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#61
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Weather
When I moved from Great Falls to Oklahoma City the only snow I saw floated down and melted on the hot asphalt. I couldn't believe how hot it was. I celebrated when the temp dropped below 100.
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#62
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You guys should come up to Canada. Was 11 degrees here and I worked in the shop all day. Had the woodstove going, but that is a mild winter day up here!
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#63
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It doesn't look cold in there...too cold that is...
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#64
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Lucky you.
I can't even get below 20C with the air conditioner going full blast here... |
#65
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Finished constructing the cross supports to keep the table from racking from side to side. Took way longer than I thought it would. With the long holiday weekend I thought I was going to get into cutting the rails.
Next weekend is predicted to be much colder again. So it will probably be a couple of weeks before I can get into rail grinding and cutting. Anything involving grinders is done outside. I have machine tools that would not appreciate all the grit being thrown around. I should have the last of my miscellaneous bits and pieces to do the kitchen table test of the electronics though. Also got my bearings ordered from Superior Bearing. Mike, are you still selling cable? |
#66
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Which grinder for skate?
I have a DW402 grinder, but it does not quite fit the skate.
There are a couple of little protruding extrusions that are keeping me from being able to mount the grinder properly. I do not want to hack up my grinder to make this fit. I have seen references to the DW818 being used, but apparently that model number is no longer sold. What other current model number grinders will fit the skate without a lot of modification. |
#67
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Grinder that Fits Skate
here is what I found: Ryobi grinder AG403 4 1/2 inch grinder ($29.99) is a perfect fit for the rail cutter/grinder. Someone else also replied to the post and said the Harbor Freight 9.99 grinder also fit. I am sure there are others. I am sure the makers of that model Ryobi also change the color and sell it to other companies.
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#68
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I have a Makita (not sure the exact model) but the modification to the plate was minimal. the hardest part for me was finding the 4mm screws/bolts long enough to work, ended up getting them from Fastenal. Don't be afraid to modify the skate, if you mess up just weld the holes back, grind the welds smooth and do it again, a lot cheaper than going out and buying another grinder.
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#69
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I had to modify my skate.
Like Tom said it is better than buying a new grinder, unless you are a toolaholic. |
#70
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Got the cross supports attached as well as the casters. The table is rock solid now.
I have usually just bought the cheap casters from HF, but decided to go with a little higher quality for the table this time. When up on the casters, the table glides around with almost no effort. I do not expect to move the table too often, but in the tight space of my shop I know I will have to move it. I bought a Ryobi AG403 as recommended above. The AG403 is almost a perfect fit. I did have to grind a little bit from some corners on the 45 degree plate to clear a couple of screws. When I get the longer 4mm screws, they will line perfectly. As long as the grinder lasts through the rail grinding process, I will consider it $30 well spent. Also spent a bunch of money ordering items from Mike, McMaster Carr and ebay. I am going to go with the 2.2KW spindle sold by qiandingzhensatisfaction. He seems to be pretty well referenced on cnczone. I have 9 days off over the Christmas break. I want to have everything I need together by then. I am not sure if I will have everything running at the end of that time, but I am sure going to try. I want to get back to building my airplane. Weather is supposed to be a little warmer next weekend, so hopefully I will get my rails cut down and beveled. |
#71
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Quote:
Good luck with your build, I know I am having fun with mine! ![]() |
#72
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Ground wire too stiff?
I got the ground wire I ordered. It is 4 gauge, as recommended in Gerald's wiring post, but it is seems very stiff in comparison to the 4 conductor 14 gauge wire I ordered for the spindle.
Specifically I ordered McMaster Carr part number 7125K694. I am just wondering if I ordered the wrong kind of wire to use in the cable carrier. |
#73
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I decided to order 4 gauge welding cable, which should be much more flexible.
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#74
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DB, changing to welding cable is an excellent call. Stiff cables are torturous to work with.
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#75
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First Rail Cut Down
Cut down my first rail today. At first Tried to see how far I could get without cutting down the 2.5" side. I was able to get about 1mm, but had to stop.
