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  #1  
Old Fri 19 July 2013, 06:15
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
Going to Maker Faire: New Bolted Base Table - Rome, Italy

I started talking in my original building thread about the invitation I had to partecipate to the next european Maker Faire in Rome the 3-6 Oct with the Mechmate. The Idea is to transport my Machmate there, and to show a big DIY CNC produce a Wikihouse. I thought that instead of spending money for the transportation of the whole Mechmate, it would be a good idea to build a partially bolted table if the prices of materials to build a new base are similar to the cost of transport.
The new base at the end of the show will be moved to the Fablab Rome which will soon be inaugurated, and there be completed as a new Mechmate.
The idea of helping the Fablab to build a Mechmate, excite me. I think after 7 years from Gerald's project start, Mechmate is the still best project, the more affordable for a production machine and, if I'm not wrong, can be considered very close to an open source project (it was for years open source isn't it ? ).
So I think for many reasons it's the perfect fit for the Fablab idea and I hope that others Fablab around the world will follow.
Now after this brief prologue ... let's start the project.
The Idea is to build this new base to fit my gantry which as a 1700 mm cut ability. The total lenght will be extended to permit the cut of a full ply sheet which in Italy is long 3100-3150 mm so 3200mm it's the choice for X axis.
As I discovered that the max Y cut should be best 1830 mm ... I would like to find a way to fit my gantry and then extend the Y axis to 1830 mm cut.
I can dimension the longitudinal beams to 1830mm cut and make holes also for my gantry (100 mm difference +-).
With my 3 years experience, now I know that I just have to do what Gerald did ! no questions, no fancy ideas ... just follow instructions, and examples ... so:
http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showt...5&postcount=12
Flattening the tubes 5 cm each side more could be a solution ...
Anyway, waiting the metal quotes ... I will do a nice sketchup draw !
Ciao
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  #2  
Old Fri 19 July 2013, 11:24
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Sergio, you have to very careful with safety if you are going to be at a public place. It will be best to check with the organisers about their rules before the time. I suspect they want barriers to keep the public fingers out, emergency stop buttons, fire extinguisher, ground fault current protection for the main power. They might also have noise restrictions. (I have twice taken machinery to exhibitions in Germany, so I have a little experience there)
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  #3  
Old Fri 19 July 2013, 11:53
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
Hi Gerald,
Yes we will discuss the safety very soon. My Mechmate has all the emergency stop all around, We will put barriers to keep every part of the public body far from the machine , we will have for sure dust extraction ! But I'm going to check everything next week when I will present the quote for the base table. (yes the noise is a problem but they told me that the exibition stand will have noise insulation, but we have to check)
(Did you brought the Mechmate to exibitions ?)
thanks for thr advices
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  #4  
Old Fri 19 July 2013, 16:19
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
no it's not ! I know that Mechmate it's just a hobby and I know all the legends about you is it true that you were in the south african military navy ?
... so, this may be the first Mechmate public exibition ?
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  #5  
Old Fri 19 July 2013, 20:58
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
All white males over age 16 had to spend 2 years in military service - I went to the navy at age 23 after studying engineering. It wasn't actually my choice to be in the navy, but I really enjoyed it. As far as I know, it will be the first MechMate on show to the public.
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  #6  
Old Sat 20 July 2013, 02:47
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerald D View Post
As far as I know, it will be the first MechMate on show to the public.
So I have a big responsability !
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  #7  
Old Sat 20 July 2013, 03:45
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
Some questions ...

The goal is to replicate Gerald design ...
http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showt...5&postcount=12
but this is what I got:
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Bolted Mechmate 03a.jpg (37.9 KB, 841 views)
File Type: jpg Bolted Mechmate 03b.jpg (29.0 KB, 842 views)
File Type: jpg Bolted Mechmate 03c.jpg (35.5 KB, 841 views)
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  #8  
Old Sat 20 July 2013, 03:49
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
My otions are:
1 - to offset the legs on the left of the main beams
2 - to change the distance between the legs until I find the corect position
3 - to solder the diagonal braces in the position indicated by the arrow in the pictures
4 - ?
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  #9  
Old Sat 20 July 2013, 09:43
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Left picture is okay.

In center picture, move the top of the diagonal to the 81.8 position.

