Motors are turning - Soldotna, AK

[JasonC]

After a year of research on purchasing a pre fab cnc router the pocket book seems to always be just a LLLIITTLLEEE short so here I am.

Have some questions and need some direction.

1 getting the plans, I tried through CV and palpay wouldnt work.?. and the forum download says something about "recurring subscription" will i be getting auto billed for a 100$ over and over????

2 are there any retro fit kits for all the motors, drivers, power sup, etc. I want something pretested to work together. My brain will blowup if i have to figure out the electric side of things.

3 what sizes are available in the plans im looking at 48x96 or 60x120. and if there are "cnc retro kits" what size of motors should I use. I think i can only afford a router right now but want to upgrade to a ripen spindle.

I getting a little lost in the forum with so much different info that i dont really know what direction to go.

Thank you
Jason

[JasonC]

Oh i forgot want to do a 4th axis indexer also.

Thanks
Jason

[JasonC]

Plans are on the way!

:)

Jason

[MetalHead]

Welcome to the forum. You should now have the plans in your in box.

[JasonC]

No plans yet


Jason

[JasonC]

Has anyone heard of these companys, CNCRouterParts and Motiontek or Candcnc and what would be a go choice from the 3 for a 5'x10' router table, with a 4th axis.

Thank You

Jason

[danilom]

From the reading of various forums etc. Ahren from CNCrouterparts is an great person and has good parts, you can find 4-axis nema34 kit there.
But check with Metalhead (Mike) first he also has a complete kit, maybe at a better price.
For 4th axis you will need 5th motor and drive and a bit larger psu.

[MetalHead]

You should have your plans. I sent them to you yesterday morning. I can provide a lot of the pieces you need for your machine. Some parts like the steel you will need to source local. But the Electrics for the control box, wires, laser cut parts , motors, power supplies and stuff like that I can supply for you. Let me know if those plans are not in your in box.

[JasonC]

Wahoo! I got mail!

Jason:)

[MetalHead]

Let me know if you got all the files. I may need to send you the rest. You should have 5 pdf and a zip file

[JasonC]

I have number 1 and 2. My email filter is off. looks like 10 10 200 and up. My email has a 10 mega limit.

Jason

[JasonC]

I cleared it I can take 10 more Megs

Jason

[JasonC]

Got all the plans thanks for you patience.

Jason Cooke

[MetalHead]

Now get busy :) !!! Just kidding - looking forward to your build. Let me know if you need anything.

[JasonC]

Haha:) IM ON IT!


Someone mentioned you have cnc plug and play kits (on the electronics side)? like motiontek..?...ya?no?


Jason

[MetalHead]

Well not really plug and play. You have to figure out how things work. That is part of the learning with this machine. You want to be able to service it. What I do provide is a place for you to source a lot of the things that are sometimes purchased incorrectly or you have to by boxes when you only need pieces. I also do not charge a cut fee for wire purchases which can be as high as $25.00. So take a look here to get an idea on some of the things I have. I also have power supplies and motors.

http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2921&highlight=Electric+Kits

[JasonC]

I already have a cnc milling machine so I have a general idea of the process. I was wanting to jump passed the R/D phase of the electronic side and get cutting.

:)Jason

[JasonC]

I have a thought.

Why not have someone do a basic video on the machine build(metal part). It will eliminate the huge amount of forum and keep confusion down.

Jason

[danilom]

When I was building there were no confusions, there are plans and couple of forum subtopics which describe and have an answer to almost any question regarding specific parts of the metal construction. You got everything in plans, all dimensions and positions of elements. And so many pictures to look to her on forum.
If you plan to build something non standard then some questions may arise.
I saw some of the videos that the people who make plans for stuff made. You still have to make everything by the book. Mechmate plans are even flexible and allow to build any size you want.
And any video can't beat the interactive community here at forum!

[JasonC]

I was just thinking it would compliment the process. Im in the research/post plan purchase phase. I have troubles with forums.....way too many different ideas that arent necessarily interchangable.

