Many steel parts cut - Curitiba (PR), Brazil

[ldorta]

Hi folks,
My name is Leandro Dorta. I live in Brazil.
I've already built a cnc foam cutter, and now I intend to build a cnc router... I'm studying the Mechmate project, and I liked it very much.
The only problem I see is that here in Brazil is very hard to find out the gearboxes and the electronics. Do you (all) see any problem using a CNC3AX (http://mac1.ifrance.com/cnc3ax/index.htm) board and a homemade reduction system in this machine?
Another question: Is the machmate able to cut out parts from 0.0125" aluminum sheets for example?

Thanks Friends.
Leandro

[Gerald D]

Welcome Leandro!

That CNC3AX board is not known to me, and I get the impression it is "single stepping"? In other words, a rough movement. A "homemade" reduction could be anything - very difficult to comment.

0.0125" alu is only 0.3mm - that is very easy to cut. I am sure you mean 0.125 (3mm) which can also be cut on a MechMate, but your big issues are to hold the alu firmly, correct cutters, correct speeds, correct coolant and the right grade of alu. If you are working with single step drives and "homemade" reductions it will be difficult to get a good quality cut.

[ldorta]

Hi Gerald
This board is a chopper driver single step. I've been using it in my foam cutter and it's doing the job very well... is it easy to find the gearbox to a nema 23 ou 34 stepper motor?

Thanks

Leandro

[Gerald D]

I do not anybody who has added a gearbox to a stepper motor. Either:
- They buy motors with gearboxes already attached (Oriental Motor)
- Or they build belt pulley reduction systems.

[ldorta]

Hi Gerald,

Here in Brazil it's very hard to find this motors with the reduction on it. do you have any e-shop link were I can find it? Do you have an idea about the price?

Thanks

Leandro

[Gerald D]

Leandro links to e-shop pages are in this thread:

MechMate CNC Router Forum (http://www.mechmate.com/forums/index.php) > Common Assemblies & Parts (http://www.mechmate.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=63) > Motors (http://www.mechmate.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=26) > Selecting motors for the MechMate

[ldorta]

Thanks Gerald. I'll walk trought the thread.

Gerald, do you use Skype ou msn? I'd like to talk to you if it's possíble.
skype: ledorta
msn: leandro.dorta@hotmail.com

Thanks again

[Gerald D]

Sorry, I am very shy of voice contact, or even e-mail. I think that what needs to be discussed about the MechMate can be done here on the forum for everyone else to read as well - this is the way to build up good solid information that can be shared by everyone.

[ldorta]

Hi friends...
I have some good news... My Y rails have already arrived, I'm working on the X rails just now. As soon as I get photos I'll put them here.
My actual doubt / chalenge is to think about a machine that could be done in two parts (table). I have a narrow space to enter in my workshop so that I need to build the machine outside anda after everything done unassemble it to carry to the workshop. I was thinking about building two "legs" and after all done join everything with a screwed bar. Is there any idea? Does anyone have already done something similar?

Thanks

Leandro

[Marc Shlaes]

I know that J.R. built his table exactly that way. He is out of town but he will be back online in a couple of days.

[ldorta]

Thanks by your answer Marc.
I`ll be waiting for his informations. It makes easy if that machine could be built in 2 parts.... its easiest to pass through narrow doors and so on.
Thanks

Leandro

[ldorta]

Hi friends... good news...
10-20-240W - Y Rail - Done
10-20-235D - Clamp strip - Done
10-20-440S - Cross Member - Done

All laser parts - Done

Now I can start building the gantry... This will be the first part I'll build. Do you all have any recomendation on the building of the gantry?

I'm very happy seeing the born of machine. It will be a very good cared baby.

Thank you all by your help. From now on I'll need much more ;)

Bellow, some pics.

[Dirk]

Idorta,
which method did you use to grind you rails?
Dirk

[Gerald D]

Hey, is this your kitchen floor project? :D

That rail looks a bit short in the horizontal direction - is it 60mm? It looks the same as the 50mm tube below it.

What are you using for the z-axis?

There are some gantry instructions in the gantry thread.

See this one (http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=230) for welding.

[domino11]

Leandro,
You are a lucky person. My wife would never let me have all that stuff in the house. Although I have tried. :)

[ldorta]

Hi Dirk. The rails where done by a friend of mine in a big mill.

Hi Gerald, the rail where done with a 2" extrusion... I couldn't find a bigger one in my city. I thinking abou change the Z axis a little bit because the type of motor I'll use in the spindle.

Hi domino11, hehehehe I was only taking photos on my room because my workshop is very unorganized.

Thank you all

Leandro

[ldorta]

Hi friends... small progresses...

One gantry arm is ready.

As Gerald noticed my extrusions are not 2.1/2" (aprox. 60mm) mine ones are 2".
To keep the same distance between rails tops I changed the holes position on the rails and on the main arms (rectangular).
Attached you can find the sketch of mine changes... Gerald, could it be a future issue by changing this positions?

[Gerald D]

Leandro, you are lucky that you have a rectangular pipe with a very sharp radius in the corner. Sometimes the pipe looks like this:

480

Also remember that the rail has 12mm holes for adjusting around the 8mm screws. Your idea is okay for the x-rails, but I don't like it for the y-rails when I cannot control the radius of the tube corner. Your solution looks okay, but it will not be okay for everybody else.

[ldorta]

Hi friends... another pictures of my Y car....

[ldorta]

Friends, looking into my Y car, I found some rust on it, so I'll need to paint it as soon as possible. What do you use to prepare the surface (before the paint)?
Gerald, in a previous post I read (don't remember where) that you use kind a filler on the corners, is that right? Which filler is this?

Thanks
Leandro

[Gerald D]

Leandro, you have not got enough rust yet! Seriously . . . . . :)

There are two secrets for getting paint to grip to steel:
- there must be no grease or oil
- the surface must be slightly rough

A little bit of rust proves that there is no oil . . . . and it makes the surface rough. You do not want too much rust - the paint must get through to the steel at the bottom.

The filler is acrylic based (definitely not silicon). It cleans and shapes with water or a wet sponge/finger. You put this on after the first coat of paint.

Our paint process is:
1. Remove all loose rust
2. Remove all sharp edges & points. (paint does not stick to a sharp edge - it's surface tension pulls it away)
3. Degrease - we use a water-soluble kerosene, rinsed with water
4. Apply primer paint - we use a slightly acid paint that roughens/etches the metal.
5. Do the acrylic filler work
6. Apply second coat of primer over the filled areas.
7. Finish paint - two coats