What does a MechMate cost to build?
 

Any have a idea of build cost of the MechMate in USD?

Donald,

$4,000 dollars plus or minus 50% (Your mileage may vary)
There are many variables, motors, drives, router, suppliers and ability to do it yourself.
I budgeted $4,000.00 and will be quite happy if it is finished anywhere under $6,000.00 Easily 1/2 the cost of a commercial alternative. Plus the knowledge gained makes it a bargain.

DocTanner

I have almost completed the table. It has so far cost me around US $ 600. The rails would cost me another US 200. I am quite sure that I could finish off everything within a budget of
US $ 4000 (with router option and not the spindle option).

Ok, with the router option, what are the expensive parts and approx cost.

I am comparing to the CadCut CNC Router. Any Advice there. I had it partially built but had something come up and used the metal for it for something else.

I would love to see any build pics/logs. I browsed through about all I can find here.

Click on the link below, you will see enough pictures.

http://www.mechmate.com/Forum/messages/329/646.html

The 4 stepper's US $ 1,000
Drivers for steppers US $ 600
Rack & Pinion US $ 450 (For 8'x4' board).
Table US $ 1,000 (if you build on your own)

Update on costs
The $4,000.00 mark was crossed a today when I bought the spoil board. Machine is basically finished. I made the first cuts a few days ago. Powdercoating, dust collecting and cable management remains to be done. There were cost over runs due to overbuys, oops and lack of paying attention to the plans. I started building using my own design and then wised up and started following the plans here. Taking all of this into consideration the MechMate can be built for $4,000.00

First, thanks to Gerald for creating this machine and offering it for free.

Second, I (and I'm sure others) would like to get a better idea of cost before I start. This thread seems to say around $4000. My basic question is how much of that cost is due to out sourcing? I'm in the US but I'm sure people elsewhere would be interested.

Materials
Lasercuting
Bending
Softwear
Other labor

Total

Thanks,
Will

Hi Will,

The answer to your question depends on too many variables. Here is a link that Sean in florida who has priced his build out including some of his variables. I've started my machine and my pricing is coming close to the $4000 range without the tool. I would read through all of the threads before you begin. Put together a spreadsheet, there are spreadsheets that others here in the US have placed in the threads, that lists all of the parts needed and then start sourcing them. It's amazing what kind of pricing differences you can get based on your vendors. I sourced the steel out at one place that wanted $1200 not including delivery. After searching I found a vendor that would deliver all the steel I needed (and some) for $450.

http://mechmate.com/forums/showthrea...42&postcount=1

Hope this helps.

Greg M

I looked for a spreadsheet, but did not find one.

Is there one posted somewhere ?

Dave

Gerald,

I would guess that several people have built spreadsheets. Do you think as a main header, in the personal thread section, It would be possible to have a single thread for posting those spreadsheets. I would think that this would help people in various parts of the world find suppliers. If there was a place where they could be collected, I would think that it could help a great deal.

Marc I think that is a great idea.I am setting at idle at the moment waiting for JR to get back in town.I need to order a few more items and wanted to talk with him before doing so. I will keep up a spreadsheet as well and post it after i have all the items in hand.

Marc, publishing spreadsheets is fine, as long as they are zipped first. I can move move them into a common thread once the momentum gets going.

I might be able to explain why people don't easily publish their "shopping lists" - speaking from my own experience . . . . Because my "dayjob" involves buying a fair amount of stuff from laser-cutters, bolt & nut suppliers, steel merchants, etc. I can piggy-back on that and get very good prices. 50% discounts on list price are not unusual. But, those are because of a special relationship to a supplier which he doesn't wan't known to the general public and certainly doesn't want to see published on a website such as this. Those special prices will be increased to list prices if shown on a list - so I will be shooting myself in the foot by telling everyone where I buy what at how much. When I do mention prices, it is for those times when I knew I wasn't getting anything special and that anybody else will get the same.

I think most of us would like a single sorucre for all the known suppliers.

McMaster Carr has the spur gears and lots of the cable chain parts.
Kableschlep or Igus for the cablechain.

we all have local steel suppliers but a list of all the parts and weights would be a great help.

even tools, like grinder and what size wheels and how many get used.

nuts and bolts. knowning I need 75 nuts that are 6mm would be helpful.

Even gallons of paint or pounds of powder coat.

Dave

[QUOTE=driller;5359]I think most of us would like a single sorucre for all the known suppliers.

I should have said widely and publicly known, like McMaster.