Jason

[JasonC]

I have been looking over these plans for several days now....hmmm. Now Im a draftsmen,CAD trained, and a machinist, Im guessing there is a certian amount of self engineering needed here. Is there a list of a order of construction? The Y car is a bit of a mystery to me I see the drawing but?????. I guess ill start with the table first and take it section by section.?????.

Jas

[danilom]

It's easier to put bits and pieces together when you have lasercut parts in front of you. those are a kickstarter for every build. They are a main building block.
Also the Y car is all lasercut so no mystery there, for assembly you can find nice pictures with tab welding order here:
http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=303

So jump in and contact Mike for lasercut parts!

[MetalHead]

Where the plans have the specs and info for various details, this forum is the manual to learn what is needed as well as for your build. That is why we want people to post in their build threads what they are doing. This way we can see innovations as well as issues as the builds progress. Sort of like having a global inspection team watching over your shoulder.

[JasonC]

it says provide .dxf drawing to a laser cutting company, the closest possible to me is 250 mile away if there is one. where do you obtain these .dxf from?

Mike i feel another order will be needed.?. :) the laser cut pieces.

Jas

[timberlinemd]

Jason,
Unless you have someone you know or you can do it yourself, you will be hard pressed to find a company that will provide you with the 'laser cut/bent' parts for less than what Mike, AKA Metalhead, will do them for.

[MetalHead]

I PM'd the particulars. I have 13 sets ready to ship as well as other parts I detailed in my PM to consider poking into that box to get the best deal on freight. I also have electrics and wire also when you get to it.

[JasonC]

question...first off have plans,orders,drawing,lists EVERYWHERE but is there a drawing for a x rail with a V-cap?

Jason

[JasonC]

10 10 247? ugh found it, right in front of me..lol

[JasonC]

strange it never printed had to go back to the download.

Jas

[JasonC]

next, rail caps, source or is the Mcmaster Carr ok?

[smreish]

Call Rick at Superior Bearing in Ohio. You will pay double the price for the BWC vee rail from McMaster. He is listed all over the forum. He also is the premier source for bushings and bearings too.

[JasonC]

Ok thanks, already on it.

Question, the X beam, Im doing a 5'X10', I checked locally here and there are a few options on the 8" C channel, wall thickness is .220 or .303 of a inch...which should i use?
And should I place 6 legs instead of 4?

Thanks
Jason

[Gerald D]

4 legs

[JasonC]

also on drawing 10 20 440 S A the "material: 100mm x 50mm Rec Steel tubing. wall thinkness 2mm". is there a inch version? And if its 2"x4" will it work with the gantry welding and have problems.

[timberlinemd]

10 20 440 2"x4"x .083"
C channel .303 or .220 either will work

[JasonC]

THANK YOUUUUUUU Much.

Time for the steel purchase...eeesh.

Jason

[Gerald D]

The tube can be inch sized 2"x4" but I wouldn't use channel.

[JasonC]

The channel question was just for the X beams, square tube on the gantry.
Thank allot folks.
Looks like ill be starting here in the next few weeks ill start a build thread. For newbie like me if you read over and over the info the learning curve gets better then you start to see it in your head, I have been studying it for about 2 weeks and now have a pretty solid grasp of everything.

Thank you
Jason

[MetalHead]

Keep reviewing everything and reading the build threads. That is the whole point. As you continue to look at everyones builds you will see the steps you need to build your machine.

[JasonC]

I have a prefab cnc milling machine so its not totally new material. But the info on here is priceless.'

Jas

[JasonC]

Mcmaster Carr shipping is FAST! product looks great. Rack and pinion and cable carrier. Well packed. And got the table steel today.. :D

Jas

[JasonC]

What would be a ideal computer to use for the MM, not too pricie but will handle anything I throw at it.. I want to be able to use Rhinocad,Aspire,3D,2D, Mach3. No internet! I would also like to gut the thing on useless software. I have had allot of trouble free luck with all my Dells.

Jason


also received all the laser cut parts the other day. Thanks Mike.

