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  #181  
Old Wed 20 October 2010, 18:52
jessyjames
Just call me: James
 
Reno, Nevada
United States of America
Russell it is looking great buddy! Cant wait to get back on this again but still in the design process trying to draw it up. I have decided to make it a plasma table because all my designs that I do in wood is what people seem to want in steel.. So this should be fun but I am mostly enjoying seeing your progress..

Keep up the good work. Cant wait to get a welder here in a month or two and give that a try. Never done it but I will soon find out.

Keep the pictures coming...

C-Ya
James
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  #182  
Old Wed 20 October 2010, 20:14
fredjr
Just call me: jimmy #65
 
pensacola florida
United States of America
table flip

Russell. Good to see you back on your build. Looks real good. Good thing that it is a bolt together. Easier to ship to Pensacola/ Mobile area. There are some nice homes and schools in our area. Still working on my MM. Been playing with the mirror project. I am building a table top version first. Good thing. Have plenty of kidling instead of logs . Thanks Jimmy
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  #183  
Old Wed 20 October 2010, 21:14
Regnar
Just call me: Russell #69
 
Mobile, Alabama
United States of America
Thanks for the compliments guys. I need the Humidity to drop so the primer can cure. Everything that I can move out to the sun is drying but the Base is still wet. I set up some 100watt light bulbs so hopefully we can start putting some color down tomorrow.


Jimmy that is going to be the most expensive mirror that I know of.
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  #184  
Old Thu 21 October 2010, 21:06
Regnar
Just call me: Russell #69
 
Mobile, Alabama
United States of America
So 3 days and the Primer is almost cured. The 91-97% humidity is just not helping. The topcoat will have Naptha and a Hardner mixed in so that drying time is cut way down.

So while I have been bored watching paint dry I figured I would make good use of my time. What does every great battle ship need? A command center! I have enough scraps left over to make the proposed photos. The control box will be on the back side along with the computer. The table top is 36"x18". Monitor is eye level for me when standing up and a slight look up when viewed from the stool. The bottom is made up of 4x4 I beam and 2x4 rectangle that was used in the build. I am hoping that it will add some weight to the base. The rest is made out of 2" square tube. Ultimately I want to get ride of some left overs and make a nice place to control the MM.

So what do you guys think? Anything that you would add or change if you could?
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  #185  
Old Thu 21 October 2010, 23:48
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
"Cup"holders?
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  #186  
Old Fri 22 October 2010, 00:21
Kobus_Joubert
Just call me: Kobus #6
 
Riversdale Western Cape
South Africa
Send a message via Yahoo to Kobus_Joubert Send a message via Skype™ to Kobus_Joubert
Looking good, but I am glad I don't have to work with those FUNNY measurements....66 49/64 and 40 23/64....
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  #187  
Old Fri 22 October 2010, 01:38
mrghm
Just call me: Gareth
 
Syd
Australia
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerald D View Post
"Cup"holders?
beer fridge,
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  #188  
Old Fri 22 October 2010, 03:53
Regnar
Just call me: Russell #69
 
Mobile, Alabama
United States of America
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kobus_Joubert View Post
Looking good, but I am glad I don't have to work with those FUNNY measurements....66 49/64 and 40 23/64....
LOL, When I was done and started to throw on the measurements I was scratching my head to. I will be rounding to whole numbers

Cup holder is a good ideal!
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  #189  
Old Fri 22 October 2010, 04:13
sailfl
Just call me: Nils #12
 
Winter Park, FL
United States of America
Russell

Looks good but you need storage for bits..... place for keyboard that you will use very little if you have a pendent.

How are you loading the files onto the computer, network or memory stick? If memory stick you need easy access to the computer.
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  #190  
Old Fri 22 October 2010, 05:52
bradm
Just call me: Brad #10
 
Somerville(MA)
United States of America
How about computer high and control box low? Cleaner up high, and shorter cables ( or greater range).
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  #191  
Old Fri 22 October 2010, 06:58
Regnar
Just call me: Russell #69
 
Mobile, Alabama
United States of America
Nils, It does need some storage. Once the machine is up and running I will put a draw under the table top. I will do something nice simular to this

I will be transferring the files via USB dongle. I have 3 options for this. 1st is I have a monitor that has built in usb ports that I could use. 2nd is I have a usb hub sitting around here somewhere. 3rd is I could always skip the dongle and just access files through a home network that is already in place. Will need a wireless card for the computer though.

