BAM!!! Build Complete #113 - Toronto Canada

[digger]

It is time to open a curtains and to step up in front of the great MM community and say one big HELLO. (Robert thanks for that suggestion).

I remember days when old forum existed lurking here for a long time. First as many others I had to decide, should I buy or build one. I am electronic technician by trade, so, electronics is not a problem, but welding and mechanical work. From the other side it is a challenge for me, and good excuse to buy new tools, and learn something new. Between buying new machine or to build it myself, there was no doubt what to do. No money for new one. Size? What should be the size? Where to keep MM? My initial idea was to build 4x4' cutting size and keep it in a basement. There is no room for bigger one. In the meantime, we decided to do a major renovation which will take a place next year. Till then, I can do some steel work, because, when winter come, there is no work outside.

From the time I decided to build it I collected electronics, steppers, laser parts... Laser parts (ordered from US) are done from first published plans for MM, not Mamba MM. Regarding that I have some questions: I know I can follow the drawings for old MM from beginning to the end, but if Mamba is improved and there is no problem to change some dimensions, why not improve it. Now, I am doing railing for gantry. In old MM rails are 23mm but in Mamba model they are 28mm (M1 10 110). Should I cut angles at 28mm or follow old drawing and cut it at 23mm?

Gerald, thanks for great plans, thanks for making MM be live around the world and for gathering great people around MM.

Milosh

[Robert M]

Hey Milosh…..Great to see you in front of behind your curtain :rolleyes:
I will wish you a great & wonderful time on your build. It’s not just educative, challenging…. But mostly very rewarding and self gratitude once over !

As for size & space, many members here have proven it is possible to live by with tighter living space & quarters in order to let bloom a nice beast….. As an example, Look at my set-up, in a basement family room…. Till a better place comes…. It’s all a matter of priorities & perception…..GOT TO BE AN excellent motivator to your family in order to have this approved :D

Best of luck, but mostly, wishing you great times !
Amicalement, Robert ;)

[digger]

I think it is a time for a change of the title to build finished.

After a seven years (it was a time when I purchased first parts) till today passed seven years. There were some breaks, short and long, but at the end here is a Board Runner - blue beast. I remember reading the forum when it was in the old form.

During the build I encountered many challenges, but with the help of forum and friends here is the end. I build 49"x97", with Milwaukee router. In near future is to put a spindle.

I would like to thank Gerald for his great plans and support as well as great group of people on this forum.


http://youtu.be/UY0za1QORdw

[darren salyer]

Awesome job Milosh.Machine looks very well built. You may be in the running
For longest build. Well worth the wait, I'm sure. Enjoy.

[digger]

I think it is the longest built. I was the one who purchased last set of laser parts from somebody form the US. Forgot his name. It was a set for old, not Mamba set. Mike aka metalhead and Domino helped me with the "difference". I stuck with the plan end whenever I tried to make some changes I regretted. I used I beams for the main beams and used some angle beams left over for support under the table.

[MetalHead]

Congrats ... now what # are we on? !!!

Let me look :) !!!

[Robert M]

An accomplishment is in part due to determination……not through courting time !
That’s said, you may be the 1st medalist as far as longevity & perseverance in a MM build !?

Congrats on this accomplishment and no need to remind you, many hrs of fascinating pleasure and part making to come !
On a last note, I suggest you stick around to this group as long ( if not more) as it took you to finish it !
I’ve been around since #1……and hopping to contribute by staying around many more !!
Amicalement, Robert ;)

PS….through us some pics of your build, it is always inspiring for many

[digger]

Hey Robert,

your comment made me laugh. Thanks for kind words. It is accomplishment. It took me a while but finaly I made it. I am sure, nothing of that wouldn't happened without my wife's unerstanding of my need to be in our signle car garage. She call this project 'a rocket'. I have no idea why. Probably to her it looks like a rocket. :)

I will post some photos of my build, as soon as I fix HD of desktop computer.

Thank you guys for nice words. It was a project of a kind. And as Danilo, my coutryman told me once, building is only one part of the game. Second part will be more interesting when you start to cut. I can still recall of his smile when he told me that. Now, I realize that it is truth.

And I will be present here. I like to see other people ideas how they make things, so I can learn something and make myself too.

Milosh

p.s. any number?

[MetalHead]

Yep - You get #113 !! Congrats!!!

[lonestaral]

Congratulations on your completion.

The time matters not, only the result.
You can stand by your machine with your arms crossed and say
"This is mine, I built it with my hands, heart and brain, it works"
It is a thrill to see it work for the first time.

A small connection perhaps, my Uncle Jim lived in Toronto for most of his life.
He died in February this year.
His daughter contacted us with the news.
I last saw and spoke with her 43 years ago.

Once again well done.
All the best for the future.

[jhiggins7]

Milosh,

Congratulations on completing your MechMate and earning Serial #113.

Here is the Updated Builder's Log (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AttqjIPMBEXKcExveGc4d3U0V25zQmMyX1U1eUVhU Xc&usp=sharing)with your entry.

I took a shot at the build start date. Let me know if you want to change the start date.

[cleyte]

Congrats Milosh.

I am very happy for you. Your perseverance has paid off. That in itself should be an inspiration to others to carry on ... after all, the journey is sometimes as good as the destination !!!

One more for the Canadians !!!

Clayton

[domino11]

Congrats Milosh! Very nice job! :)

[Andrew_standen]

Congratulations, now the real fun starts, lots of dust and chips.
Good luck

[digger]

Guys

thank you very much for kind words. It really means something to me that I accomplished something.

As promised here are some photos:

[smreish]

Very well done! Congrats!

[digger]

Thank you Sean. It has to be done well when young inspector is always preasent. :)

[darren salyer]

Glad to see the young'un wearing Safety Glasses.!! :)

[Tom Ayres]

No Kidding! Here's an example of why you need safety glasses even if things seem harmless. Today I did a bench top set-up for my spindle/vfd, I placed a piece of blue tape on the end of the shaft around the collet so I could get a visual on the rotation. Boy did I get a visual, at around 15k rpm the tape flew off at an alarming speed straight into my left eye over my eye glasses, 6 hours later I still have major eye pain and doesn't seem it'll go away anytime soon. If I had been wearing the safety glasses (2 ft away) I wouldn't be wincing to look at the laptop screen right now. The bad part (or good part) about it is that my kids were there to witness my stupidity. Maybe they learned something about safety today, don't do what Dad does...

[digger]

Tom,

sorry to hear that you have a problem with your eye. My case was a bit different. It happened when I was doing some mitre cut. Used grinder with cutting disk. Angle steel wasn't clamped well, so it was sort of speak, a bit loos, and I was almost at the end of this mitre cut, when I lost a control of the grinder. I was standing and cutting and it was summer so time to be in a shorts. I was lucky because the shorts was baggy one, the one basketball players wearing. So, when I lost control of grinder, grinder went of the cut, blade towards me (or my balls) and caught my baggy shorts and immediately stopped to spin. Blade was broken, shorts looked like an Italian spaghetti, and important thing is that my balls were intact.:D But it was close.

Lesson learned - clamp it so it doesn't move.

[Tom Ayres]

Glad things worked out, ha ha:D

[digger]

Glad things worked out, ha ha:D
And my wife is glad too. :D