[danilom]

I think you could get HP DC7100, add some RAM and be fine to use it.
They appeared some time ago in batches here on sales in Europe maybe in the USA also.
Case is heavy weight champion and the power supply is extraordinary, cooling is perfect although they use 3.0HT Intel prescott which gets a bit hotter than new c2d or i-family processors.
I have one and used it as main computer, also with Mach for testing screens and other settings, not on production machine.
Also had one IBM Thinkcentre and stay away from that as I tested one and it gave me headache trying to find the reason for some glitches on rapids.

[KenC]

I don't like the idea of doing my CAD drawing & working on the CAM in a pile of wood dust... Hence an isolated & dedicated PC for my MM, nothing other than the OS & the motion control software. which is Ubuntu & EMC2.

[JasonC]

I was looking at a new Dell 560, and either have my local computer guy or I do a minimal OS install, custom order it all ready as wanted. I have one already and it performs great. I just have no experience with Mach3 and giving it the plenty of power to run glitch free. Also the CAD on it will be just for emergencies not the main work station. The 32 bit is a pain.

Jason

[JasonC]

Can anyone tell me if this is correct, starting BASIC.

Jason

[JasonC]

Its 220 also.

Im sorry about such a dumb question but im having a tuff time wrapping my head around everything for this build with my own lifes BS.

Jason

[bradm]

If I'm seeing this correctly, then at the bottom left, the leftmost switch is the NO to 'start' and the right switch is the NC to 'stop'.

It looks correct -> IF the main contactor coil is a 220V coil.

Presumably, not shown is the power infeed to the safety switch in the middle at the bottom.

[JasonC]

Its 220 power from wall(not seen wired)...... to the big on /off, red/yellow turn switch..... to the contactor with the red"O" green "l" push buttom switch to activate it..... to the toroid trans. does that help clearify?

Jason

[Regnar]

Jason,

My only advice is to start using some wire management. As the box starts to fill up those few extra inches here and there are really going to annoy you and get in the way for other wire routing. They could also cause you problems later down the road with noise. (Note: Example is the AC lines next to the Breakout Board.)

This just just me but wire nuts are a huge no no. I have seen to many come loose and the wires will start to arc and melt everything around it. I am not saying what you have done is wrong just something I wouldn't do.;)

Welcome to the forum and happy building.

[JasonC]

This isnt the finished product but a dry fit. I have totally revamped the whole thing. No wire nuts got it. thanks. Im going to be painting the back plate. This is just kinda a kitchen table setup.


thank you
Jason

[KenC]

Please do practice electrical safety. Even though its a dry fit. You still has a MechMate to complete! :)

[JasonC]

Yes, I wired my own house. Im just dont want to fry anything when I hit the main power. If I were to wire everything 110v I wouldnt have any questions. But im trying to wire as much 220v as I can for better use of electricity.
Im at the PMDX-126 and trying to wire it 220v but there is only 2 connecters(J8)with no markings on J8 to indicate ++ or +-, and I have 2 hots and a 1 neutral, and is it safe to wire it from the "T" side of the contactor. If I run two hots to the PMDX and no ground well without a ground the getting shock factor is there??? Or should I just keep it simple and 110v the PMDX ad stop messing with trying to 220 everything I can.

Jason

[Regnar]

You probably should do what ever you feel most comfortable with. I dont think having 220v for you power into the BOB will have any advantages. You can still run 220 into the box then split it up into 2 circuits, One for the router and the other for everything else.

[bradm]

You have two choices for the PMDX-126; You can jumper it for 110v, and then wire one hot and one neutral to J8 (polarity doesn't matter). Or you can jumper it for 220v and wire both hots to J8. The PMDX instructions indicate that there is no safety ground connection required (Section 10.5).

In terms of powering the PMDX-126 from the L or T side of the contactor, it depends on what behavior you want. If you wire from the T side, the BOB won't be active until you fire up the drivers; on the L side the BOB is active as soon as you turn on the main power.

One reason you might want to keep the BOB active is if you have a VFD / spindle combination. Because you don't want to shutdown a VFD while in operation, you may also want to keep the control signals (from the BOB) up during an EStop. It probably doesn't matter much for a router setup.

