Donkeys being cut in France! - Galgan, France

[bbreaker]

HI, I'm on this Forum from a long time, and i now start, i've got a big part of material, i just whait for the steel for the table, i have weld the Y-car this day, and i start the kitchen project, it's a little easier for me because 1 year ago i have built a small cnc for hobby and i've got the knowledge of cnc use.

I post picture soon.

[Doug_Ford]

Welcome Mickey and good luck with your build.

[bbreaker]

Thanks Doug, i have welld the Z spider this day too, i think i post pictures on wednesday if i got time to.

[Greg J]

Welcome Mickey,

Looking forward to some pictures.

[domino11]

Welcome again Mickey,
Lots of pictures we like lots of pictures. :)

[fsautai]

Salut Mickey, i am too in france (le Havre) and in the process of cutting and welding.
I am having some trouble finding racks M1 in 15mm x 15mm, i found some of that stuff in smaller section (10x8) but they are super short in length (450mm).
were you more successful in you area? Good luck for your project and thanks everyone for contributing to the immense source of information found here.
F>

[grandpi]

Salut,

Tu trouveras facilement du carré 15x15 chez www.descours-cabaud.com/,
un negociant de produit mecanique. Idem pignon.

A+,
Pierre.

[bbreaker]

i fred no problem for me i've got a good one i sent you the web link http://www.tri.fr/ i've got a quote from us with rack and pinion (bored+two 90° hole tapped M5.

[bbreaker]

i've got pictures, sorry for the poor quality of it because i take it with my cellphone, on one of the picture there is my wellding helmet, It's for Marc, this is just to tell him again a big big thank's for is help to sent me some parts from US and the famous Helmet.

[Alan_c]

Looking good Mickey, LOVE that helmet, I gotta get me one of those !!! ;)

[bbreaker]

I whait for rack and pignon and power supply from antek and next week i start the X welldment and Z plate and paint. I've got tube and start wellding side frame. I whait for some Mamba laser cut parts and turned parts from a friend.

[Greg J]

Great pictures Mickey,

Keep'em coming.

Northern Tool has those welding helmets for whom ever is looking in the USA. Mine is the "stars and strips" version.

[Doug_Ford]

Looking good Mickey. That helmet is super cool.

[Marc Shlaes]

Mickey,

You are quite welcome! I look forward to seeing your progress!

Marc

[bbreaker]

Got the steel today, and cut the main table beam and table support, i've cut the stop block and drill it, got the wood table and steel to make V-rail next week. I post picture friday.

[bbreaker]

A question to Gerald, my cut area is 1380x2500, i calculate 7 beam under the table with 350 to 400 space, my question can i really need 8 or i can decrease to 7 ? and i've calculate 4 hole per beam, do i really need 6 ?

thank's for repply, because if i need 8 i cut another tommorow.

[Gerald D]

Believe your calculations. 7 is enough. 8 will make only a tiny difference.

I would go for 5 holes per beam - it is easier to mark a center hole :)

[bbreaker]

ok, thank's Gerald, yesterday i've tap the stop block and grind the beam to the same dimension, this day i do the same with main beam and mark hole, i've got my beveled washer next week. And then i start to grind V-rail.

[Gerald D]

Have you moved from Grenoble to Galgan? About 300km?

968

[bbreaker]

yes but not 300 km, about 560 km

[Gerald D]

300 km in a straight line - you don't have straight roads! :)

[bbreaker]

no, but in france we only speak in km per road not straight line. we didn't fly.

[sailfl]

Mickey

It looks like farm land. Are you a farmer? I looked at a close up of your property and there is a large building that must be a barn. What is grown in that area? My Mother was from a farming family in Ohio.

[bbreaker]

No, Nils i'm not a farmer, but it's an old farm, i plan to transform the big one in a B&B and holliday home rent. In galgan they gorwn just for animal's food, good pig and ham, good wine and cheese.

[bbreaker]

a lot of picture, i post other's this afternoon, i have a lot of homework at this time and a little time for MM. I whait for some Mamba parts from a friend to achieve the gantry and grind the rail.

[bbreaker]

some other pictures, i have start cuting th edge of the rail, and configure mach, i paint my controler case tomorrow. I have found old P3 Hitsink with Fan to cool Gecko's.

[bbreaker]

gerald, Is this blue is ok ? Normaly this blue is a little darker than on the picture

[Gerald D]

That blue looks just fine - thank you for trying to get the right colour. :)

[Marc Shlaes]

Mickey,

Is that a plastic wheel you intend to mount on the leg shown in one of your pictures? If so, that will never handle the weight!

