I'm BACKKKKKKK!!!! - Houston, TX

[swatkins]

HI folks,,,

It looks as if this website has once again trapped yet another unsuspecting soul, ME All I did was drop by to read a few threads and now I find myself hopelessly addicted, spending great sums of money and telling falsehoods to my wife! I must be insane!

I am planing on a 49" x 100" table, belt reduction and the standard rails for this build... This machine has been designed with such great care and skill that I see no reason to make any major changes.

The cut parts have been ordered, motors decided upon and I picked up the first load of steel the other day!

Wish me luck!
Steve

[van]

I am in sugarland/richmond area and am very interested in your build. Keep this thread updated please. If you don't mind, could I come see your build as you progress? I am looking into building one myself. We can hopefully help each other out. Where exactly in houston are you?

[sailfl]

Steve,

Welcome to your build and we picked up Van also.

We love pictures so take lots of them.

[swatkins]

Originally Posted by van

I am in sugarland/richmond area and am very interested in your build. Keep this thread updated please. If you don't mind, could I come see your build as you progress? I am looking into building one myself. We can hopefully help each other out. Where exactly in houston are you?

HI Van.

Until last year I was really close to you, Pecan Grove. Since then we have moved to Navasota, about an hour north of there. We are in a little place called WhiteHall off of CR 362. As 99.99999 % of Earth's inhabitants know of neither place I just called my Build as in Houston

You're more than welcome to visit anytime!

[Robert M]

Steve, Welcome aboard and wishing you a smooth sailing with your....build...or should I say your wife ???
YA....Many of us suffer from this “Voyeurism” ….so …pics….lots….
Amicalement, Robert

[jhiggins7]

Welcome Steve and Van. I'm one of the .00001% that knows where Sugar Land, Pecan Grove and Navasota are. I used to live in Sugar Land.

My MechMate was built at my home in Round Rock and currently lives at my son's home in College Station (about 25 miles from Navasota).

If I can help either of you, please let me know.

[swatkins]

Originally Posted by jhiggins7

Welcome Steve and Van. I'm one of the .00001% that knows where Sugar Land, Pecan Grove and Navasota are. I used to live in Sugar Land.

My MechMate was built at my home in Round Rock and currently lives at my son's home in College Station (about 25 miles from Navasota).

If I can help either of you, please let me know.

OH Boy,,,,

Sounds like a trip to College Station is in order! I would love to take a look at the finished machine and pick your brain!

[Kenrbass]

You guys are all around me. I am in Rosenberg Tx. My son is in college station and comming home today for a few.

I have many parts rounded up for mine, but ran across a shopbot and bought that instead.

Now I bought another bot and will be selling my PRT.

I used to live in pecan grove to. Off of Mayweather. lol

Kenneth

[swatkins]

Hi Ken...


It truly is a "small World" !

Are you selling any of the parts you rounded up for the MechMate? I willl be needing a "few" things

[jehayes]

Steve: Welcome to the asylum where the inmates run the show! Just show SWMBO how much beer money you will be saving by spending it on the MM, that always convinces them. I thought we Pacific North-westerners had the biggest MM gang but it looks like Texas has us beat. Keep the photos coming. Joe

[Kenrbass]

All of my stuff is from prt 'bots, and not really what is used on the mechmate. Z slide, steppers, meanwell power supply,, stuff like that.

I still may build a small one dedicated for dovetail drawer joints and a few other things.

Good luck on your build. Take your time and enjoy it.

Ken

[van]

That's great to hear there are so many builders near me. I am right on the border of sugarland and richmond on Crabb River road right behind the new Bucees. I'm an Aggie graduate so know exactly where Navasota is. Drive through there all the time. I'm actually going through there in a week or so. Picking up one of those new LED tvs from a retailer in college station. Got some connections up there so I can get home electronics at cost. When you get to the electronics portion of the build, let me know if I can help. I have a background in computer engineering and control systems.

[Kenrbass]

Van, we are very close. I used to live in pecan grove, but now I am off of Reading road and 59 area.

Are you the Van that had the woodworking shop on 3rd street in Rosenberg? It was called buffalo I think.

Ken

[van]

Ken ,

Unforturnately , that wasn't me. I don't have a shop yet. I'm building out of my garage right now. I build custom arcade machines. I need to build cnc router to help me with my cuts.

Steve,

Sorry .. don't mean to hijack your thread.

