Get Set, Ready, Go....
 

Well I have enough parts in my shed to be able to make a start. So today I put all the larger section steel trough my $34 saw. Y cross beems main X beams and legs all cut. Will start laying out the drill holes on these parts next and build up from that. I need it to rain a little so I have a reason to stay in the shed and work.

No fair !!! I want one of those saws . My little Grizzly 64 works good, but not like those !

It is a beast, isn't it?

It is a good saw. I had a need to cut some 150x100x9 box so went off to a local engineer shop to use his saw. My little drop saw was not going to do it..
Any way when finished I told the owner I would love a saw like that! He said " give me a carton of beer and its your, I have a new one coming" 1/2hr later he had some beer and I had a saw.

4th axis hieght
 

I am going to add a 4th axis at the end of my table parallel with the Y. I am after some advice as to the best height to mount the index head. My thoughts were to have the center line of axis level with the top of scarf board. I have never used a 4th axis but believe must jobs are set up with center of rotation as the z zero point. views and suggestions would be appreciated.

See some info here

Can I ask what are you guys are using to draw your electrical diagrams. This side of the build is going to be the hardest for me so I need to start getting my head around it and I think the best way it get it on paper..

On the other side of the build some progress report.
Bent cap plates for end of X beams
Y supports marked out and numbered with punch stamps so no chance of mixing up.
Drilled Y supports
Drilled X beams
taped x beams

Very nice progress.

with that kind of tools around you it will be easy. good job

I am guessing the picture is some kind of magnetic tap guide. Where did you get it?

DB yes its a little mag clamp makes keeping the tap nice and square. picked it up online from these guys http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/

Paulo I was born and raised on a farm that was in the middle of nowhere, the closest shop 3 1/2hr drive so we had to fend for ourselves most of the time. The farm I am now on is only 10min from town but still have all the tools on hand in the shed.

I guess I will have to see if they ship overseas. I can't seem to find anywhere in the US that carries them.

DB that would have to be a first having to ship tools from Aus. to USA.

I think I have tracked down the original manufacturer at


http://www.chengkuan.com.tw/eng_prod...o=200912150030

but I would probably have to buy a hundred of them.

I am Doing it Cheap
 

Here is one on ebay for 158.12

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DAYTON-2XUV5...item4ac3726c68

Here is one from Grizzly for 92.95

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G8748

Amazon for 129.90

http://www.amazon.com/ezMachineTools...d_sim_sbs_hi_2

The one I like best is a 2x4 with a hole drilled in it. If you want to get fancy put a hollow tube in the board as a guide. Mine fits in a drawer or hangs on the wall or fits in the trash can when I am done. But as a tool collector I still want one.

Power supply
 

Well the time has come to start with the electrics so if some kind person would like to look over my work and point out the errors, I must have some.
I am building a 4 axis machine with motion king 9802 motors all round
2.2kw spindle and VFD
I am planning to use PMDX 126 with ESS and 2 PMDX 133 for Gecko 203v hookup
PMDX 145 for pendant
PMDX 107 for VFD control
Now power supply ?????
So 9802 motors have 2.4mh inductance wired uni-polar (which I must do to keep them within specs for the geckos)
Voltage = 32*sqr2.4 = 49vdc
Plus 20% as per Gerald recommendations = 61vdc
VA “watts” = 5 motors @ 5A = 25A peck
I need 67% = 16.7A
VA = 16.7A * 61vdc = 1018VA
I don't feel comfortable making one:eek: so from the Antek web site I would need a PS-10N56 or a PS-10N63
How am I going so far?:confused:
I am leaning toward the 10N56R5R12. I believe I don’t need the 5vdc and 12vdc outputs at this stage as the 126 board will run from 240v mains. And it will then power the other boards and proximity switches. But my thinking is that it is easier to put it in now for future needs add-on etc.
Enough questions for now I don’t want my head to explode!