[bbreaker]

hi marc,

It's not for the entire MM, just to move the X beam with Legs to it's future position, it's about 50 meter from, and the whell can support 300 kg one.

I'm alone at this time to move some big parts of the MM, i can move one beam at a time but with legs it's no possible, my beam is 3100x200x78 cm.
about 80 Kg per beam.

I'm not greeen (Hulk):D

[Doug_Ford]

Mickey,

Be very careful moving those beams when you get the legs attached. They are extremely top heavy and will flop over if you get one leg off the ground. That much weight flopping around is really dangerous. If I was moving them by myself, I would probably just drag them around with the legs sticking up in the air. Good luck.

If you'll send me an airline ticket, I'll be happy to come over and hang out in the beautiful French countryside and help you for as long as you like.:D:D

[Greg J]

Agree with Doug,

It was moving my channels around that I strained "something". I built a grantry crane soon after that. My grantry crane is a joy to have.

[bbreaker]

i agree with you but it's not a concrete floor to go to the MM house i've got a towrope, do you think it's better ?

[Doug_Ford]

I do not think it has anything to do with the floor. It is the fact that the all the weight of the beam is one meter above the floor. So when you pick up one end, the other end tries to swing toward the earth. You cannot stop it because you have a very heavy beam in your hand and you are at the opposite end. Also, if you just try to set your end down, that won't stop it from swinging because the swinging has already started and the leg on your end of the beam is now quickly swinging out at 45 degrees. That is a lot of weight swinging around when you are by yourself. You might be thinking, I'll just drop it if it starts to swing. You might be able to but it happens very quickly and if there is something behind you, you might not be able to get out of the way fast enough.

Once you get the legs on a beam, see if you can get a friend to come over for 5 minutes so you can move it. Then you will know what Greg and I are talking about.

I think you should lay it down on the floor and drag it to the MM house if you have no other help. Good luck.

[Marc Shlaes]

Good description Doug. That sounds like you had the s--t scared out of you!

[Doug_Ford]

Absolutely Marc. I didn't break any bones but I strained some muscles a couple of times. I'm a slow learner.

[bbreaker]

I think, I think, i have to found a friend, but this is only 6 mounth i've moved house, I can't count friend's on one hand, let's the force be with me ;).

My first idear is to transport it but not at the end of the beam but the center, the ground is very loud and i think, the wheel can penetrate the ground about 1" and make a rail in ground, my second problem is the door of the MM house and the place in it to move the Beam.

Thank's for your comment, i found a tips to move it without trouble.

[Gerald D]

Mickey, the safest way to move it, is to have the main weight low down. That means with the legs pointing up to the sky, like you have it in your photo. You say the wheels are only for moving once? Well then, put the wheels on the "wrong" side. Put the wheels where you will screw the x-rails one day.

1079

[bbreaker]

ooops, i mean you don't understand me, the legs with the wheel was on the ground, when i transport it to the MM house, i use whell to support the weight of the beam along the travel and move it to the correct place in MM house and after i use a car leveler to left the MM off the floor and take out the wheel.

[Gerald D]

That's okay Mickey, I am sure that there are a lot of things being misunderstood because of the language. :)

Anyway, we only want to give you lots of ideas and you can make your own choices about what could work for you.

Have a great week end, and don't kill yourself! :D

[bbreaker]

it's time to let you know my progress, i've welded the gantry cut and drill the X and Y rail, welded the table support, painting Y car, spider plate and motor plate and i start beveling the rail next week.
I post some pictures soon.

[Gerald D]

Middle March I said . . . .

Have a great week end, and don't kill yourself! :D

. . . . . . then Mickey vanishes . . . .

Today he appears like a phantom.

Welcome back! Good to hear of the progress! :)

[bbreaker]

hi there, some news, i've finished Y car and Z axis, all painted, i'm out of wire in my MIG welder and i go with Stick now, i've started to grind Y rail and i think finished the gantry next week.

Gerald, i haven't moved the beam yet, i have to make the second side Legs Weld, paint and after i move it. I've got a lot of Homework, I've started some work on my house to start a B&B "Gîte" in french.

Some picture of my last work

[bbreaker]

this day i've made the first side grind of rail's, i start the second side this afternoon, start gantry and clamp strip sand.

[smreish]

Looks like very professional progress. Bravo!