The diagonals do not have to be exactly vertical. They do not even have to be close to vertical. Your middle picture will be 100% strong, but it will look better if you go to another cross-channel.
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  #10  
Old Sat 20 July 2013, 13:37
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerald D View Post
...but it will look better if you go to another cross-channel.
I'm sorry but I don't understand
Here what I did ... (same color = welded)
When everything is ok I will post the sketchup model maybe can help somebody else ...
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Bolted Mechmate 06picc.jpg (31.0 KB, 843 views)
File Type: jpg Bolted Mechmate 07picc.jpg (83.5 KB, 845 views)
File Type: jpg Bolted Mechmate 08picc.jpg (101.1 KB, 848 views)
File Type: jpg Bolted Mechmate 11picc.jpg (94.0 KB, 849 views)
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  #11  
Old Sat 20 July 2013, 20:45
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
That is 100%
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  #12  
Old Sun 21 July 2013, 19:43
Red_boards
Just call me: Red #91
 
Melbourne
Australia
Sergio,
I'm guessing you are putting flanges on the top of the legs, vertical supports and cross supports and bolting them all to the beams?
A lot of holes to drill on the underside of 3.8m beams!
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  #13  
Old Sun 21 July 2013, 21:08
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Flanges are not needed. A single bolt at each contact point is enough.
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  #14  
Old Mon 22 July 2013, 02:18
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
Red, the right and left side are all welded. At the end I will have 4 basic pieces ....
9(main beam)+2(legs) bolts on one side and the same on the other .... this shoud explain better:
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Bolted Mechmate 12.jpg (66.2 KB, 812 views)
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  #15  
Old Mon 22 July 2013, 02:33
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
The calculated Weight for the main side is +-130 kg .... not a plesure to carry but with some tricks (support wheels ... ecc.) 2 (better 4) people can handle
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  #16  
Old Tue 23 July 2013, 11:29
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
Sketchup model

Here my Sketchup model of the bolted base.
It's for a 3200x1830 cut area.
main left and right sides are approx 130 kg each ...
Attached Files
File Type: zip Bolted Mechmate 08.zip (800.3 KB, 101 views)
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  #17  
Old Mon 05 August 2013, 09:09
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
I am ready to by the iron, but as usual some of the part are not available:
C channel 76x38 not available but 80x45 is ! so adding weight to the base it's not a problem (unless you have to carry it )
The pipe 50x4 is not available, the only similar pipe they have is 48x3mm. If it's not enough I have to go with a square profile ...
Would be a problem the 48x3 pipe ?
Thanks
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  #18  
Old Tue 06 August 2013, 06:56
KenC
Just call me: Ken
 
Klang
Malaysia
for trusses, 3mm pipe is plenty. but not for the bottom beam. will look a lot nicer if the bottom beams are square or rectangular.
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  #19  
Old Tue 06 August 2013, 15:26
Fox
Just call me: Fox
 
Amsterdam
Netherlands
I would use square profiles with I profiles anyway, easier to cut/weld/align, (won't roll away, etc) plenty of examples of MM's this way.
Gerald only used round tubes originally because he had a big pile of them anyway, and it's nice that the dust will fall off... as he wrote somewhere.
Having said that, a circle is always stronger (torsional) than a square obviously, so construction can be more lightweight hence most bicycles are round tubular frame but more complex to join (lugged joints when thin walled)...and most lorries and skyscrapers are build from square, rectangular and I-profiles.

Last edited by Fox; Tue 06 August 2013 at 15:31..
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  #20  
Old Wed 07 August 2013, 01:36
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
Thanks Ken and Fox,
My fist Mechmate was done with square tobe 40x4 mm. The main reason was to avoid the crush on the pipe ends ... because I thought I need a press, now I know a big hammer will do the job.
My experience now tell me that if you do what Gerald said you can never be wrong ... that's the biggest lesson :-).
But I think I have no chances to change the pipe tube for squares tube.
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  #21  
Old Thu 08 August 2013, 07:43
Fox
Just call me: Fox
 
