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  #271  
Old Fri 07 March 2008, 21:08
Corwes
Just call me: Corwes
 
Stouffville ,ON
Canada
Paul

How did the laser cutting and bending turn out?
Are you happy with the results?
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  #272  
Old Sun 09 March 2008, 12:32
J.R. Hatcher
Just call me: J.R. #4
 
Wilmington, North Carolina
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to J.R. Hatcher
Keyboard and mouse now have a permanent home
Attached Images
File Type: jpg MechMate1 005.JPG (68.2 KB, 3841 views)
File Type: jpg MechMate1 007.JPG (68.0 KB, 3835 views)
File Type: jpg MechMate1 009.JPG (23.8 KB, 3823 views)
File Type: jpg MechMate1 015.JPG (22.8 KB, 3824 views)
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  #273  
Old Sun 09 March 2008, 12:52
Greg J
Just call me: Greg #13
 
Hagerman, New Mexico
United States of America
Truly an inspiration J.R.

Now back to work for me.
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  #274  
Old Sun 09 March 2008, 14:13
smreish
Just call me: Sean - #5, 28, 58 and others
 
Orlando, Florida
United States of America
JR....Your a perfectionist. I like it that way. Great work.
I can barely see my machine through the dust and debris field at the moment. I hope to clean the shop and move the machine in 2 weeks so I can have a permanent set up. Right now my computer and control box are on a saw horse table in the corner!
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  #275  
Old Sun 09 March 2008, 20:47
ekdenton
Just call me: Ed #8
 
Alamogordo, NM
United States of America
Hi J.R.,
Great looking job you did on your mechmate. I have a couple of questions for you. Did you vent or put any fans on the control box that you have the computer in? I know computers like to stay cool. I would like to do something like that to keep mine out of the dust but I would not like to have problems with the heat. On the other hand a fan would probably just draw alot of dust into the box, so I was wondering what everyone is doing about that. Also I was wondering what the pvc pipes under your table are for, do you have a vacume set up to hold your materials down?
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  #276  
Old Mon 10 March 2008, 08:28
J.R. Hatcher
Just call me: J.R. #4
 
Wilmington, North Carolina
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to J.R. Hatcher
Ed the heat is a concern. The heat sink for the geckos has reached 130F. A fan will be nessesary, I will use a cheap auto air filter to keep the dust out, my compressor has used the same system for 25 years with great success. The pipe under the table will be for the vacuum hold down system. thanks
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  #277  
Old Mon 10 March 2008, 10:10
domino11
Just call me: Heath
 
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
JR,
Your machine is looking awesome. Do you have any more pics of the stuff you have been cutting? What are you cutting mostly?

Heath.
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  #278  
Old Thu 13 March 2008, 04:31
J.R. Hatcher
Just call me: J.R. #4
 
Wilmington, North Carolina
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to J.R. Hatcher
Heath I haven't cut much, some personalised hearts, several wall plaques, a few logos, the dust foot, that's about it. I need cut files of anything that will sell on the open market. Marc is drawing up some things like dressing screens, and fireplace screens and we will cut them from 3/4" mdf.
I like the idea of having a space we could upload and download "use at your own risk cut files". Think of the different items it would have from all over the world.
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  #279  
Old Thu 13 March 2008, 05:46
sailfl
Just call me: Nils #12
 
Winter Park, FL
United States of America
JR,

Go to Epilog laser site and they have files that will work with your machine.

http://www.epiloglaser.com/sample_club.htm
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  #280  
Old Thu 13 March 2008, 11:00
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
JR,

you might like this one www.myDXF.blogspot.com

RGDS
Irfan
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  #281  
Old Sat 19 April 2008, 15:52
J.R. Hatcher
Just call me: J.R. #4
 
Wilmington, North Carolina
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to J.R. Hatcher
Pics of the vacuum hold down system.
Everything was made using the MechMate. The 1/2" plenum board has 4 quadrants (as per Brady's design on the Shopbot forum). Any combination of the quadrants is possible .... any 1, any 2, any 3, or all 4, may be opened, or closed, or the system can be opened to pull its air through the filter (small swimming pool filter). The 4 oblong recesses located on the slide act as the lock and hold it in place using a large ball catch.
We are still using tabs on any part smaller than 2 sq. ft. The good thing is no clamps are nessary if the material is larger than about 4 sq. ft.
The blower is rated at 175 cfm, 94" H2O.
I am satisfied with the hold down system. When we first turned it on I was disappointed, I wanted no tabs no clamps regardless how small the parts were, but then reality set in and I realized .... that ain't gone happen.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg MechMate1 001.JPG (19.8 KB, 3816 views)
File Type: jpg MechMate1 005.JPG (19.6 KB, 3801 views)
File Type: jpg MechMate1 007.JPG (19.8 KB, 3798 views)
File Type: jpg MechMate1 009.JPG (19.8 KB, 3794 views)
File Type: jpg MechMate1 011.JPG (24.5 KB, 3789 views)
File Type: jpg MechMate1 013.JPG (20.4 KB, 3792 views)
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  #282  
Old Sat 19 April 2008, 16:50
sailfl
Just call me: Nils #12
 
Winter Park, FL
United States of America
JR,

Very nice system. Can you provide more details about the vacuum unit you are using?

Thanks
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  #283  
Old Sat 19 April 2008, 17:50
Doug_Ford
Just call me: Doug #3
 
Conway (Arkansas)
United States of America
JR.