[Marc Shlaes]

Hey Mickey. Great Job! Good to see those pictures.

[Greg J]

Mickey,

Gotta like that MM blue. :)

Nice work.

[bbreaker]

This morning i've finished rail's grind, i cut it to the right lenght and weld stop block's this morning, start painting the gantry this week and finished the beam support. (i see the finish point ;) )

[domino11]

Mickey ,
You build is coming along great. :) Keep up the pictures.

[bbreaker]

This day First coat of paint on the gantry and clamp strip, seconde tomorrow morning with some picture's.

[bbreaker]

gantry paint finished, stop block welded, first coat on Y rail's, picture tomorrow. :)

[bbreaker]

some picture's and 1 video.

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=npSXMeRYW0A

[isladelobos]

Good video Mickey, it seems very light.

[bbreaker]

some news this day, finished to weld the second beam support, wel and paint the cable chain support and paint. tomorrow is the beam and suport painting day, i think this weekend i moved the beam's to my workshop and start assembly.

[bbreaker]

some picture of these morning, i start main beam's and cross support beam's painting tomorrow

[smreish]

Nice blue heavy steel.

[bbreaker]

this day i've finished one beam with leg's, painted some cross beam's and start painting the second beam, i moved it tommorow to my workshop with a friend, ( i follow your recommandetion and i've got a lumbago from one week ago just finished) :D

[Gerald D]

Tomorrow we have 2 cases of lumbago in France - Mickey & friend. :)

[bbreaker]

it's ok, we will move beam's without trouble, i take picture's tomorrow, and i start beam drill and tap.

[bbreaker]

some news of these day's, beam's are drilled an tapped, side tube are fixed and tomorrow a friend help me to put the gantry on the angle iron and put the Y-car.

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[Gerald D]

Looks good!

What is that thing on your drill? Did you use it for tapping the threads?

Also see signs of a rotary indexer.

[bbreaker]

yes Gerald but this tool is for drill 0 to 90° and yes i use it to tap, drill tube, i post a picture of this tool in detail next, and yes it's an indexer i've started to make a support for the stepper motor.

your at home now, i think your trip was good:)

[bbreaker]

i've finished the table this day, i start soldering XLR connector on moto's and cable tomorrow, that smell the end, the last picture is for Gerald, this is thel tool i use to drill and tap.

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[dmoore]

You've done a really great job with your MechMate - looks spot on perfect!

[bbreaker]

hi all, it make me a long time to finish cable XLR sold, but it's now allright, i've just a little problem to reverse 0,0 home for job, because i want 0,0 on the front left side of the table, for this time i've made a job mirror on vcarve, but i try to find a solution. i post two picture's of my first cub job.

[Greg J]

Mickey,

Very nice. Congratulations.

That first picture looks like some of my workers. :)

[Gerald D]

It moves! It cuts! Well done!

To change the 0,0 origin, the easy way for me is to reverse the direction of the motors. If you have wired the motors:

black/yellow - red/white
then change it to
yellow/black - red/white

In other words, reverse only one coil.

You can also change it somewhere in the Mach3 "firmware"

[Andy]

Mickey,

Fantastic job and such rapid progress!
Life is good in France:)

A few questions if you don't mind.
Have you a rough total of your costs to date ?
Did you source the electrical parts, motors, Geckos's etc in Europe or go direct ?
Is the donkey you cut out a bit of 'fun' try out or does have a purpose?

[Kobus_Joubert]

Hi Mickey, Please make your DXF file of the donkey available to me. The way petrol price is going up, I need a couple of those guys to take me around.

Nice work, wish I was cutting already, not just drawing pictures...BUT you must learn to crawl before you can walk.;)

[bbreaker]

ok, thank's for your reply, i'm not a newbie in CNC, i've worked in a workshop with a small CNC engraver, and vinyl cutter, and ~1 year ago i've allready made a small CNC to cut small motor model (plane, boat), i make the cost of my MM in few week's, because i don't have enought time to get it up to date now, for history, this donkey is for a village fair, it's the game "tail of the ass", the upside of the donkey is made with a lot of nail and the tail of the donkey have a magnet, for information the donkey is copyrighted, but i've made some modification on the clipart.

[bbreaker]

Hi there, some news of galgan, i've made a lot of cut now, i post pictures next week, because i've got a lot of work to do on my B&B, i post pic
ù

[Gerald D]

Good news Mickey! I was wondering if already your B&B was keeping you busy through your summer tourist season? :)