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  #1  
Old Wed 04 June 2008, 22:58
lunaj76
Just call me: Justin #24
 
Littleton, (Colorado)
United States of America
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Workin for Beer #24 - Littleton, Colorado

Hello, and thanks to all present and past builders.

I am a cabinet maker and trim carpenter that has dreamed of using cnc technology in my business for 4 years. Thank you Gerald.

My brother and I have quietly been building a mechmate with a 5'X8' cutting area. Tadeo, (my brother) is a mechanical engineer and draftsman, he put his skills to work and drew the mechmate in solidworks. This helped us visualize and
appreciate the design features of the mechmate. Here is some of our progress so far. I will post more pictures as we progress.

Justin

http://picasaweb.google.com/Tadeo.Luna/MechmateProgress
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Table.jpg (48.5 KB, 2135 views)
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  #2  
Old Wed 04 June 2008, 23:35
IN-WondeR
Just call me: Kim
 
Randers
Denmark
It's looking good...

However. I couldn't help but notice the package you recieved you lasercut and bent parts in...
If I had sent a package like that I wouold have killed myself....

The set's that I have shipped out has been packed in two boxes, one with the Y-Car bent plate and a few bit's and pieces, packet in a wooden box, and stiffened inside... The other just wrapped in carboard, and taped with so much tape so it cannot break open.

But anyway's, you guy's are getting there....
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  #3  
Old Thu 05 June 2008, 01:22
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Welcome Justin!
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  #4  
Old Thu 05 June 2008, 01:51
sailfl
Just call me: Nils #12
 
Winter Park, FL
United States of America
Welcome Justin and Tadeo.

Table looks good! Photo look good!
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  #5  
Old Thu 05 June 2008, 07:24
lunaj76
Just call me: Justin #24
 
Littleton, (Colorado)
United States of America
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Thanks Guys,

Yes there was shipping damage but the y-car was easily fixed. I would still order from Joe in the future. We received local quotes in the thousands for the laser cut parts.

Justin
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  #6  
Old Thu 05 June 2008, 09:17
domino11
Just call me: Heath
 
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
Welcome to Mechmate guys.
Your photo album looks great. Keep us up to date on your progress.
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  #7  
Old Sat 19 July 2008, 07:51
lunaj76
Just call me: Justin #24
 
Littleton, (Colorado)
United States of America
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Rail Grinding Pics

Some more progress.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Rail Grinding.jpg (42.4 KB, 2038 views)
File Type: jpg Skate.jpg (24.9 KB, 2021 views)
File Type: jpg Rail.jpg (19.9 KB, 2012 views)
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  #8  
Old Sat 19 July 2008, 09:13
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
A nice shine off that rail! How long did the grinding take? Would you do it again?
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  #9  
Old Sat 19 July 2008, 09:52
Greg J
Just call me: Greg #13
 
Hagerman, New Mexico
United States of America
Nice work guys. That rail looks almost polished.

I like the photo album web site also. Great pictures.
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  #10  
Old Sat 19 July 2008, 11:46
ekdenton
Just call me: Ed #8
 
Alamogordo, NM
United States of America
Welcome guy's. Nice looking rail grinding. Maybe when we schedule the SW USA MM builders bash We could all get together.


I was looking at your photo album and it looks like you may need to tweek the spider to take the twist out of it, so that your vgroove bearings will all make even contact with the zslide. Mine was the same way. Seems that getting an accurate bend on such a thick small piece is as Gerald was saying a little bit of an art.

Did you get your laser cutt parts from the Alabama location?
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  #11  
Old Sat 19 July 2008, 12:36
lunaj76
Just call me: Justin #24
 
Littleton, (Colorado)
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to lunaj76
It should say almost ground. Still have a little bit to do. I am very happy with the results so far. At first I tried to rock the skate back and forth, and that gave me an uneven surface and gauling on the top. It did way better pulling it one way. I would suggest taking your time to set up the skate. Get the top grind plate perpendicular to the grinder body, and adjust the two plates so that most of the bearings are on the rail to start. As I was grinding (with the PFERD cup wheel for stainless(to soft?)) a wear pattern started to appear. So to fix that I just ground the cup wheel so that it was cuped more in the center. Effectively what this did was grind at its outermost diameter. In other words the cup wheel grinds at the two ends, not so much in the middle. Confused yet? I am.

Things I might try next time.

1) Bearings for height adjustment
2) Pre-grinding free hand.
3) Different cup wheels for start and finish passes.
4) Superior rails

In my opinion grinding the rails your self and getting great results is very achievable! Not the fastest part of the build but very doable.

P.S. I wish that I had machined rail to judge my work.
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  #12  
Old Sat 19 July 2008, 12:44
lunaj76
Just call me: Justin #24
 
Littleton, (Colorado)
United States of America
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Ed,

Yes, the spider was tweaked. I think Gerald has given a fix for that. We were able to re-bend it flat. I am still very happy with the parts out of Alabama.
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  #13  
Old Sat 19 July 2008, 18:25
Greg J
Just call me: Greg #13
 
Hagerman, New Mexico
United States of America
Quote:
Originally Posted by lunaj76 View Post

P.S. I wish that I had machined rail to judge my work.

Justin,

I had my rails "machined" by a friend with an end mill. The results were not the best. I have small "divots" in the rail. Does not seem to effect the cut quality.