I am hoping that I will not have to touch the computer once it is all set up. It should power up automatically when I press the green button on the control box. (Power will be run off the control box)

Brad, very good point. I will swap their positions. My thinking behind it was I didnt want to bend over to work on the machine. But after giving it some thought I was going to have wires and cables running all over the place. This should clean it up nice.

4 days and the primer still hasnt cured. I was starting to think I had bad primer or a bad prep job. Well after some searching it seems like everyone has this problem. Normal cure time is about 6-8 days it seems. Not the 24hrs on the can. Its dry to the touch but the paint can easily be scraped off. One thing they all agree on is once its dry it tough as nails. I just hate watching paint dry!
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  #192  
Old Fri 22 October 2010, 09:27
Alan_c
Just call me: Alan (#11)
 
Cape Town (Western Cape)
South Africa
Send a message via Skype™ to Alan_c
Russel, watch out for the network option, especially wireless. The computer keeps polling the port (I think thats what its called) which causes interference with the running of Mach3. This doesnt hapen with wireless mice or rumblepads but with networking. Best to have the computer totally offline with no network connection.
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  #193  
Old Fri 22 October 2010, 10:53
domino11
Just call me: Heath
 
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
We use sneakernet at work for these kinds of file transfers. (A USB Stick and sneakers on your feet to bring it to the computer ) No interference that way and computer is not online at all.
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  #194  
Old Fri 22 October 2010, 11:52
jwt
Just call me: John
 
Wexford
Ireland
USB sticks!, hah!, sniff!


In my day sneakernet was floppy disks, proper floppy disks 5 1/4 inch really were floppy disks.

USB sticks, you don't know you were born!

Waiting 10s of minutes as the computer transcribes data to the floppy disk, discovering that the disk was bad, wasn't really meant to be bent or used as a coffee coaster then having to walk back and do it again. that was real sneakernet, mind you we couldn't afford sneakers so we cut up car tires and put a rope through them and used those as flipflops. We called that the digital highway!

USB sticks, hah, humbug







John
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  #195  
Old Fri 22 October 2010, 12:08
domino11
Just call me: Heath
 
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
John,
You must be younger than I am, we started sneakerneting with 8 inch floppies. You remember those don't you?

The reason I mention usb or flash storage is that is the most reliable, and available small sized portable storage these days.
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  #196  
Old Fri 22 October 2010, 12:10
bradm
Just call me: Brad #10
 
Somerville(MA)
United States of America
John, you had to go there, huh? Okay, Sneakernet was pulling the 800BPI 9 track tape reel from one system, walking across the room while creating a 3' tape tail, and ...
- opening the door
- reaching through the center of the reel to pull the latch open, sliding the reel down your fingers onto the hub, and snapping the latch closed with your thumb.
- Grabbing the 3' tape tail at the 3' point and running it down, up, downright, downleft, up, down, and onto the takeup spool.
- Spinning the takeup spool to grab the tail
- Closing the door which pushing the start button.
... in about 10 seconds if you were any good at all.

Sheeesh. Kids these days. And yes, it was uphill both ways in the snow for 10 miles everyday to school, too!

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  #197  
Old Fri 22 October 2010, 13:00
domino11
Just call me: Heath
 
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
Brad,
Yeah, you must be a little older than I am then. I do remember those tape drives though when I was in school, they were in the junk pile gathering dust. People these days do not have any appreciation for how far computers have come in the last 20 years or so.
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  #198  
Old Fri 22 October 2010, 13:08
bradm
Just call me: Brad #10
 
Somerville(MA)
United States of America
Heath, I may not be. The computers in question were over ten years old when I was first exposed to them in my pre-teens, and still in service when I graduated high school. Those machines were used for nearly 20 years of continuous service.

(Russell, sorry for mucking up your thread with reminiscences!)
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  #199  
Old Fri 22 October 2010, 17:41
fredjr
Just call me: jimmy #65
 
pensacola florida
United States of America
watching primer cure

Russell. Powdercoat tough. When part has cooled off, ready to put in service. More time to make kindling from mirror project Jimmy
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  #200  
Old Sat 23 October 2010, 01:54
KenC
Just call me: Ken
 
Klang
Malaysia
Love your table.
I pulled an old computer table with castor wheels from the store for the PC. but it's just not cool... I'll work something out some day...
I Personally prefer to have the control panel mounted on the MM, there are just too many cables come in & out of the penal. PC on the other hand has less, & one printer cable to the control penal is as clean as anyone can get.
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  #201  
Old Sat 23 October 2010, 22:26
Regnar
Just call me: Russell #69
 
Mobile, Alabama
United States of America
Alright, Alright I will use the usb dongle. In all reality I just wanted to use my Ipod to control the MM like Shopbot does.