[MetalHead]

THe E-Stop function is for safety and should kill the machine (And the router). The RB01 kit has 3 buttons one of which is stop that can be wired into the BOB for Software stops. So I think any down stream electrical piece in the cabinet (Including passing power to the inputs of the VFD) should come on the down stream (T) side of the contactor. This way you have the master on off switch on the dial and if needed the E-stop circuit to kill the whole machine if needed , including the router. If a controlled stop is needed press the stop button. I tried to find a "Pause" label but could not find one for the RB01 kit.

[JasonC]

Excellent now the learning curve is greating better, The 2 hot leads to J8. The rest Im good on.... THANKK YOUUUU folks.

Jason

[JasonC]

Are there any examples of a setup with a PMDX-126 and a PMDX-133 wired up complete as a comparison. There isnt much mentioned about J11-J13 on the PMDX-133.

Thank you
Jason

[MetalHead]

All you should have as far as wiring is the long ribbon cable from the 126 to the 1st 133 and then from 133 to 133 board. The 2 short ribbon cables are for the Smooth Stepper Wiring.

[JasonC]

Then nothing on the J11,J12,J13?

"Motor Current Connectors"

Section 3.5 in the pmdx-133 manual.

[MetalHead]

Current Limit Resistors - Search that and also read the 203V Manual.

270K should cover BiPollar Parallel config

[JasonC]

Thanks, I recap tonight everything.

Thanks
Jason

[JasonC]

Hello,

This is what I have going so far on the electrical side.

Antek PS-5n48r12(wired 220v) = 48V, 10.5a
PMDX 126(220v)
PMDX 133 daisy chained to G203V Geckos.
Keling Tech motors KL34H280-45-8A wired Bipolar parellel

Now the questions start....I would need a 430K resistor to get to 6.3amps?

And is my supply to low...looks more like a 20 amp power sup would be better.

a 270K would be too low.?.

Searching this forum isnt helping much

Tug on my rope...lost again.
Jas

[JasonC]

and a 3:1 reduction

ooppps
Jas

[KenC]

I don't use Gecko stuff, so no help in that, but do you really need 6.3A ? Especially with a 3:1 reduction.
From what I see here & what I have, for most cases(Unless you pack up lots of extra weight on the car... ), 3A is ample to move things around. Disregard of the power supply voltage. . If I remember correctly, no one actually use 4A or above... please correct me if I've mistaken.

BTW, my car is heavier then most because of my Z-axis mechanism.

Instead of loosing hair over the 6.5A set up, You can start tuning with 3A limit then move up if it is not adequate; It is better for your electronics' longevity & your insomnia problem :)

Edit: I assume you are talking about setting current limit of the individual drivers.
If you question your overall current requirements, your 48V 10.4A is 504 VA which is more than the de-facto 300VA transformer.

[JasonC]

Thank you, explanations help allot.

...links to confused peoples to links to more compounded confusion to links just confuse me more, reminds me of a teacher I had and I asked how to spell something and her reply was always "look it up". I hated that teacher..lol

Jas

[KenC]

This forum do not advocate spoon feeding, you need to look up before asking meaningful questions (which you did)...
Teachers can be too busy at times too :)

[MetalHead]

Your PS is plenty based on how the motors run in the machine. Go to the main forum page and look in the chapters if your having trouble getting the searches to give you info. Read the stickies in each chapter.

http://www.mechmate.com/forums/index.php

Also look at the top of the 203V Gecko. The max resistor before not using one at all is 270K. Also keep in mind this is a current limit resistor for the Gecko Drive and not for the power supply.

[Richards]

Many people are confused about the current limit resistors used on the G203v. The formula to find the correct resistance is: 47 X Amps / (7 - Amps) = resistor (in thousands), so 47 X 6.3 / (7 - 6.3) = 423K. 6.1A needs a 318K resistor and 6A needs a 282K resistor. As you approach 7A, the resistance goes up quickly.

I would use the closest standard resistor to 280K.

[JasonC]

Thank you Richards, I actually had to go outside the forum for help:

Hello Jason,

Your motors call for 6.3 amperes when operated in parallel
mode. The G203V needs a 423K ohm resistor to set 6.3 amperes
as the coil current. The closest standard 5% value is 430K ohms
and I would recommend using a 430K ohm, 1/4 watt resistor.

