 2500mm x 1500mm working area
as WRA (wife restrictions applied) in my thoughts of an original scale MM.
Considering that in Europe we have the 2030mm x 3050mm scale of sheets (either wood or acrylic) i think it's a good idea to just receive the sheets cut in half from the supplier. Advise needed here abt the table size.

2) For my BOB i'am thinking of buying PMDX 125 as it comes with 4 203v geckos in a good price. I know you all tend to 122 board but it comes without the geckos so i guess i'll be the guinea pig regarding the board.

3) About the motor steppers i am thinking of PK296AE-SG7.2 as i see is the choice for most of the users here so no guinea pig route here.

4) I still haven't decided abt spindle but my thoughts tend to a water cooled one as i plan to install a pc water cooling kit on it. Suggestions are greatly appreciated here.

That's for now.
Any guides to a newbie are welcomed.

Glad i'm part of this forum, will revert with more info as i proceed.

[riesvantwisk]

Hey Sergio,

welcome to do forum (again).

1) Since you are working under WRA laws do what she tells you, wifes do have a 6th sense for things :D
No kidding, see what really is going to be sensible. If you currently already cutting the very large sheets, then it might be a good idea to make teh MM that size. If you don't, but plan to (as a dream) then I would stay at half sizes for now... You could always build a new MM and take all teh electronics from your old one, at that stage it's just metal and cheaper to build a second one.

2) No experience with the PMDX 125, as long as it can drive the gecko's from Mach3 I think you should be fine. The G203V's are a goods choice in any case.

3) I am using the 34HS9801 (money restrictions for me...) but you can't go wrong with the PK296AE-SG7.2

4) If you tend to use the machine on a day by day base, then a spindle is the way to go. With cooling you don't have to go crazy as from what I read,
people even suck up water from a bucked and dumping it back in withotu any additional features to cool a spindle. Obvious you need a have a closed water circuit :)

My advice:
1) Read the manual (PDF's)
2) Read the forum
3) Ask questions
4) Read the manual
5) Read the forum
6) Ask questions
7) Read the manual
...
...
...

Lucky me I had some help with welding, but reading it a couple of times to understand how the system work, what parts/dimensions are important will help you build the MM very well.
So far I just found one dimension on my machine off (by 10mm) but thing that cannot be fixed :)

Ries

[Sergio-k]

Thx Ries

Concerning the cooling of spindle i'm not thinking of putting a monster but just
a simple pc water cooling closed circuit, with the small radiator that they provide with.

I read the pdfs allday trying not to miss a thing, although the positioning of the m1 rack on the x axis is still confusing me.

[riesvantwisk]

I read the pdfs allday trying not to miss a thing,

Good !


although the positioning of the m1 rack on the x axis is still confusing me.

They are 'glued' with double sides tape... You don't even need the end screws, intact the end screws might damage the poinions when teh roll over it during a fault...


Or do you wonder about something else?

Ries

[Sergio-k]

Good !



They are 'glued' with double sides tape... You don't even need the end screws, intact the end screws might damage the poinions when teh roll over it during a fault...


Or do you wonder about something else?

Ries

No that was exactly what i was wondering.
I thought that the rack had to be screwed on the x axis but i missed the tape thing. I guess tape will do the work.

Today i had a call from the stepper motors shop and they asked me if i'm going to need any reducers with my motors. I said no .... or should have said yes ?? :confused:

thx again Ries for your help.

[riesvantwisk]

No that was exactly what i was wondering.
I thought that the rack had to be screwed on the x axis but i missed the tape thing. I guess tape will do the work.

Today i had a call from the stepper motors shop and they asked me if i'm going to need any reducers with my motors. I said no .... or should have said yes ?? :confused:

thx again Ries for your help.

Geared reducers usually have more black slash, but with the recommended types by Gerard I believe that this isn't a problem, I don't have experience in that area but just what I see from pictures.

Since you wanted to use the PK296AE-SG7.2 I did assume you already decided on a stepper with a 7.2 reducer on top :)

See: http://www.oriental-motor.co.uk/uk/sites/produkt_4.php?ida=3&idser=69&idpr=1240&sgid=72


A lot of people go with home-made belt reducers though, they have much less backslash but I don't know how it will compare against a belt reducer, the forum is the answer here :)

Ries

[Gerald D]

The PMDX-125 does not include the G203 drives as far as I know - where do you get this idea?