Amsterdam
Netherlands
If you insist on round tubes Tubemiter
The hammer method is quicker, but this is nicer ( and if your get really into the details it is a better way, as hammering the pipe flat makes that the weakspot, although one can discuss if you will notice the differnce in your MM ).
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  #22  
Old Fri 09 August 2013, 01:36
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
Yes I know Tubemiter, very nice program, I use it for PVC pipes, in this case I will use the "hammer system" ... it's much easier not only the cut, but the main purpose of crushed ends is becase it's easier to weld ...
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  #23  
Old Tue 10 September 2013, 13:27
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
.... The dummy hit again !!!
Well my brilliant idea was to build a bolted Mechmate base for the maker faire that will serve as a base for the FabLab Rome later. I thought that the best dimensions are those of the commonly available plywood ... 3150x1830 ....
So you ask: is such a so "brilliant" idea ?
Well I tell you: if you plan to use on this base my smaller gantry and you succeed .. isn't brilliant ?
You say: wait !! a smaller gantry on a bigger base ? you look somewhat less brilliant than you think !
And I tell you: I have a solution ! as I am building a bolted base I can do a row of holes on one side on the cross beares to "tighten" the base to fit my gantry. then when the base will be reassembled in the fablab it will have the bigger size.
Don't ask me why I thought that the difference from my gantry and the future gantry will be 100-110 mm .... as I discovered today the difference is 230 mm !!!
this is the conclusion:
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Bolted Mechmate reduced 2.jpg (57.0 KB, 503 views)
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  #24  
Old Tue 10 September 2013, 13:35
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
.... What a beaty ... isn'it ?
I have also the problem that the support boar doesn't fit inside ... so I have tro drill different holes on the cross bearers ....
Another solution is to center the cross bearers an make 2 rows of holes ....
..... It could work ... but I'm not happy I'm not proud is this what I have to show to so many people ?
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Bolted Mechmate reduced 3.jpg (54.1 KB, 504 views)
File Type: jpg Bolted Mechmate reduced 4.jpg (77.8 KB, 507 views)
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  #25  
Old Tue 10 September 2013, 13:39
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
Please tell me what you think .... the only other solution is to give up the idea of enlarging to 1850 mm and cut the cross bearers to fit only my size .....
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  #26  
Old Tue 10 September 2013, 19:18
smreish
Just call me: Sean - #5, 28, 58 and others
 
Orlando, Florida
United States of America
Sergio,
I am trying to understand what is happening here.
Have you or have you not fabricated the base or gantry yet?
Ideally what you should have is about a 100mm perimeter on the sides of the spoil board for the spindle/y-car to over run the board for surfacing/bigger cutters and clamp clearance.

If the 200+ mm difference is on one side only...you could..depending on your cable chain bend radius, use that "shelf" that is created by the cross bearers to support your chain.

So...what part of the fabrication are you at? Gantry done? Table done?
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  #27  
Old Tue 10 September 2013, 21:15
parrulho
Just call me: Paulo #108
 
willemstad
Netherlands Antilles
At that point, I would go with a new gantry fitting the big table.
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  #28  
Old Tue 10 September 2013, 23:56
silverdog
Just call me: Sergio #70
 
Rome
Italy
Paolo,
new gantry is not possible, no time no laser cuts ecc. ecc.

Sean,
No I am still in the process of making the base, at moment I have prepared everything and the rails are done. I miss some welding and the holes on the cross bearers. I thought to have the difference on one side and use it as support for the chain, but 200+ mm would not permit to attach the support board in the correct place . Technically speaking both the solutions are possible .... but the real question is: Can a Mechmate like this be showed (for the first time) to a large amount of people (80k-100k) ? What kind of pubblicity would it be ? (for me and for the mechmate).
My answer is not positive, my solution is to cut the bearers.

Last edited by silverdog; Tue 10 September 2013 at 23:58.. Reason: add something
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  #29  
Old Wed 11 September 2013, 01:28
KenC
Just call me: Ken
 
Klang
Malaysia
For displaying to the public, I would stay 1 fixed size. You can put in more time for the cosmetics. Change the base size to fit your misfortune gantry.

Make a 1220x2440 table area for wood routing on the front end, at the extra length end, set up a separate table area for metal milling or the A-axis or plasma cutting or whatever you can think off to con the audiance that wasn't there by mistake
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  #30  
Old Wed 11 September 2013, 09:33
MetalHead
Just call me: Mike
 
Columbiana AL
United States of America
Can you give us real pictures?
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