Beautiful work. I love those slanted handles. Very elegant looking.
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  #284  
Old Sat 19 April 2008, 20:44
domino11
Just call me: Heath
 
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
JR,
Your setup looks really good. You must be really proud of your machine.
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  #285  
Old Sun 20 April 2008, 06:40
J.R. Hatcher
Just call me: J.R. #4
 
Wilmington, North Carolina
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to J.R. Hatcher
Thanks everyone.

Nils, the vacuum is called a Hitachi Vortex Blower model # VB-022G-U. It is 3 ph, 230 volts, 8 amps. It's a lot quieter than I thought it would be, my 10 gal. HF shop vac makes twice as much noise. Even when the spoil board has some cuts in it one person can't move a 2' X 4' pc of mdf, so other non porous materials should be held down even better, jmho. I would like to ask the manufacturer if a VFD was added would it hurt the blower to rev it up a little if not then the RPMs could be adjusted up or down (I think I know the answer to that question already ).
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  #286  
Old Sun 20 April 2008, 09:17
sailfl
Just call me: Nils #12
 
Winter Park, FL
United States of America
JR

Did you buy it online or a local distributor?

Thanks
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  #287  
Old Sun 20 April 2008, 09:28
J.R. Hatcher
Just call me: J.R. #4
 
Wilmington, North Carolina
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to J.R. Hatcher
Nils I bought 4 of them from a guy in Washington state. They are new old stock in the original shipping crates. If anyone is interested I have 2 to sell and maybe 3. Remember they are 3 ph. 3 hp.
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  #288  
Old Sun 20 April 2008, 09:48
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
JR

I wouldn't sell the other 2 pumps - I would add them to the first one. Cheaper than a VFD
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  #289  
Old Sun 20 April 2008, 09:57
J.R. Hatcher
Just call me: J.R. #4
 
Wilmington, North Carolina
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to J.R. Hatcher
Gerald I'm not sure if adding another pump would increase vacuum ???
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  #290  
Old Sun 20 April 2008, 10:04
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
It definitely will when there is a movement of air because of leaks and seepages. Here is a graph on that pump:

http://www.ecompressedair.com/pdf/hi...B022GU_dwg.pdf

Clipboard01.gif
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  #291  
Old Sun 20 April 2008, 10:14
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Let's say you had 120 cfm worth of leaks/seepages, therefore the vacuum "pressure" is 37" (water). If three pumps were pulling 40 cfm each, to give the 120 cfm for the leaks/seepages, the vacuum goes up to 85".

(Not exactly true, because the leaks at 85" are more than at 37" - but not that much more)

You might be tempted to put them in series, rather than parallel, but that is risky because the second one will be sucking hot air from the first.

Here is an attempt to explain it a bit further.
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  #292  
Old Sun 20 April 2008, 14:28
J.R. Hatcher
Just call me: J.R. #4
 
Wilmington, North Carolina
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to J.R. Hatcher
Gerald I had a copy of the sheet that graph came from, but I surly did not understand it .... thanks for the explanation. I speak every language except Greek and "that's Greek to me" (before someone puts up a challenge I will say it now, "that's Greek to me")
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  #293  
Old Sun 20 April 2008, 21:00
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Plain english: Don't sell your "surplus" pumps!
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  #294  
Old Wed 23 April 2008, 19:40
J.R. Hatcher
Just call me: J.R. #4
 
Wilmington, North Carolina
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to J.R. Hatcher
The potential heat problem is no more. This is an inexpensive swimming pool filter and a 12 volt fan. Everything is running a lot cooler . Dust is not a problem at all.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg MechMate1 021.JPG (23.1 KB, 3739 views)
File Type: jpg MechMate1 025.JPG (24.5 KB, 3731 views)
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  #295  
Old Wed 23 April 2008, 21:03
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Cool!
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  #296  
Old Thu 24 April 2008, 09:15
ekdenton
Just call me: Ed #8
 
Alamogordo, NM
United States of America
That is a good fix,

I had the same idea, but instead of a swimming pool filter I found a Fram round air filter at wallmart that slides perfectly onto a 2-3/8" od tube. I already have my fan mounted on the inside of my box but I havent made my plate adapter yet for the filter. I have my computer in a seperate box, but will use the same setup you have there for my control board so my geckos stay cool.
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  #297  
Old Thu 24 April 2008, 09:51
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
It would be better to have positive pressure inside the cabinet. In other words, the fan should be between the filter and the cabinet. Then you don't have to worry so much about door seals.
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  #298  
Old Thu 24 April 2008, 11:01
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
JR , God might have taken lot of time to carve out your brains, good idea, I was thinking of a similar idea to fill our bedroom with dust free air as I have allergies to dust. and there you go applying it to the control panel for the mechmate

Cheers
Irfan
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  #299  
Old Mon 05 May 2008, 18:36
J.R. Hatcher
Just call me: J.R. #4
 
Wilmington, North Carolina
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to J.R. Hatcher
Marc and I have designed this 3 to 1 motor reduction. If time permits I will install one on the Z tomorrow and report how it does.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg MechMate1 013.JPG (22.5 KB, 3744 views)
File Type: jpg MechMate1 015.JPG (23.3 KB, 3729 views)
File Type: jpg MechMate1 017.JPG (22.7 KB, 3740 views)
File Type: jpg MechMate1 019.JPG (23.3 KB, 3737 views)
File Type: jpg MechMate1 023.JPG (23.5 KB, 3729 views)
File Type: jpg MechMate1 15.JPG (23.1 KB, 3725 views)
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  #300  
Old Mon 05 May 2008, 19:24
smreish
Just call me: Sean - #5, 28, 58 and others
 
Orlando, Florida
United States of America
Now that is some sexy machinery....who has the vertical mill? Very nice work.
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