Got some free time so I added this little helper :)
Light is ok but the crosshair is essential.

http://cnc.rs/mechmate/spindle_light...43_640x480.jpg
http://cnc.rs/mechmate/spindle_light...44_640x480.jpg
http://cnc.rs/mechmate/spindle_light...45_640x480.jpg
http://cnc.rs/mechmate/spindle_light...47_640x480.jpg
http://cnc.rs/mechmate/spindle_light...48_640x480.jpg
http://cnc.rs/mechmate/spindle_light...49_640x480.jpg
http://cnc.rs/mechmate/spindle_light...50_640x480.jpg
http://cnc.rs/mechmate/spindle_light...51_640x480.jpg

Danilo - thats a great idea!

Danilo - where did you purchase the laser cross hairs, that looks like a great time saver!

Anthony here

yes DealExtreme is great source of that :) for 3.95 you cant beat it.

Laser is connected to the 12V with a 560 Ohm 1W resistor, it draws something about 20mA

Good idea!

Nice,

ordered myself one aswell, with a 80mm led ring and 4 plastic 3D glasses (like the carton ones with red and blue glass, but now plastic like sunglasses).
Had to pay 11 euro for it.
I really can't figure out how they do that? If I want to send a package to somewhere in my country, i need to pay 6.75. How can they send a package by plane from China to Holland, with some goods, for 11 euro and still make profit???:eek:
But nice though :D

I changed my Mardus-Kreutz (unipolar) drives with Deitech 2M982, this was a solution to prevent heating the motors if they run 6+ hours as I get more and more jobs these days. They served me well for 2 years on two machines for hobby use.
2M982 with 86HS9802 motor and setting on 5.0 Amps RMS (7.0Peak) works great and no noticable heating is noticeable while running test for few days. Power supply is still 17A 43VDC.
Also motors work much much smoother and quieter now no high pitch sounds anymore.

Hi Danilo, I understand the M982 are equip with DSP technology, they tout it as the answer to resonance. I was torn between my current driver & these DSP drivers when I build my MM, but because it is too new at the time & hence lack of feedback from users & USD 15 difference each I went with the conventional drivers. What I really interested to know is does it also reduce chatter marks?

I don't know how they work but I opened them :) and there are a lot of optocoupler's and LM339 and 393 opamps, one main chip I presume the mikro-controller has its name removed by sanding :) . If you want picture from inside, it can be arranged :D

I am very happy with drives performance, and there are almost no noticeable chatter marks. Here are pictures from cutting 42mm Ash wood. These are not so good photos I only had my phone with me. You guess it right its some more guitars, this time Stratocaster custom with SSL4 magnets.

http://www.cnc.rs/mechmate/chatter1.jpg
http://www.cnc.rs/mechmate/chatter2.jpg

Can you post some more pics of the strats? :) :)

I'm using Deitech 2M982 as well. So far so good.

No that my M860 has any problem till now.. Just couldn't resist on newer tech... :o

Here are the strats for you Heath
There are 3 bodies but two are identical, without front mask and with a cavity for pots from behind. Last one is for use with standard magnets and front mask. Job run time for one body using 8mm long endmill is 1hr including setup and flipping over after machining one side.

http://www.cnc.rs/images/stories/pos...t/DSC00419.jpg

http://www.cnc.rs/images/stories/pos...t/DSC00424.jpg

WoooooW..... What a beauty...
Is the top left of pix No2 compound curve?

I forgot to mark the line on previous 2 but I did it on the last one its the start of a slope for armrest. if thats what you asked :). The guitar makers I did this for prefer to sand it and its faster for me and for them.

http://www.cnc.rs/images/stories/pos...C00424edit.jpg

Nice! :)

Danilo, did you saw this guy guitars? they are really nice:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/musica...c_guitars.html

Also is interesting the way he makes them, some are not made from a single slab of wood, they are glued together and have internal cavities.