I'll bet your rails come out better than my machined rails.
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  #14  
Old Tue 16 September 2008, 09:35
Ryan King
Just call me: Ryan
 
Centennial (CO)
United States of America
Justin,

Looks great, I'm proud of you!!
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  #15  
Old Tue 16 September 2008, 10:19
domino11
Just call me: Heath
 
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
Justin,
Have you made any more progress on your machine? I have not seen any recent pictures on your picasa site nor here. The way you were going , looked like you might be cutting by now?
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  #16  
Old Thu 18 September 2008, 07:35
lunaj76
Just call me: Justin #24
 
Littleton, (Colorado)
United States of America
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Heath,

We have made minor progress will post more pictures this weekend.
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  #17  
Old Thu 18 September 2008, 07:56
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Justin, don't worry too much about Heath's "demand" for pictures - he does that to everybody, but he doesn't post many himself.
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  #18  
Old Thu 18 September 2008, 09:53
domino11
Just call me: Heath
 
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
Justin, Gerald,
Yes, it is true I like to see pictures, I hope to be posting some of my own this fall once my build takes off.
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  #19  
Old Mon 22 September 2008, 22:18
lunaj76
Just call me: Justin #24
 
Littleton, (Colorado)
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to lunaj76
progress pics

We were able to work on the beast this weekend. I always hope to get more done than we do.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg pic1.jpg (39.5 KB, 1825 views)
File Type: jpg pic2.jpg (47.0 KB, 1824 views)
File Type: jpg pic 3.jpg (40.4 KB, 1810 views)
File Type: jpg pic 4.jpg (39.7 KB, 1810 views)
File Type: jpg pic 5.jpg (46.1 KB, 1801 views)
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  #20  
Old Tue 23 September 2008, 02:07
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
The title of this thread is "Brothers build Mechmate . . . . "
. . . . . are those the brothers in the last pic?

Good work!
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  #21  
Old Tue 23 September 2008, 02:15
kaartman
Just call me: Koning #20
 
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Looking good, jip it is pitty that time does not wait for us and also all the other things that we need to do, my wifes other name is Mrs DO-That.
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  #22  
Old Tue 23 September 2008, 03:15
sailfl
Just call me: Nils #12
 
Winter Park, FL
United States of America
Justin,

Your beast is looking good. You better be prepared to put a lock on it because it won't be long before those young ones will be cutting while you are at work.
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  #23  
Old Tue 23 September 2008, 06:23
lunaj76
Just call me: Justin #24
 
Littleton, (Colorado)
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to lunaj76
Those are my two sons with one on the way. Hopefully with the mechmate I won't have to leave the house!
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  #24  
Old Tue 23 September 2008, 07:02
Kobus_Joubert
Just call me: Kobus #6
 
Riversdale Western Cape
South Africa
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Nice going, but what is that GREEN THING under the table?
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  #25  
Old Tue 23 September 2008, 09:42
Chris B
Just call me: Chris
 
Colorado
United States of America
Is that ... John Deere green?
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  #26  
Old Wed 24 September 2008, 19:15
lunaj76
Just call me: Justin #24
 
Littleton, (Colorado)
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to lunaj76
Green Machine

Awe, Yes,

The green machine is a vac that I am going to try and adapt for hold down. It is powder coated John Deere green and is made out of aluminum. Chris in the above post acquired from a client of ours. It was originally for an experimental machine that never got off the ground.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Vac 1.jpg (60.1 KB, 1773 views)
File Type: jpg Vac 2.jpg (75.0 KB, 1776 views)
File Type: jpg Vac 3.jpg (64.6 KB, 1764 views)
File Type: jpg vac4.jpg (63.9 KB, 1761 views)
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  #27  
Old Mon 29 September 2008, 21:40
lunaj76
Just call me: Justin #24
 
Littleton, (Colorado)
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to lunaj76
Weekend progress pics

We got the chains mounted and have started on the Z axis.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg X chain1.jpg (58.4 KB, 1722 views)
File Type: jpg Y chain1.jpg (59.7 KB, 1727 views)
File Type: jpg Z 1.jpg (66.4 KB, 1731 views)
File Type: jpg Z 2.jpg (44.4 KB, 2305 views)
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  #28  
Old Mon 29 September 2008, 23:12
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Nice pictures!

Maybe I made this too tight . . . . .

Can't remember what my thinking was there, but it looks like the screw head is going to foul with the chain. Is anyone having an issue over here?
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  #29  
Old Mon 29 September 2008, 23:16
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Because you are using a small radius cable chain, you don't have much other option for attaching it to the y-car. (Mostly we would use a bigger radius chain and attach on top). But, you can drill some holes in your Y-car (near where you have the marked A) and pass the cables inside of the Y-car as soon as they leave the chain.
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  #30  
Old Tue 30 September 2008, 22:11
lunaj76
Just call me: Justin #24
 
Littleton, (Colorado)
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to lunaj76
Gerald,
Do you think a hole in the car is better than a hole through the bracket and then into the two holes on top of the car? Astheticly I like your idea better. We liked the look of small radius chain and used the same width for both. Might have been better to have used narrower chain for y.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Y chain 2.jpg (44.0 KB, 1681 views)
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