Seeing no one has mentioned anything about it tipping over I have a feeling I am good to go. Will start cutting it out Monday or Tuesday so I can paint it with the rest of the parts. Should be a pretty quick build.

Ken I had thought of putting it on the machine itself. But decided against it. Every few years I have to move because of work. This would mean removing it from the side of the machine and hauling it off. This way I can leave it attached in roll it into the back of a moving truck. I think even if I was staying permanent in one place I would probably mount it on the wall.
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  #202  
Old Mon 25 October 2010, 12:22
jwt
Just call me: John
 
Wexford
Ireland
If you're really worried about the centre of gravity maybe move the pc forward and pull the control box down in line with it.

That way you could even push the screen back a bit so that there is greater horizontal separation between keyboard and monitor.

John
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  #203  
Old Tue 26 October 2010, 03:57
KenC
Just call me: Ken
 
Klang
Malaysia
Russel, you can fix the penal under the table. That is exactly how I did it. from here, I can just push the whole rig anywhere on the fly. There are lots of room under the spoil board... Am seriously considering having a fridge down there...
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  #204  
Old Tue 26 October 2010, 04:50
mrghm
Just call me: Gareth
 
Syd
Australia
Quote:
Originally Posted by KenC View Post
Am seriously considering having a fridge down there...
if using a water cooled spindle it could be possible to run the water through the fridge to cool it, in a silmar way to a beer system.
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  #205  
Old Tue 26 October 2010, 04:54
KenC
Just call me: Ken
 
Klang
Malaysia
Why didn't I think of that! Water cooled fridge!
While we are at it, maybe a pizza oven stove...... hmmm... sounds feasible
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  #206  
Old Tue 26 October 2010, 06:38
AuS MaDDoG
Just call me: Tony #71
 
Brisbane
Australia
Guys,

Is it really necessary???

Cheers
Tony.
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  #207  
Old Tue 26 October 2010, 06:40
smreish
Just call me: Sean - #5, 28, 58 and others
 
Orlando, Florida
United States of America
...probably not.
But, living in Florida, USA like Russell, the shop almost year round is about 90-95F ambient with 100% humidity. So, any evaporator or closed cooling system that we use needs a little help.

Sean
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  #208  
Old Tue 26 October 2010, 08:40
KenC
Just call me: Ken
 
Klang
Malaysia
It is necessary here... ambient temp daytime 30~35 C, 28~30C night...
BUT evaporative cooler doesn't work well here, our wet temp is 25~26C so can nly get 26~28C from the cooler... I'll be better off with just a huge industrial fan.
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  #209  
Old Tue 26 October 2010, 13:51
Regnar
Just call me: Russell #69
 
Mobile, Alabama
United States of America
Ok guys, There will be no room at all under the table. It will be used for storing sheet goods.

I just need to put on another top coat on the other side of the cross supports and all the painting will be done. Well at least until I start nicking it up. I started assembling the table. Everthing is going back together nice.

I do not recommend for anyone to use Valspar Primer. It took way to long to harden and in some areas still soft. I do Recommend the Valspars Tractor and Implement Weather Oil Based Enamel. This stuff dries in 4 hours and is rock hard. I probably should have just painted and not worried about priming. Would have had a running MM by now. Owell live and learn.

Gotta go back to work. I want to mount everything except for the cross supports.
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  #210  
Old Tue 26 October 2010, 18:49
Regnar
Just call me: Russell #69
 
Mobile, Alabama
United States of America
Here is how she stands as of now. I have to call it a night. Everything was going good up until the Ycar. It was rocking back and forth. Spent 3 hours trying to figure out what was wrong and then I noticed that to holes are slotted. Everything is fine now.

Im anxious to see how far I get tomorrow. Hopefully the rain will hold out so I can paint the rest of the cross supports and get them mounted.

Some photos of what a Gray (more like white) mm looks like. Flash makes it even worse.
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