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#31
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Quote:
My point was that there is not enough power going thru the wires to present a problem using a good quality crimp connector. I lost one Gecko from a single strand of a motor wire that did find it's way out of the screw-clamp. I too will be looking a the collars so as to prevent a re-occurance. Dave |
#32
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Gerald,
The ferrules I mentioned are the same as you linked to. They are available in insulated and non-insulated versions. When tight access, I just shrink tube on the non-insulated ones....etc. These are the ferrules recommended to me from our Local UL inspector. If I plan on doing this in the future on a larger scale, I would like the panel be be UL 508 panel approved for insurance/liability reasons. Sean |
#33
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Quote:
Quote:
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#34
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Doug, if you are still interested in those ShopBot/Wago connectors, read this post on the ShopBot forum today:
http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/sho...8550#POST58550 |
#35
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Thanks Gerald but once you told me they weren't a good idea, that was enough for me. I ruled the idea out immediately.
I received my cables today but am having trouble getting the Mechmate logo made. Those are the last major pieces to acquire. Now, it's just the wiring part. Oh yeah and I have to machine the router bracket. Unfortunately, I have to work every day for the next 3 weeks and won't get a chance to make much headway. It's killing me because I want to post some pictures of my progress. I'm proud of it and often catch myself just standing there smiling at it. I love your design. |
#36
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That's another candidate for lasered & bent plate . . . . .
Profound ![]() |
#37
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Haha. I meant I won't even have a weekend off.
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#38
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Tonight I wired the PMDX board to the Geckos and had trouble inserting all the strands into the tiny terminal holes. I looked again at the pictures of your control box and noticed that you didn't use those crimp on pin connectors when you wired those same cables. Was there a reason? I'd really like to use them because my cables have 20 AWG wires so it's a tight fit and I'm worried I'll end up with a stray strand.
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#39
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As far as the crimp terminals go, I've been able to find sizes to accommodate all common sizes of wire, from 28-gauge to 8-gauge. With most connectors, I like to have 24-gauge, 22-gauge, 18-gauge, 16-gauge and 12-gauge on hand. If you buy from places like www.ferrulesdirect.com, the price for 500 each averages to about $10 per size. So, for $50, you would have enough ferrules to wire several control boxes.
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#40
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On the PMDX, the currents and voltages are very low and the wires can be quite thin. (I don't exactly how thin the wire was that I used there). The board terminals were too small for the range of crimp terminals that I had available so I went without them.
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#41
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ferrules
My recent arrival from ferrulesdirect.com $28.30 for the assortment including shipping. Sean
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#42
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. . . and the crimping tool?
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#43
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...Yes, I already own that! Very important to have the correct crimper. I have a ratcheting device with changeable jaws for round, oval or rectangular malleable crimps. Worth every penny! Good point Gerald.
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#44
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I looked at the ferrules when someone mentioned them earlier but ruled them out because they required a new crimping tool. If I use the crimp on pin terminals, I can use the same ratcheting crimping tool I use for the other connectors. However, if the experts (Gerald, Mike, Sean, and others) recommend the ferrules, that's what I'll go with.
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#45
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Doug.
Each method has similar results - if done well. A well crimped connection to the wire that results in good voltage/current transmission without arcing is the goal. As long as your practice works....then continue your path. I actually use both aforementioned solder-less connectors on a case-by-case basis. In summary, any practice that has good results is worth keeping! Good Luck. Sean |
#46
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I thought it good to post this experience here as I feel it has to do with wiring.
PLEASE NOTE..... ... PLACE Names and the NAMES of people have been changed to protect their identity... ![]() Recently a guy ...let us call him Brad.... had a working MechMate in let's say Randburg... This machine was in his shop working and producing a lot of dust. Then one day about 3 weeks ago this Big Blue Beast suddenly lost Y-Direction movement. Stepper driver was changed, BOB was changed, wiring was checked, but still the stepper would just sit there and BUZZ...or HUM or do something apart from STRONG forwards and backwards movement. Then this poor guy we are calling BRAD picked up the Swine Flu and so he could not attend further to the problem. So this morning I went to see if I could help, because a MM without movement is like riding a superbike with kiddies wheels on the side. Well this thing had me by the short and curleys for most of the morning, but then I found it........... As we are using steppers with 8 wires, we save the 1 motor for the future and only run using 4 wires. The other 4 wires are NEATLY taped up and out of harms way......ha ha Not the case. Somebody that wired the motors to the cable had these 4 unused wires BADLY wrapped up and what happened was that the insulation started to break through and as the stepper driver tried to turn the motor, the turning motor generated voltage and this had an INTERNAL BRAKE effect on the whole thing. We cut the unused exposed wires short and taped them up individually. No more internal braking and his Big Blue machine was back in action. One more for the fault logs to keep in mind. |
#47
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Smartly diagnosed Kobus - not something that is easy to find on someone else's machine if you don't know where he took shortcuts.
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#48
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I reckon Brad was really pleased Kobus.
I have just watched a documentry on TV about a man in Cape town who has a pet hippopotamus and his name is Tony Joubert |
#49
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Quote:
![]() ![]() I have a crappy crimper, breaks 1 out of 5 times the ferrule, never saw one like that one, it looks like a RJ45 crimper but for ferrules, nice! Pablo |
#50
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Pablo, Bien Dia Senor~
It's good the hear from you. Are you coming back to the States soon? Hopefully I will have my new machine up and running by then and we can have another MM meetup! The Ferrule and such was purchased from http://www.ferrulesdirect.com/ Great stuff, reasonable price - quick delivery. |
#51
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Hi Neil ... luckily my name is Kobus Joubert....I might growing to be as big as a Hippo but will try and stay a little normal.
![]() And remember the name BRAD was only used to protect the innocent....ha |
#52
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Pablo, see old thread: Tools needed to build and operate the MechMate - gift ideas (from them to YOU!) but get the right type of jaws.
Last edited by Gerald D; Thu 25 August 2011 at 09:33.. |
#53
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Sean,
So do we get to see it? ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
#54
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It's a pile of parts in a big drawer right now Heath. A 540, power supply, extra pmdx, it will be a 4 axis machine with a better BBQ. (you have to read WAy back in the forums if you don't get this joke reference.)
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#55
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Oh no, I remember the BBQ, a whole OX right?
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#56
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Today I found at a local store what I think is the exact same model as your photo, a clearly Chinese unit with a generic model HY-301E for $25 Tomorrow I have 2 small CNC lathe control boxes to assemble that will be built in less time ![]() ![]() My cousin is in Orlando right now until october, I don't know when I'm going back there, but be sure that I'll ring you and Nils for a meeting. Cheers! |
#57
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Pablo, I changed the Windows settings for my keyboard to type ñ, ç, ä, ¿, etc. see:
http://www.studyspanish.com/accents/typing.htm and http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306560 . The key thing is to convert your keyboard setting to English (US-INTERNATIONAL). I don't ever use Alt codes. |
#58
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yesyes, I have the same config since ages, but for an english speaker only it makes sense the regular US layout methinks
![]() BTW, the keyboard Im using is 26 years old, an IBM type M from my first PC-XT circa 1985, been using it since then everyday. |
#59
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wire connectors
Gerald Were can I buy the connector you used on your stepper motors, I need them for the kl34-180-90 servo motor from keling. Thanks Andrew Griffin
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#60
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