Mountaincraft
Sun 18 July 2010, 16:37
Excited to find this site.. This machine looks to be exactly what I've been looking for and dreaming about building for several years...
I have a few questions..
Looking over the drawings, I don't see any schematics, wiring diagrams, or descriptions of motors, drivers, power supply, etc... Is this an arbitrary 'up to the builder' thing, or are there 'suggested' parts for all this?
What sort of time investment do most people find it takes to build one of these things.. With or without buying the laser cut kit? That kit is nice by the way.. Makes the whole thing much less intimidating.. Who knows what it would cost to have a local company laser cut all that..
I want to build initially for use as a router table, but add plasma later on.. This would change the whole cross member system, and base plate assy of the x table, would it not? Anyone solved the best way to go about all the modifications for a dual use table? I have an idea in my mind about how to build a vacuum table for the router, but the sections would be at least 2-3 inches thick (and I'd need a working CNC router to make them.. LOL)... These would sit on top of the plasma slats.. So the plasma slats would have to be mounted lower than normal.. Would this cause problems?
Is it a big problem to increase the travel of the Z axis by 3 inches or so?
Also, there appear to be some specific specialty parts involved.. such as the rack and pinions, the v rollers, the springs, flexible cable duct, etc.. Where are they purchased from?
What can I expect to pay for the motors, drivers and power supply? Trying to get a grip on what this beast will cost me, and seeing as money is hard to come by, cost affects the time required to piece it all together, and thus the time frame of the overall build...
I notice that some of the drawings are for 'drilled' assy, and some for welded assy... What are the pros and cons of each approach?
Are their certain parts in which 'extras' should be ordered, as they are high wear, or requiring replacement down the road?
Anyways, that's some of the initial questions I have... This is all pretty exciting... I'm hoping that this project, when used for some ideas I have, can be used to provide supplemental income (or even possibly 'replacement' income) sometime down the road, while simultaneously giving me an outlet for many of my creative desires....
I live in a very rural area, and the more ways I can find to produce income from home, the better.. It's expensive to work when I have to leave the house... Rising gas prices make this more and more an issue...
Mid fifties looking for a way out of the construction industry.... :)
I have a few questions..
Looking over the drawings, I don't see any schematics, wiring diagrams, or descriptions of motors, drivers, power supply, etc... Is this an arbitrary 'up to the builder' thing, or are there 'suggested' parts for all this?
What sort of time investment do most people find it takes to build one of these things.. With or without buying the laser cut kit? That kit is nice by the way.. Makes the whole thing much less intimidating.. Who knows what it would cost to have a local company laser cut all that..
I want to build initially for use as a router table, but add plasma later on.. This would change the whole cross member system, and base plate assy of the x table, would it not? Anyone solved the best way to go about all the modifications for a dual use table? I have an idea in my mind about how to build a vacuum table for the router, but the sections would be at least 2-3 inches thick (and I'd need a working CNC router to make them.. LOL)... These would sit on top of the plasma slats.. So the plasma slats would have to be mounted lower than normal.. Would this cause problems?
Is it a big problem to increase the travel of the Z axis by 3 inches or so?
Also, there appear to be some specific specialty parts involved.. such as the rack and pinions, the v rollers, the springs, flexible cable duct, etc.. Where are they purchased from?
What can I expect to pay for the motors, drivers and power supply? Trying to get a grip on what this beast will cost me, and seeing as money is hard to come by, cost affects the time required to piece it all together, and thus the time frame of the overall build...
I notice that some of the drawings are for 'drilled' assy, and some for welded assy... What are the pros and cons of each approach?
Are their certain parts in which 'extras' should be ordered, as they are high wear, or requiring replacement down the road?
Anyways, that's some of the initial questions I have... This is all pretty exciting... I'm hoping that this project, when used for some ideas I have, can be used to provide supplemental income (or even possibly 'replacement' income) sometime down the road, while simultaneously giving me an outlet for many of my creative desires....
I live in a very rural area, and the more ways I can find to produce income from home, the better.. It's expensive to work when I have to leave the house... Rising gas prices make this more and more an issue...
Mid fifties looking for a way out of the construction industry.... :)