The formula is 47*I/(7-I) where I is the current in amperes
and the result is resistor value in K ohms.

The power supply you have lists is significantly under sized.
The normal recommendation for a power supply is to have between
1/2 to 2/3 of the current rating of the motor be available from
the power supply. In your case this would point to a 20 ampere
supply.

Do not be afraid to run your motors at lower current. It will
produce less torque, but will not harm them. Just select a
lower value resistor.

Regards,
Steve
PMDX


Not looking for hand outs just a "clear uniform explanation". :-) I have looked through the chapter over and over, the contradiction throw me off track. Ill get there eventually.

Thank You Guys
Jas

[KenC]

Power is power, Disregard of voltage or current combination,, when your motor draws 6.3A, fat 48V, you will be at 300W!!! The numbers says your PSU is grossly under-sized, but before you come to a conclusion, you need to know in reality, ALL motors including stepper motors won't pull more power then it needs to move. With stepper motor, only in static mode, i.e. not moving, the driver will churn out full current to hold the motor shaft in position.

It takes less then 3A individual motors to move & hold. I'm running at 60~65 Vdc which says below 180~200W per motor at its peak power,I even have 1/2 full current with my direct drive... more than enough to stay put like an anchor! Mind you, mine is still a direct drive which need more torque to move & stop.
I would go lower for cooler motor but 3A is the lowest setting my drivers allows...

Don't take my word for it, dig through the forum & you will see this pattern with other MMs as well.

BTW, you are not alone in such confusion, I was there once :)

Play it safe, set the current to 3A for a starter & move up if its absolutely necessary..

[MetalHead]

Sent you a PM

[MetalHead]

I stand corrected about the resistor selection. It is covered in the 203 manual on page 3. I still believe that how this machine runs the 5N transformer is more than enough to support these motors. Also keep in mind these resistors LIMIT the current draw to the motors. So if you did go with the 270k (Or the 282K) that would limit your current to 6A, derating the motors a small amount. This of course can be adjusted for pushing the motor harder. You can also wire these motors half coil and that draw is then 4.5A per motor changing the resistor of course and also lowering the overall current draw on the power supply. That is another reason I like this motor (KL34H280-45-8A) http://www.kelinginc.net/KL34H280-45-8A.pdf Even half coil it has plenty of power to run the machine, especially if using belt drives. This motor gives a good cross section of uses as both a direct drive motor and a belt drive motor.

http://www.geckodrive.com/images/fck_uploads/G203V-REV-7-MANUAL.pdf

TERMINAL 11 Current Set
Connect the current set resistor to this terminal
TERMINAL 12 Current Set
Connect the other end of the current set resistor to this terminal

This input matches the G203V’s current output to the motor windings. The G203V will accommodate motor winding currents from
0 to 7A. Use the following equation to calculate the value, (in kilo-Ohms) of the current set resistor:
R (in kilo-ohms) = 47 * I / (7 – I) Use the nearest standard value 5% tolerance, 1/4W resistor for this setting.

Here are the current set resistor values for motor current in .5A increments.

Round the appropriate answer to the nearest 5%
resistor value.

a. 1A – 7.8K
b. 1.5A – 12.8K
c. 2A – 18.8K
d. 2.5A – 26.1K
e. 3A – 35.25K
f. 3.5A – 47K
g. 4A – 62.67K
h. 4.5A – 84.6K
i. 5A – 117.5K
j. 5.5A – 172.33K
k. 6A – 282K
l. 6.5A – 611K
m. 7A – OPEN

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

HEATSINKING: The G203V needs heatsinking for current settings greater than 3 amps. The case temperature (measured on the
bottom plate) should not exceed 70 degrees C, and for best life should be kept at 50C degrees or less. Use heatsink compound
between the G203V and your heatsink.
CAUTION! Current settings above 3A without a heatsink may result in the G203V entering thermal shutdown.
AUTO CURRENT REDUCTION: The G203V reduces motor phase current to 71% of the set current value 1 second after the last
step pulse is sent. The G203V also changes to a special recirculating current mode to nearly eliminate motor heating.

