Gantry and Y Car Welded! - Smiths Station, AL
Getting ready to start a MM project... Built a BuildyourCNC Blackfoot router and am ready to build a manly machine:-) Am in the US...actually about a 2 hour drive from Metalhead, so shipping shouldn't be too high :-)
Am a structural steel draftsman by trade, do fabrication design in a 3d modeling program called Tekla Structures. That being said I have plenty of steel contacts and access to some impressive equipment. Shop I contract to has 2 different CNC fab lines...they can cut and drill structural shapes up to 36 inches tall without a man laying a hand on it. Am planning on building a bolt together base frame to allow moving without a hernia or a forklift. With the access to the beam line I can bolt it as accurate as I can weld it... Am planning a 4x12 cutting area for thin aluminum sheet...as someone else mentioned a few months ago, I too am a airplane guy. Am planning on using he router to fab skins (cut to shape and drill pilot holes) Probably more info than needed...will be throwing questions as things get rolling |
The bolt together idea has great appeal to may people.
Maybe you can fab your design and Metalhead can sell it as a RTA kit? |
Will see...gonna get it modeled in the next few days
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Wazup Bama boyeee !!! Welcome to the team!
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Welcome to the team!!.. I just finished my bolt down machine a couple weeks ago..
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Not to change your plans....but you will find that 5' wide surface is far more useful than the 4'. Mainly when it comes to handling. If you will be cutting alum skin, you may find you need a large surface area to "JIG" up hold down fixtures, or cut complex arced shapes that don't fit in the smaller dimension. There really is no significant cost difference by going a little wider.
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I agree with Sean here. Smaller stuff will fit the wider table , not the other way around !! :)
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Hey are you in Smiths Station?
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Yes on the Smiths Station :-)
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Agree on the width...kinda mentioned the 4x12 number as a minimum. The length is gonna increase the material cost already do to not getting the 2 x rails out of a standard length of channel...the extra width will be pennies to dollars. Gonna be at the fab shop next week on day job business, thought I would get some pictures of what 1.5 million U.S will get u in CNC equipment...
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Good Luck with your build.
I have a 5x12 table in the works, and it looks huge compared to the 4x8 I've seen in person. |
Just hit me...don't have to go get pictures...there is this thing called the internet ;-)
This is the machine that will fab my MM table...might be overkill :-) http://www.controlledautomation.com/...344-Specs.html Gonna make as much as possible bolt together so it can be HEAVY when assembled but light enough to move without needing a forklift. Question. If I make/grind the rails and then bandsaw them into 2 pieces anyone think the joint would even be noticeable to the v-wheels? Thinking along the break down to move issue...14-15' piece of angle with one leg cut down is fairly flimsy to handle without kinking it. Sorta also thinking along the lines of running as a 5'x8' machine with capability to expand to 5'x12' |
If you have a seam in the rails, just make sure that the seam does not hit 2 wheels at the same time - stagger your seams.
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Mine is welded and a beast.
I can move it with a wheel dolly under each rear leg and a floor jack under the front spreader by myself. I think the whole forklift to move idea may be overkill. I believe two people could load my machine on a 16' trailer in less than an hour, and off load in about the same. We'd be drinking beer while someone else was re-assembling their machine....Just my $.02. |
Seam stagger makes sense...
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Darren you might be right...Gonna add up the weights and see what I get. Might be weld up each side and bolt the bed and cross members would be a good compromise. I could at least argue to the friends I ask to help me move it that I tried ;-)
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1planeguy
Welcome to the group!! I welded the sides and connected the welded sides with the cross members. I also used I beam as a replacement for the C-channel. Photos on the second page of my build thread. Around entry #40 mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2613 |
Other projects, gonna get rolling now...finally
Started this thread over a year ago...stuff happens, calender keeps flipping pages. Oh well...
Please understand that I HAVE done plenty of searching through the archives (there is a TON of info in there) but it was all in a "conversation" form and sometimes leaves me scratching my head a bit. The info contained is enormous by the way. Anyway, got a quick "Can anyone VERIFY this" question... Have ordered the skate parts from Metalhead awhile back and want to get EVERYTHING coming that I can't buy local. Grinder to fit the skate is the big question...several of the ones listed in the archives don't seem to be available anymore. I have to buy one because the only one I have is in the 7" family...no where close to fitting the skate. If I have to buy a grinder, I might as well buy what will bolt right up to it instead of having to be "whittled" on to make fit Dewalt DW818 is mentioned in the archives...appears to still be available on Amazon. Is this a drop in option? http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW818-2...s=dewalt+dw818 |
I am building my mechmate to help with buidling a Zenith 650B.
The Ryobi AG403 from Home Depot is a perfect fit as far as hole alignment, but you will need to get longer screws. It held up just fine grinding all my rails. |
Had to Google Zenith 650b.....way cool project!!
Crazy thing, I live less than 90 minutes from their factory. |
Quote:
RE: the Zenith 650B VERY cool little plane. I have Sonex plans that I scratch-built the tail to a few years ago...want to CNC a "kit" to build from now. The Sonex plans are really well suited for this because they are extremely accurate, and everything is uber-detailed. Am going to build a rubber pad press to do the formed parts on. Have some ideas for some possible other products with the press as well. If you haven't ever seen this guys website, go get yourself a cup of coffee and start reading. He has done a few airplane projects on CNC including at least parts of a 650... http://www.hainesengineering.com/rha...rcraft/650.htm |
Darren, I went to the factory years ago...is like Disneyland for airplane guys. Toys around every corner. They have a NICE cnc router...big ONSRUD. Funny thing, with your vacuum table, you could probably do everything they use that ONSRUD for...maybe not as fast but you probably didn't blow an extra $200,000 either...
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planeguy,
That hint was passed on to me by another builder on the forum. So it is now your turn to pass it to the next person that asks. :) I had considered Sonex as well, but I just liked the look of the 650B better. I have considered rubber pad forming as well, but could not really find the rubber materials to do any experimentation. I would definitely like to hear more about that. I may not have the press tonnage to do a full rib, but it would be fun to experiment some. |
Darn you, DB.....now you have my wheels turning....they have a workshop coming up.....
I DON"T need another hobby......do I? |
LOL. Even if you did not want to build an airplane, I am sure you would find it interesting.
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Airplanes on CNC
Know this is the "MECHMATE" forum...hope this isn't too out of line. The little airplanes built with CNC equipment rabbit we were chasing made me think of this. Folks at church asked me to make a stage prop for a summer children's program. One thing led to another and well...the pictures speak for themselves.
Started with a 3 view plan I found online for building a balsa model of the classic GeeBee racer from the 30's...scanned, import to CAD, scale WAY up, and redraw with notches to make it a snap together frame...was only about 3-4 glue joints in the whole thing. Cover with heat shrink dacron cloth (common aircraft covering material on light planes...actually the original GeeBee was fabric covered) and painted. Just a few pictures for giggles https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...48585687634545 |
Very cool. How long did it take you to make it?
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An insane amount of time...something like a week. Could do another in half that, but will probably never need to :-)
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VERY cool stuff.....
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...and that is awesome scenery! Great job.
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