If your standard sheets are 2030mm x 3050mm, and you want a machine for half sheets, then make the X=2030 and the Y=1525. It does not help yo make the machine a "little bigger" because then it becomes difficult to clamp down the standard half sheets.

[riesvantwisk]

The PMDX-125 does not include the G203 drives as far as I know - where do you get this idea?

Gerard,
I think they recently put them on offer : http://www.pmdx.com/PMDX-125

Ries

[Gerald D]

Ries & Sergio, you guys found useful info! PMDX is indeed offering to bundle some G203's at a good, but the biggest saving is on the shipping/transport costs:

Individually, the PMDX-125 is priced at $159.00 and the G203 is priced at $147.00

The PMDX-125-Bundle3 including 3 Gecko G203V stepper drivers is priced at $576.00

The PMDX-125-Bundle4 including 4 Gecko G203V stepper drivers is priced at $715.00

[Sergio-k]

Hello again

Gerald i wanted to make the x axis a little bigger, say 2500 because i was thinking of installing a 4th axis later. So i guessed an extra 500mm could do the job.
I don't know if the 500mm is enough though.
Can someone point me to a good site where i can search for reliable water cooled spindles with VFD's cause i'm pretty lost atm.

And finally what is your opinion of this as a clamp system ?
http://www.shopcamrouters.com/products_vacuumtable.htm

Sergio

[jehayes]

Sergio: You might also want to consider the G504 from Gecko which includes the BoB and 4 drivers in one unit so you don't need a separate package from PMDX. At $299 the G504 is well below half the cost of the PMDX-125 + 4 G203V bundle from PMDX. Just an alternative to consider

[riesvantwisk]

Sergio,

what Joe says is completly true (I think he means G540 though) however,
bear in mind that if the unit breaks... you need to buy a complete new unit aka 300USD.

If this is a hobby machine, then this could be a very nice solution because if it breaks, it's ok to waits some time to get the new unit shipped over and start routing again.

If you are a professional and 'demand' they machine to work on a day by day base, it's a lot easer to use and may be store separate parts.
The pmdx can be replaced by a other brand bob, and even a single drivers could be replaced by a chineese.

You can also buy two G540's, have one spare and still be cheaper though ;)

I bought the G203V's because importing to Ecuador can take sometimes weeks, and they are well protected against stupidity, last power isn't that good here:

product comparison:
http://www.geckodrive.com/product.aspx?c=3&i=14460
http://www.geckodrive.com/product.aspx?c=3&i=14472

G540 is a very nice option, I would buy two just in case (for USA people this doesn't matter) and properly I might have bought it if it existed about a year ago.

Ries

[Sergio-k]

The G540 is a quite good package.
But the main reason for choosing the 125 board is this :

•Supports 4 additional high speed outputs using a second port or the SmoothStepper
•The additional high speed outputs can be used as step and direction for greater than 4 axis operation when using two ports or the SmoothStepper

[bradm]

Ries, It is not correct that all failures of the G540 require a complete replacement. The four drives inside are individually replaceable, so a single drive failure requires just the replacement part from Gecko.

However your point about purchasing two to have spare parts makes a lot of sense if you aren't in the US. Then you could do a quick swapout, and contact Gecko to get the replacement piece for the failed unit at leisure.

It does raise the interesting point of buying and using two G540s - that would give you a lot of I/O, and a lot of spare drivers.

But now I'm sounding like a salesguy, and I'm really just a satisfied customer!

[riesvantwisk]

Brad,

that's a good observation, I did understand that it was a internal similar driver, rather then a replaceable driver.

glad you are satisfied :) I think many are with the Gecko's :)

Ries

[foinikas]

im waiting my g203v drives to be in greece in few days (i hope,usps have meshed up i cant track my order and waiting reply from gecko sales deparment ) if you can wait a bit i can inform you about the customs fee :eek:
atm for electronics (4-motors-Mk,1-pmdx and 4-g203v) the cost is 900euro (waiting to see what the custmos will charge for the 4 g203v:mad:).