Our secret suppliers or those we have great relationships can remain private

I found JR's spread sheet. Post #77 of this thread http://mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=329&page=3

It says about $1500 including laser cutting but steppers, geckos, software etc. Is that about average? I need to look closely at what else is required but $2500 for the rest?

Will

If you make a list of suppliers it should be broken down by region. McMaster is more of a reference book than an actual catalog, the supplier of last resort.

Greg,
I am making a detailed excel sheet of every cost I am spending with the component listed next to it. Cost, extended cost, in-shipping cost, tax, etc. Hopefully this will help me with Capitalizing the machine cost at the end of the tax year. Additionally, If I am so lucky to actually become a licensed fabricator the the MechMate, I can show all the cost's incurred and sale price for accurate licensing fees. Just thinking ahead!

This is a fantastic design and credit/royalty is due to the designer of record.
Sean

Sounds very helpful Sean. How far along are you?

Will,
Close enough to be within 20% of my target build price for hard goods. I started with a gross budget of about 6500.00, but with my local sources and really great luck with local suppliers, I will most likely come in with my first machine at 5500.00 That's with a new computer, software, controller and all the mechanics. I haven't even begun to tabulate my shop labor, but when done, I will have spent 20K in real world dollars for this machine. Labor not cheap, even when it's mine! Oh yeah, I forgot, I haven't paid tax on most of the goods yet! Add 6.5% back in! :(

Thanks. I'll be looking for the spreadsheet when you're ready to post it.

Sorry my doughter did sent a message (8 months old she didn.t on pourpose). but i couldn erase it. so i just say hallo to everybody!!!

Bye Ale.

Ale,

Sounds like your daughter wants a MechMate. May be you better build one! She may only be 8 months old but she has good taste!! :rolleyes:

Welcome to MM Ale, I hope you are a rich ground baron with a nice freestanding home in Utrecht for MM space. I remember my 5 years I lived in Hilversum close to you. My SCHUURTJE would not have housed my MM.

Nice thing about Gerald's plans are that you can scale the MM to any size to suite your needs.:cool:

Groetjes,
Kobus

Cost breakdown
 

I will be helping a friend a friend build a 4' by 8' machine and trying to get idea of cost for materials for table and gantry. I can't go by my cost because I built mine before I found this site. Don't want electronics just the steel.

Desc Quan Length Total Length Weight Per Foot Cost Per # Total Weight SSS Price Extended
3"h x 1.596" x .356 C-Channel 3 20 60 6 $0.83 360 $99.04 $297.12
2" OD x .083" Wall Tubing 4 20 80 1.699 $1.15 135.92 $38.92 $155.68
7"h x 3.452"w x .352 web MC-Channel 1 20 20 19.1 $0.79 382 $300.00 $300.00
2" x 2" x .120" Square Tubing 1 20 20 3.05 $0.73 61 $44.38 $44.38
3/8" Round Rod 1 20 20 0.376 $0.94 7.52 $7.08 $7.08
5/16" Round Rod 1 20 20 0.261 $0.75 5.22 $3.92 $3.92
4" x 2" x .120" wall Rec Tubing 1 20 20 4.75 $0.84 95 $79.54 $79.54
5/8" Square Bar 1 20 20 1.33 $0.81 26.6 $21.54 $21.54
1" x 1" x 3/16" Angle Iron 1 20 20 1.16 $0.78 23.2 $17.99 $17.99
2.5" x 2" x .250" Angle Iron (X & Y) 2 20 40 3.19 $0.00 127.6 $0.00
2" x 1" x .120 Rec Tubing 1 20 20 2.252 $0.86 45.04 $38.65 $38.65

1269.1 $651.06 $965.90

That's without tax.

Talk aout sticker shock. I don't buy much steel and am aware of the cost increase over the last 2 years but a jolt when you see it all togeather..

Art -

I purchase my steel at SSS Steel in Houston, Texas. It's a retail "wal-mart" type steel place so I'm sure the price per pound is a bit more than if someone purchases on a more "commercial" level. You could scrimp a little by using a smaller main beam and gantry tube that I did. All in all, when you look at a trailer full of steel - 1,300 pounds of it in my case, and compare it to the little boxes that the OM stepper motors come in - it makes me think I'm getting screwed on the motors, not the steel.

All in all, the steel ($965 USD) was only about 1/6 of the total cost of the MechMate build. But when you consider that I got a higher quality finish product than something like this:

http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11749 for $7,500 less.

Hi to everybody!!! Well i dream for a house on the groundfloor to place my router there...but i'm planning to go back to italy so i'll have more room to dedicate to my job!!! in the meantime i'm considering how to build my mechmate to produce piano keyboards!!

Bye Ale.