Newbie from Michigan
 

My name is Mo and I just started to get into woodworking. I was looking at the Legacy 1200 but with all the accessories they want you to buy the cost was over $6000.00. I'd like to build a machine to put in the garage for a hobby. I don't know anything about building a machine so where should I start? Can I build one like the Legacy 1200? Any info would be appreciated.

Mo,

I have a good friend who has a Legacy. With it, he's created some marvelous pieces; but, with a CNC router and an indexer, you could do so much more.

I'm sure you can build the MM for way less than 6K and like Mike said, it will do much more. We have almost all of the parts for the 5x8' MM and have not even spent 2.5K yet.

Start by ordering the laser cut parts:

http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309

Then get your power supply, motors ect.

You are about 15min away in Dearborn Hts, MI, so if you are serious about building a MM, we will be glad to give you a hand.

James, thanks a heck of a lot for that offer to help Mo.

Mo, you need to figure out what you are really in for before you spend some cash..... I don't know your level of computer literacy, but you must realise that the MechMate is computer driven before it actually cuts wood. Suggest you look at www.machsupport.com to see what the computer side looks like first, download and install the Mach software on your PC, and then decide if a huge chunk of machine is going to make you learn the software.

Thanks guys for replying soo quickly. James I'd love to get together and see what it takes to get one done. I don't have a problem with the cost as long as I can get the machine to do what I want. I'm really excited about the . whole experience

Thanks for the website Gerald. I've never worked with that type of software before but I'm a very fast learner. I've done a lot of work with photoshop which seems to be a bit similar.

You sound like you would be okay.....

Some people only see the image of a machine cutting lovely shapes in wood, but they don't appreciate that they would be sitting in front of a screen making the right choices and pushing the right buttons before the machine does its magic. In fact, watching the machine is the easy part! :)

No problem Mo.

Marty's Tool and Die Welding on Telegraph is the best precision welding outfit in town if the job has to be done right. Wright Steel and Factory Steel are both a few minutes away from you for the materials.

Read everything here, it is very doable.

We still need to get our rails ground, and a few other details ironed out....

ready to get started
 

James,

Would like to get with you sometime and check out your MM and ask questions. Is that possible?

Sure, send us an email at: info att webstertelescopes dott com

or call the phone # on our website.



Again our MM is not done, but we have almost everything heaped up in a pile. We still need to get the rails ground, that is the last major hurdle.

Thanks

James,

Thanks I'll call you Monday

Mo, it was great talking to you on the phone today.

Here is the guy who added the "A" axis to his MM like you want to do:

http://turningaround.org/4_axis_mill.htm


Here are the Gecko drives. You will need a total of 5 because of the extra axis you require:

http://geckodrive.com/product.cfm?pid=38


Here are the motors, again you will need 5 for your application:

http://catalog.orientalmotor.com/ite...=prod&filter=0


That should get your checkbook started.....

Here is a guy who just added a cheap lathe to the end of his router:

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/mes...tml?1192572095

I see those wood lathes at every garage sale I go to.

A axis
 

Be sure that the drive you get for the A axis will allow to disable the reduction of voltage to the stepper after 1 second after movement. The Gecko 202 will do this but I don't believe that the 203 will allow it.

Art,
Great note about the voltage reduction. I have purchased all the drives except for the indexer axis....I will remember to research that after I get everything working. Thanks, Sean

Another Detroit Newbie needing lathe direction
 

James,

I am relatively new to Mechmates and ShopBots- although I have run a Taurus brand mill on and off at my old job- and I am skilled at Alias' 3D modeling software. I have a pretty specific use that I would consider building a machine for but thought that you would have some good insite into the machine applications so I don't waste my time or money. More importantly, I don't want to spend the next 6 months building a expensive and gigantic heavy piece of equipment in my shop. Also, I am in the Detroit Metro (Dryden) area still and used to live in Ferndale for 5 years.

SO . . . I recently was looking over the posting in which you and another guy, Mo from Detroit, were discussing lathe options. I looked at the A axis on the MM site and also the cheap lathe option that was on ShopBots' forum where the guy bought a Harbor Freight mill and was off and running.

My application is this: I need to produce some wood (or high density modeling foam) prototypes of some wine bottles that I have designed. The catch is this- they are not going to be radially symmetrical. They are going to have different names "embossed" on them and have odd shapes, crazy designs, etc. There will also be some very large format bottles in the near future.

Does the "Build It Yourself" Mechmate application you and Mo referred to for the A axis have this capability to turn over ever so slightly and "lock" into place while the spindle mills?

Is there a better way to make my prototypes?

Thank You so much for your time.
Ben Julian

Ben,
I love the idea, but you only need a mold to make bottles from correct? If you have lathe skills, make them by hand and carve the embossing by hand. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but I do this kind of thing often. Sculpting the bottles is easy. If you want it done quickly, and fairly cheap....Call Wayne State theater department in Detroit and ask if they have any properties/scenic design student's looking for extra money. I bet you have your bottles done in a week!
Sean

Not quite
 

Thanks Sean but I need to keep everything in math data- I could easily carve the bottles myself but . . .
I need to create an exact interior volume while still maintaining the preferred design, and, when it comes time for design revision, I want to keep it in math. I think it'd be easiest to go back to my math model with my digital sculpting software- not hand sculpt and then digitally scan after.

Just curious. Which digital sculpting software do you use?

3Dsoftware
 

Alias>autostudio

Indexer not lathe
 

My machine,http://www.turningaround.org/4_axis_mill.htm, is an indexer not a lathe. With an indexer the rotary axis movement is optional where a lathe is always turning. This means that any shape can be milled using X,Y and Z planes. However I would need at least another axis if I wanted to do full 3D carving because with 3 axis you can't reach under to mill the botom side of something like a leaf. I could and probaly eventualy add a variable speed motor to the A axis so that I can disconect the A axis drive belt to the A stepper and drive the A axis with the variable speed motor. I would then be able to bring the machine up in Mach3 lathe and use it as a normal CNC lathe.

Greeting Ben and welcome to MM.

I replied to your email, but yes, adding an A axis like Art's to the end of the MM should do everything you need it to.

Of course we will be glad to help you get your MM together.


James

Outsourcing
 

Thanks so much for the good info James. I don't know if you saw my
advertisement post or not but since you have an indexer, would you be at all
interested in milling out a couple bottles for me? I sent an add out
to see if I could get by, at least in the start up phase of my small
business, with contracting out the milling. If you take on other jobs,
I was wondering how much you would charge for a bottle that is app.
3.5 X 12" in high density modeling foam? I'd do all the design work
and supply the foam if needed.
I appreciate your time and the wooden columns you made look amazing! I
thought they were "turned". What is your "stepover" increment in your
cutter path for something that large?
Ben

A good friend of mine mills 3D with only a 4 axis machine. The head does not revolve or rotate in any way. He has standard X,Y,Z and an indexer. The software, however, is proprietary. I don't know whether off-the-shelf Mach and/or any other OTS combination of control software can do it also.

This is the machine that does it: http://www.gemvision.com/html/produc...0/revo540.html

I'm game
 

Email the file and I will strain it through LCam to produce the G code, akransom@tx.rr.com What would the best bit to use? I will use mahogany for the trial versions. As to price I will mark the effort up as traning. All the columns presently posted were turned manually. Most of my site updates are done during cold weather. Update site or work in the shop, not a difficult decesion.