I took my plasma cutter and lopped off about 1/2" inch. I was a little concerned after the cut because the angle iron bowed from the heat stress. However after cutting down the rail, the stresses from the heat affected region were cut away and the rail laid flat again. This first rail took about 4 hours. Of course a lot of that was figuring things out. I am sure the remaining will go a little quicker. Attached also are pics of how I set the spacing for the cutter. I cut some scrap 2x4 down to form a spacer block and bolted that onto the grinder top plate. The I-Beam worked real nice for a good flat surface to work from. If you ever get a chance to get some big I-Beams cheap, get them. |
#76
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Remaining three rails cut down today. Overall I would say about 5-6 hours was spent cutting all 4 rails down. 8 cutting discs were used. The were the DeWalt branded disks.
Next step is to get the rails beveled. |
#77
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Joining Support Board
I would like my support board to fully cover the cross rails. I only have access to 4x8 sheets of MDF. Since the center section is 61 inches, I would need to cut the boards down. The question is how do I join them in the middle?
Would I use a biscuit joiner?. Pocket screws maybe? I am going to use elevator bolts as the hold down. Should I try to catch the seam in the middle of a hole and hold the seam down that way? |
#78
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You could cut a strip of mdf or ply 4" wide.
Glue and air nail it on the underside of your base board overlapping the joint. Simple but effective. |
#79
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That would only work if the seam ran parallel to, and in between the cross bearers.
The table will hold a lot of sawdust without the open spaces on the sides. |
#80
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With adequate dust collection, dust to the channels is not a problem. I have my spoilboard extended the whole way to the channels. Maybe a touch at the end of a run of a full sheet of plywood but nothing a quick run of the shop-vac will not get rid of. I did this because it helped 100 fold with dust collection versus before the dust would fall to the floor and not go where it should. In the collection bin.
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#81
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Sounds like a good idea. Maybe I should cover the gaps too... with vacuum hold down, I rarely use the clamps nowadays.
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#82
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DB,
I would just screw the two pieces down close to their respective edge. I used all brass flat head screws and did not epoxy them in. I countersunk so the head of the brass screw as more than half the depth of the spoilboard. If you want a air tight seal, just use a sealant. I would not go to the added time of a joining method since this will be surfaced from time to time and is a consumable part. About dust collection If you use a dust shoe and it even hangs over the edge of the spoilboard just 1/2"(12.7mm), you have just eliminated your dust collecting capability. Another thing is if any of the chips that do escape, they are on the table, this is good because 1) it is easier to clean 2) you will not let it pile up like you would if it was under the table (most of us use the bottom for storage anyway) 3) it will force you to clean it, reducing dust stir-up and fire hazards. If your shoe is not collecting all of the chips, your shoe is not properly designed and should be re-made to work with the chip/dust extraction you have. |
#83
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I really had to wonder with the ice storm we just had, if I would have even have electricity over the Christmas break. Probably got about 3/4 inch of ice.
Since I can't resume beveling the rails for another day or two, I have started on the control panel. One thing I have not decided yet is if I want to run the BOB and the power supply on 120 or 220. I have 220 coming into the panel. So for consistency I am thinking just run 220 for those. Is there any reason why I would not want to do it that way? The control panel itself will be mounted at the end of the table with VFD mounted mid table to keep some distance between the two. It will also minimize the distance from the VFD to spindle, which I hope will minimize noise problems. The only thing I want coming from the table is the power connection and ethernet cable from the EZ stepper. Hopefully in a day or two I will have my first stepper motor turning for testing. By that time, the ice should be melted enough to start back up on the rails. |
#84
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The voltage hookup is your choice, it will not hurt it either way.
Most quality VFDs the noise comes from the wires not the unit because they are shielded really well inside. But it would not hurt to place it there. Make sure the Ethernet cable is shielded. |
#85
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Pete I notice that the VFD on my bandsaw hummms when I turn it on. Is there something I can do to reduce the noise.
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#86
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If you are running it at a low freq it may. Does it change tone as the blade speed is changed.
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#87
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no I do not believe so. My hearing isn't the best.
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#88
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what, what did he say?
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#89
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Must have been standing too close to his machine.
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#90
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Reference here
Other than disconnecting power and checking to make sure all the connections are tight. You could check the VFD settings but some manufacturers lock them out. If so, call the manufacturer and tell them the problem so they will give you the code and most likely already know the parameter that needs to be adjusted. I am assuming you mean it is humming when the bandsaw motor is running and not when you just have power on to the unit. Some VFDs will make a low hum when no frequency is being called for. |
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