Table working height?
 

Was looking at your build pictures and several others and was wondering how high the machine is off the floor? Say from the top of the main beams to the floor? Or maybe top of spoilboard to the floor? Is surely not critical to any of the mechanics of the build...just wondering what height people set them at? Typical countertop height is 36"...

Jeremy

Top of my spoilboard is 33.5". It could go an inch lower, if I were to screw the levelers all the way in, but I rough set them to halfway in, and leveled from there.
I wouldn't want it higher. Lower would be OK.

I actually built mine for the spoil board to be the same as my plastic set up tables....28" so I could easily load sheets without lift....glide things around the shop.

Mechmate height
 

My thinking is this. This isn't a production setup yet...A hobby machine that had to be 12' cut capable to handle the hobby. But 99% of what I'll be cutting is gonna be under 8'. I DON'T have room for assembly tables, so I'm setting the machine height where I can cut 12' but when done I can drop a "worktable" top over the far end of the machine frame to use as a sanding bench or glue-up station or assemble the kids tricycle table...whatever. The tabletop will rest on the main beams, not the ground rails, and will not bother the use of the machine on the other 8' while it's there. Think of it kind of like a removeable leaf for a dining room table...when you don't need it, you can pull it out of the way

Your section dimension looks good.

If you are indeed just doing sanding, tricycle assembly and the like, there are no reasons that come to mind that would prevent you from laying a piece of MDF on your spoilboard and using that as a workspace.
I've done it with no adverse effects. Keep it Simple.

Understand the K.I.S.S. principle for sure...in the airplane world there is a saying...a part not on the airplane can't fail :-) this is just something maybe unique to my goal...lots of assembly tasks for the hobby require clamping parts to the edge of the table...so the removable worktop fits the requirement...just adds the "requirement" to set the top of the main beams lower than most. I apologize, Darren...got a bunch of MY project planning in your build log :-\ Was just wondering what was a common height in the Mechmate world. Mine will probably be a little lower than most...can always weld on some extensions if I need to raise things a bit.

1planeguy, posted an answer/opinion on your thread.

Well, The MM was happily cutting away one minute, and in less than 20 seconds, the Milwaukee 5625 router RPMs ramped down to zero. Luckily I was close enough to hit the feedhold button, but now the router is stone cold dead. It wasn't making any unusual noises, so I'll hope for brushes needing replacement, and not the speed controller.....

What speed controller are you using? Any electrically odors in the router?

the routers internal speed controller.
Nope, no bad electric smells, and no smoke released from the router.

Power to it?

lol. yes.

I know I thought how funny myself :D

The Speed controller can go bad. I bought an extra just to have around. They are some thing that the local repair guy carried. I will bet that is your problem.

Do an ohm reading of the motor with your DMM with the power off. Even with a speed controller you should have a reading probably in the MegaOhm range. If it is OL then something is open. Milwaukee has the wiring diagram and other information on their website that you can use for troubleshooting the router. The link for the service parts list is a little wacked but just remove the extra characters that it should not have at the end of the url. Opening the router you can check the winding ohms as well and make sure they are not open. This should help you start to isolate the problem.

Track ball
 

Hey Darren, hope you get your router sorted out as painless as possible.

Got a dumb question, do you use the trackball in your former ATM machine cabinet? Have thought about building a cabinet for the PC and doing something similar...was also looking at getting a touchscreen monitor...don't know much about driving MACH 3 with touchscreen other than a few clips on youtube. Will be doing some research on that one.

But didn't see where the trackball in yours had any buttons? Seems the benefit would be being able to lock it down...I'm constantly knocking my mouse off the pull out keyboard drawer on my current machine although a separate work station with a lip around the top would cure that I bet.

The two buttons directly above the trackball operate the same as mouse buttons.
I feel incredibly lucky to have found this on CL for 100 bucks.
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8a11b338.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/...pse9d51bff.jpg
These pictures are before the MM blue paint job.

Does my ATM card work with it

Thanks for the close ups...that is just too slick :-) I'm seeing building a similar stand with a couple of drawers under the keyboard to hold the misc. bits and such...

And I'll have to build one...cause I'll never have the luck to catch one of those for $100...

Hurshy, I am sure it does work. Go over and try your card, Im sure it will buy Darren a new spindle or something. :)

I like the sound of that!!

sounds fair to me. it does look cool. very neat.

I ordered another Router, which will be here tomorrow, because I hate down time.
I had a few minutes today, and checked out my current dead one.
Ringing across the two prongs of the cord with the switch in the on position, is open.
Going across the brush holders shows continuity, so I'm guessing the speed controller is indeed the culprit.
Looks like I can order a new one along with bearings and brushes for $75 shipped, so I guess I'll order some parts, and if I can fix it, I'll have a backup.

Hmmm, now I'm reading the SuperPID necessitates removal of a routers internal speed controller...since I've not ordered parts, it may be a great time to look into this some more...

Might be the time to look into a spindle upgrade. The noise reduction alone of a water cooled unit was enough for me but there are more benefits as well.

I'd love a spindle, Pete....the checkbook would not.
I've decided the MM has to buy its own spindle, and it has barely paid itself off yet...:)

Understood but proper planning will help make the transition easier. A lot of little things you can purchase on the way. This way it will not be such a knock to the wallet. You always post good information for newcomers so I am eager to see what you make out on this reading you are currently doing.

I'll say at some point a water cooled spindle will be added, just not sure when.

Remembering I have 1 bad speed controller on a Milwaukee router, and had to buy another router to get back cutting in less than 24 hrs.
Instead of buying potentially 2 speed controllers @ $48.00 apiece. (if the new one fails too, which seems to be fairly common), I'd rather spend $155 for the SuperPID as opposed to $96 to replace faulty parts, reaping the benefits the SuperPID brings to the table. (Mach3 speed control for one)
That seems to be an almost net-zero interim upgrade...

Superpid
 

removing speed control from router is easy. my friend helicopter johns made a video on how to do it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3QK9R7my_s
There are several other videos. All the speed control is the speed selection button or knob. Al they want you to do is get it out of the way so the superpid can have a full range of speed. the other issue is steeling your wifes black and white nail polish and painting the end of the armature. you will also need to glue the led in place. epoxy or the putty that you form and then it hardens will do the trick. Good luck.