I doubt you will ever have full power used. The 5 and 12 would be a nice option and many here have done that. I used a separate 24V power supply though for my signals. I did this to eliminate contamination of the power source. The 126 supports 24V controls for the inputs which is nice as it opens up to the market of industrial add-ons.

I have an Antek 56V 1000W powering 5 steppers. 2 at 6.3A and 3 at 3.5A

Well thank you Pete, you have put my mind at ease I will be able to sleep sound tonight.

One week down.
 

I don't think I will see as much progress over the next week as I did in this first one of my build. next up will be the gantry but have to wait for the laser kit to show up before much of that can be done. An few if any of the electrics are on hand so that is off the cards as well. Well will just have to spend the time ready...
The flanges on my main beams are not square so I leveled and clamped the top flanges to straight edges before welding on the legs. Maybe this will help down the track when leveling my V tracks. I do like my saw it makes cutting multiple parts quick and easy. And at the end of the week I have a base frame all made ready to be flipped onto its feet.

Rolled it over on its feet today. Put the straight edge across the top. Main beams are good and straight end to end. The flanges are good and parallel across the ends, put in the middle not so. In the picture it looks to be a huge twist but with feelers it is only 0.5mm. So I think, I should be able to just shim the V rails when I come to that. Well at least I hope that is the case and I don't have to try and take the twist out.
Had my friendly electrician come visit today. We went over the electrical plans. He is very interested in building one now as well with a plasma in to cut out his control panels. So my be able to come to some arrangement in regards to some cheap electrical parts.

Slow Week
 

Well not a lot of physical progress this week. I have been waiting for the laser kit to arrive. They must be taking the tourist route around Oz as Rick has sent them a while back. Well it has given me time to do some more ready and study of other builds. I had an electrician mate go over the plans and then we went through his shed of leftover parts from other jobs and managed to collect all but a box, and isolation switch and the shielded cable. My power supply showed up yesterday. I had taken a bit of a hit in freight. I think it is just the main plate hurt, with all components still looking good, so just a little panel beating.

On the build side I did put some jock wheels on and drill and tap all my v rails ready for the grinder skate when it shows.

The week that was.
 

Well show and tell time.
My laser kit arrived this week so the Y gantry and Z car have been welded. I am very happy with how they came out, both look to sit down nice and flat and square. Cutting started on the rails. The piece of chip board that I used for the setup started to catch fire from the sparks, so added a little shield. I cleaned my local bearing supplies out of the 6001 bearings for the skate setup for the 45 grinds, so that will have to wait. They only had 6 in stock. Will start work on the z slide and spider next week, well that is the plan. irrigating the cotton crop is taking a lot of my time at the moment.

Nice photos.
No Castlemaine xxxx tins available ?
:D

Looking Good!!

You certainly are moving along nicely.

Al it is a bit sad to admit but I don't drink. In fact I had to get this can from the mother-in-law. She saved be a pile of them ready to shim the rails in a week or two.
Pete I know I originally said Easter finish but I am going to work on end of Christmas break. I think the only thing that will stop me is if I have forgotten to purchase some bit and I can't get it local and has to be freighted in.

Snowing here, warm there. The warmer temperature definitely helps when you are building. I built mine over the winter months here, had to space things out between snow falls. I don't think you will have much of a problem with that. :)

This week I managed to finish cutting down the rails and then grind the V on all four. The grinding of the V is such I simple and smooth operation with the skate. Don't know what I was worried about! I fitted some wheels and quickly discovered that not only did my gantry and car sit down perfectly flat, (had also been worried about twist) but also I need stop blocks.
They glide along very smooth and with very little effort I could send them straight off the end of the rails. Claps for now but stop block are next on the list.
Have started work on the Z and spider. One thing lacking in my workshop is a metal lath, so am waiting on a local machine shop to turn up the spacer blocks for the rollers on the spider. Hoping I get them before the Christmas break.
A little off topic but added a picture of my work shop. You guys might like to show your own ( like checking out other sheds).
I know I have access to a nice shop but really you could make one of these things with just a couple of tools. welder, grinder, drill and tap.