[MetalHead]

The 4.5 A number can be explained here.

http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?p=15015&postcount=24

[JasonC]

Does anyone have a similar setup as Im running to know what kind of performance it has in parallel vs series vs half?

"4-wire, 6-wire and 8-wire motor may be used. If 6-wire motors are used, they may be connected in half winding or full winding.
This is equivalent to an 8-wire motor connected in parallel or series. If a motor is connected in series or full winding, the motor’s phase current rating is half of its parallel or unipolar rating. The choice depends on the high-speed performance required; a
parallel-connected motor will provide twice the power of a series-connected motor at the same power supply voltage." Gecko.

This is allot like wiring speakers in a car.

Jason

[JasonC]

Parallel would produce twice the power and the power sup would need to feed X2 the power, basically it thinks it pushing 2 motors( --,++)...Where as series wiring fools the power supply into thinking its just 1 motor(- +- +)...?... And half is just half the coils being used.(2 of the 4 coils)..

Am I getting closer..lol.

Jason

[JasonC]

As for the amps if I have 5 motors at full power I would need 30 and that where I think he is getting that from, just matching the numbers,not application. It may seem a little under but we will see.


Jas

[MetalHead]

You really cant run all motors at full power at the same time. As you change directions motors speed up or slow down. This happens all the time. And in 1 second after the last step is sent the Gecko derates the current to 71% reducing the current load even more.

[KenC]

Earth calling Jason....
That happens only in the theoretical end-of-the-world scenario or Jupeter... On earth, 300VA is enough for MM.

Anyway, feel free to ultra over-size everything & anything as long as it makes you happy, the power is all yours & yours only.

Cheers

[MetalHead]

Well now Ken - That 5N PS is my idea :). Jason is just trying to understand the power needs and (as well all go through) get his head around what the electrics are really doing. The cool thing here is to realize that math and the real world sometimes conflict.

[JasonC]

Hi all.

No worries Ken, I got the full picture now. I just needed to weed through the terms and get my head around the whole picture. I work in theory then I got to reality. Also using analogies helped me, ( the similiar to a car stereo build really flipped the "I got it" switch). I think if I give my version of how things work it will help people like me get it.

KenC, from a testing stand point, have you tested the amp loads as it runs, in a working enviroment, like a hard wood or something similar where its workinhg the machine hard(kind a worst case senerio). It would help people to know what they are.

My biggest concern in all this was not to damage or fry anything or ME!:D

Im firing her up today..kitchen table style.

Thanks guy
Jason

[Gerald D]

Jason, see this thread

Transformer supply current versus Gecko output current . . . . . (http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=828&highlight=ammeter)

the measured real life currents are very low, and in that thread you can see we even doubted the accuracy of the ammeters in the beginning. But experience has proved over and over that the theory and formulae give oversized power supplies. The ammeters were not faulty.

No harm in having an oversized supply, unless it trips a breaker when you turn it on (some of us found that out too).

[JasonC]

She alive! Green light all across the board.

Wired in the motors but no movement. Followed the mach manual but no luck so far. Tried a simple jog on the A axis and it tripped a relay in the BOB. Wires are 100% correct.

Jas

[KenC]

Congrats! for the lights but most importantly weeded out the 5x oversize power tranny.

I didn't do an extensive current monitoring since Gerald already did that. My are a clamp type amp meter which is not accurate but enough to indicate there are current flowing in the cables.

During cutting, the cutting force is the other variable perimeter which contributes to the motor load. Never measure this force directly, but I said it because I realised we don't need awful lot of force to hold the work piece down during cutting. Some times it is adequate to hold the work piece down by a light press with your palm but please avoid this when you can. This is a general observation.

As for your motor, did you motors warm up after power up? Is there any exposed wires & if the exposed wires touched anything they are not suppose to?

PS, Mike, the math is correct, what went wrong is the assumption of 5 motor will draw full power at the same time.