They should not be ever made of single wood piece, because it warps, but I do as customer wants an he likes it single piece :)

His guitars are interesting but you really got to have a name so that musicians say: "he knows what is he doing, his guitars are first class, lets but that fabulously looking guitar from him" . They are a tough crowd, everyone with different likings and to make something that could be manufactured requires lots of them around you to support.

I don't argue with paying customer too :D It is their money going to waste, not mine :D

After installing new drives, I changed my plastic belt reduction plates with mechmate made aluminium ones, the results are more than satisfying. No more vibration at all from motors, and they seem to use the aluminium plate as heatsink :)

This is where the new setup fascinated me, I cut rib pieces for a toboggan mold. Curved section was split in three pieces 2.7m long divided by 16 rib sections, and straight part is some 4.2m long divided into 21 ribs. They were cut in half for less waste. The curves are fantastic with very litter chatter here and there mainly because I did not optimize starting point to be somewhere else and not on the curve. Model was made using Rhinoceros.

http://cnc.rs/mechmate/tobogan_mdf1.jpg
http://cnc.rs/mechmate/tobogan_mdf2.jpg
http://cnc.rs/mechmate/tobogan_mdf3.jpg
http://cnc.rs/mechmate/tobogan_mdf4.jpg
http://cnc.rs/mechmate/tobogan_mdf5.jpg

After finishing this I am off to vacation, Greece is the destination.
When I come back first thing to do is to install dedicated dust management, inspired by some others I am finishing my Bill Pentz cyclone.

will be interesting to see end result. Take care in Greece... Viel spass!:D

Vac clamping here we come
 

New additions, will be making some sort of vacuum hold down. Bought this pump

http://cnc.rs/mechmate/ROTACIONA-VAK..._O_1195238.jpg

Its 8.3 cfm 235.1 l/min and 26.0 in.Hg -881 mbar rotary vane, looks fairly in good condition, when it arrives tomorrow I will try to machine some small pods for test.

Anyone has a suggestion for pod pattern or construction? Purpose for now would be to hold 800x200mm 30mm thick beech? how about porosity of beech?

I had something like this in my mind

http://www.cncsupport.co.uk/wp-conte...ac-pod-bed.jpg
http://www.cabinetmakerfdm.com/uploa...cts/PD8508.jpg
http://www.cabinetmakerfdm.com/uploa...cts/PD7723.jpg



Also I think that making a reservoir is a good idea, this one is the same pump as mine and its mounted to a reservoir
http://www.westauction.com/user_images2/7159238.jpg

I would like to get into a detailed build out of a vacuum hold down like this so we can have a good list of parts that can be used to move our MechMate folks to a standard typ hold down system like this one.

Will post all about it when its finished

Danilo,

You might look at this site for you vacuum interests.

http://www.joewoodworker.com/veneering/welcome.htm

Pendent
 

Lets see more of your pendent

Pics and functions

you are doing some fine work here



MAC

http://cnc.rs/mechmate/newpendant.jpg

this is the photo at assembly. It has not changed much from there,

I got , start, stop, feedhold, rewind, Z up, Z down, XY zero, Z zero,
MPG/joystick switch (MPG for Z and joystick for XY) RESET,
feedrate pot, and spindle speed pot, as well as LCD with all the info.

Its a bit large, but it was only way to make it a custom look.
Pokeys now has a new device with faster processor so it should get
bit better response from commands, this one is ok but has a bit of lag.

Help with G-code
 

Hi Danilom
nice work' I downloaded the MDF clamp file but is having trouble converting the DXF file to g-code. Would appreciate any advice on how to import DXF file to make g-code
Gary

It depends on what software are you using?
For start I could make you some gcode, if you give me the cutter diameter and feeds.

If you need some free CAM to use and generate gcode yourself, and try you can look at these
http://www.gsimple.eu/index.html
http://www.cambam.info/ (go at download you have a free version at the bottom)