[swatkins]

I decided I have been reading too much and not doing anything so tonight I started the first parts! I decided to save a little money and make my own V rollers out of a brass bar I have had lying around for years... I know the cost of brass and the time it takes far outweighs the 250.00 cost of these items but I like to make things

I started with a 2" diameter brass bar... I faced off the end and drilled a through hole. Followed that up with boring the inside dia. to allow a light press fit of the bearings. I then parted off that piece and repeated the process. I need 14 of these "blanks" for my v roller "tires".

I then turned a mandrel to fit the inside of the tires.. I plan on making the V groove, turning the final profile and facing off the one unfinished side while on the mandrel. That way all the surfaces are concentric..

I am making good progress on the blanks and can make a blank in about 15 minutes.. My lathe is a 1952 South Bend "Heavy 10" and has seen a lot of use in it's life. I can make good parts, within a few thousands, but it takes a little more time and care... I have to "sneak up" on final dimensions because of the wear in the cross slide, but hey, it works

Here are some pictures...

[swatkins]

Just recieved a quote for the racks. Not too bad for the 4 pices I need but I sure wish they took credit cards

[Gerald D]

Steve, do you want to revert to the earlier thread title?

[swatkins]

Originally Posted by Gerald D

Steve, do you want to revert to the earlier thread title?

Yes, please! I don't know what I did wrong


( This from a guy that runs 5 different V Bulletin Forums )

[Gerald D]

You did nothing wrong . . . . I change the titles manually

[jhiggins7]

Nice start, Steve.

Does brass have the same, better or worse wear properties in this application? In other words, why not just use steel?

Also, how much will the bearings cost?

[swatkins]

I used the brass because it machines so very nice, will look sharp on machine (very Important ) and I had it laying around... After reading up on the bearings, here on the forum, I found a few threads about testing different materials for the wheels. Testing shows is this is a very low wear item and brass will be fine...

The bearings are pretty inexpensive... http://www.vxb.com/page/bearings/PROD/Kit682

I already have a set of the metal shielded or the 6001-1RS's I am wondering if they will be ok also....

[jhiggins7]

Great Steve.

I'm anxious to see how these work out for you. I know little about metallurgy and the wear properties of metal. Since brass is "softer" than steel, I assumed it would not hold up as well in this application. So your experience will be very helpful.

[Gerald D]

John, which would you prefer to replace if worn out; wheel or rail?

[domino11]

Oh, yes I think I would rather replace the wheels.

[Kenrbass]

Steve, I will be cheering you on.

I like the idea of brass rollers, but while you have everything set up it may be smart to make more.

After a few hundred hours the rails on the bot show just a touch of wear on my old one.

Take care and good luck.

Kenneth

[jhiggins7]

Well, I agree that I would rather replace the wheels than the rails.

But, will "soft" wheels lead to less wear on the rails? What about "deposits" of the soft metal adhering to the rails? I guess it's like rubber tires running on concrete streets. The streets don't wear (much), but the tires wear and leave deposits of rubber on the streets.

Anyhow, its great to see another approach getting tested. Keep up the good work Steve.

[KenC]

After grinding the rails, I wished I had my wheels made out of brass...

[swatkins]

Originally Posted by Kenrbass

Steve, I will be cheering you on.

I like the idea of brass rollers, but while you have everything set up it may be smart to make more.

After a few hundred hours the rails on the bot show just a touch of wear on my old one.

Take care and good luck.

Kenneth

Good idea! I think I will make 4 extra tires, just enough to replace a full set on either the X or Y axis if needed. I was thinking that the X rollers will see the heaviest weight load and might be the first to go.

I though I was all set on the tooling for making the V cut. I was looking through my bits and found out that the one I was going to use was an 80 degree instead of a 90 degree When I make the grooves I will show you what I ended up doing

[swatkins]

Time for a update!

Been slow going around here, life just keeps getting in my way But I had a few hours tonight so I finished up the tires for the V Rollers...

I do need a little help on the bearings for these tires... The plans call for a 6001-2RS . I had ordered a set of bearings for my skate before I knew Leo had included those in his set of cut parts. The bearings I ordered are 6001-1RS. They are the same size with metal shields instead of rubber ones... From all I can read they are the same bearings just different shields... Will this work ok or should I order the rubber shielded ones?

[Gerald D]

From what I know of bearing numbers, 6001-1RS has a rubber seal on one side