[JasonC]

Thank you Ken, and no the motors did not warm up and I can turn them by hand, test button didnt move them either. I started with a 270K resistor on the first try. also I noticed that sometimes not all the J1-J6 side dont always stay on or never turn on but when I "search for new hardware" I here a click sometimes and they all light back up. I think I have a issue in the computer talking to the BOB problem. and something no set right on the other side evan though i wired it as spec requires.

Getting there though...:D

Jas

[JasonC]

Reinstalled Mach3, working perfect now..not sure what happened to it.

Jas

[JasonC]

ITS ALIVE!!!...ITS ALIVE!!!......MY CREATION IS ALIVE!!!!!!


One tuning note, only one motor hooked up -Y it goes clockwise...+Y goes clockwise.?.

Jason

[JasonC]

Figure out the clockwise thing..pins and ports.

:D

[KenC]

Software are a mystery....
Congrats! Isn't it wonderful when things works!

One down, many to go. :)
Enjoy your journey!

[MetalHead]

Sweet !! Lets have a few pics and tell us what you decided on the motor wiring.

[JasonC]

This is just kitchen table so far. Bipolar parallel with a 270K resistor just to get things moving. The motors didnt evan get warm at all so when i ran a 25 min g-code test run. There was a slight temp change but not more than if your hand was in the shade and moved into direct sun light on a 65 degree day I would say. So Ill will ramp it up to 330K then to 470K when the table is built...which is next. I had to ditch the On/Off push button, I rewired that put 4 times(per time plans) and it fired the On switch side each time.???.

Jas

[JasonC]

If it possible to edit the #46 entry on this build thread it is wired incorrectly! My fault. The A1/A2 coil are on the top(left side of contactor in picture) not the side.

Jason

[domino11]

Jason, just post the correct info and someone can fix the other post for you. :)

[JasonC]

Table is standing. Working on the rail drilling and placement.

Is the only thing holding the rack on the X rail is 3M tape and the 2 end bolts?

Jas

[JasonC]

The other question is the height of the X rail with a V cap. Im using steel angle 2x2.5. Can I keep the height of 2 inches to place the V cap on?, avoiding half to cut a 10' long 1 inch peice on the 2" height off? Im concerned about the distance between the Top of the V cap and the where the rack and pinion meet if I keep the 2" height.?.

Jas

[timberlinemd]

Table is standing. Working on the rail drilling and placement.

Is the only thing holding the rack on the X rail is 3M tape and the 2 end bolts?

Jas

Yes, and it is plenty.

[timberlinemd]

The other question is the height of the X rail with a V cap. Im using steel angle 2x2.5. Can I keep the height of 2 inches to place the V cap on?, avoiding half to cut a 10' long 1 inch peice on the 2" height off? Im concerned about the distance between the Top of the V cap and the where the rack and pinion meet if I keep the 2" height.?.

Jas

You must keep the height according to the plans if you want the system to work, otherwise you will have to adjust numerous other parts to accept the higher rail height.

[Red_boards]

The other question is the height of the X rail with a V cap. Im using steel angle 2x2.5. Can I keep the height of 2 inches to place the V cap on?, avoiding half to cut a 10' long 1 inch peice on the 2" height off? Im concerned about the distance between the Top of the V cap and the where the rack and pinion meet if I keep the 2" height.?.

Jas

I think you will run into problems with the motor/pinion union (i.e. the motor brackets won't let the motor pivot low enough to reach under a 2"+ high rail).
The rail cutting to height is not hard. Just look at the various jigs people have built for this. And use thin cutting disks.

[JasonC]

Table is assembled, X rail for Vcap cut to proper height. I will get some pics rolling soon.

Jas

[Mrayhursh]

I bought rail Caps and now wish I hadn't. The grinding isn't all that bad and you replace that task with drilling and tapping holes. I would rather grind. Want to buy some rails? Don't use 1/4-20 screws they are to big.

[darren salyer]

Table is standing. Working on the rail drilling and placement.

Is the only thing holding the rack on the X rail is 3M tape and the 2 end bolts?

Jas

My machine has well over 200 hrs. with only 3M tape bought at Autozone holding it on. No bolts, no welds. Just tape.

[Mrayhursh]

What no Duct Tape