Today i was cutting on plasma table what i have built. Was windy day and sometimes power from grid is waving. Not so much that it goes off but enough to shut down computer and ruined cutting job two times. So came on my head idea to add on system UPS (about 1000VA) what poweres computer and drivers-steppers. Idea is on that little power waving can cause computer shutdown and maybe loosed steps, but if plasma unit (on mechmate spindle) is unpowered about second - two it fires itself again or dont loose fire at all. On mechmate is possible make so if is small power loss and main relay opens it stops feeding and spindle goes up to safe z. Has anyone done it and some advice on that idea?

One picture of this plasma too, havent made pictures now its made on summer when was doing wiring job. Control box later moved off to separate it electrically to maschine. Plasma causes lot-lot of electrical noise. I built it for one metalworking company just before started my own mechmate.

For now its cutting:) I replaced spindle to cheap router because spindle VFD what i had was faulty, and replacing it takes about 2 or 3 weeks. It cuts nice and smooth. Only this router is noisy, water cooled spindle is much-much quieter. But looks lihe i need to order Mechmate stickers.
To finally complete i need to end wiring job, sensors, puchbuttons etc. dont work yet. And then start build indexer axis.
One picture of one test job too. Its made on my friend picture. G-code is made with Artcam.Tool was 6mm ball nose and stepover 0,7mm

Well done Ivo! You are now in the "älready cutting" section of the forum

Why the square hole in the head? :)

Looks like it could be an ear. :)

Congratulations, Ivo! I like the plasma too...did you adapt the Mechmate design?

:D:D No its not ear. Just hasnt more uncutted mdf, and thought that hole will be cutted over but didnt. On plasma yes main beams and crossover beams are adapted on Mechmate design. But damn i think that router will not last so long if i get fixed VFD back, started today already making little unusual noise, but still working.

Finally i got today stickers. And it looks with them nicer then i thought :D.
On Z axis temporary tied little anvil because router is lighter then spindle and Z axis was loosing steps sometimes when making down moves

Hi Ivo, yes that looks quite smart! And you have serial number 37.

Congratulations Ivo! :)

Good job Ivo! Looks great !

Gerald should not be serial number 38? In builders log i already see number 37.

Gerald,

Yep, Ivo is right. Bill of Weiser, Idaho has Serial #37.

Oops, make that #38 then! :o

Update Builder's Log
 

Ivo,

Congratulations on your build and Serial #38!:)

Here is the Updated Builder's Log.

Please let me know of any changes to your entry that you would like to make.

I'm anxious to see you put the "indexer notch" to work.

Gerald,
There must be too many now if you are starting to lose track of the numbers. :)

Bear in mind that most people finish and post their pictures late at night after a hard day's work. But because most are to the west of me, I am already asleep. And then, at about 5am when I look at the forum for the first time, and am STILL asleep, I get confronted with keeping track of numbers! :o

Here are pictures first bigger job what i had done with mechmate. Its kayak model for making molds. It was very messy job. After it was done i collected in my shop about 800 litres styrofoam dust :D. Cutter wad made from 12mm HSS metal drill bit, because it looks so that HSS cuts foam much better than HM bits.

Very impressive!

Any problems with the dust in the gear racks or in the v-rollers?

Yes there was at beginnig pretty big problem with dust. Gear on Y axis collected so much dust that gear started jump over rack teeth. On pictures you can see dust protectors improved from cardboard and air tube what blows dust away. With X and Z axis wasnt problems. V rollers can handle dust very nice, they press it together and it falls down.

Ivo , I like what you did! making one of those is on my bucket list:)

how long did it take ?
 

Impressive . Would love to make one myself . How long did it take to complete the milling ? Where did you get the files ?

Total milling time was about 30-40 hours, dont know exactly it. I didnt make et for me own its job for kayak manufacturing company they gived file.

In christmas time i started building dust system. For now is blower ready. Pictures:

Ivo - don't constrain the outlet of the blower like that with a hole, use a sheet metal transition for that.

What about the intake hole, that look way to small. My blower intake is Ø200mm all the way to the Cyclon. from the Cyclon to the hose Ø100, and the hose is Ø60. See Pic

First bigger problem showed up. 12 core signal cable is broken. Its TKD ÖPVC-JZCY http://www.tkd-gruppe.de/index.php?m...=6&q=%C3%B6pvc I took it off from chain and cable is gnarly. Looks like cores are moved inside and then when cable chain and axis are moving core are just pulled broken. Cable chain has 75mm bending radius. When i bought it i didnt look producer website for recommendations about minimum bending radius, but looks like here in chain thread http://mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=498told 75mm bending radius is too small. Now im worried about motor and spindle cables. If they broke it may cause driver/VFD damage. Damn looks like i have quite big problem here.
Tomorrow i take pictures.
Has anyone else had same problem?

Ivo,

I am planning to build exactly like that. What motor size (HP) are you using and what size impeller?

Ries

Impeller is 400mm, but i need look for this blower new motor because its identification plate was unreadable and i thought its 2900 rpm motor,but its 1450 rpm and it doesnt suck enough. motor for that size impeller should be about 3 HP

Ivo, nice job.did you build the impeller?
You can make a 1:2 step up belt pulley to achieve your desired speed. not necessary to replace the motor.

Its easyer to get new motor as build belt drive:D No i didnt build it, i got motor and impeller from my friend. Its cost was sixpack beer.

Nice reading regarding dust collectors:
http://forum.canadianwoodworking.com...ure+Resistance

http://forum.canadianwoodworking.com...ighlight=phase

Meanwhile in Estonia.... Started building belt reduction.
Like all guys with direct drive i have problems with rough cutting in diagonal. While cutting wood or MDF it isnt big problem - couple wipes with sandpaper and its ok, but one regular job is making ATV skid plates from PE sheets - there cant fix that so.
Now i have all parts and i hope that have in this weekend so much time to put it all together.
Here is gallery of some jobs what i have done http://vigurpuit.ee/gallery

Belt reduction is now complete and working.
At first picture is shown difference of cutting quality. One is cutted before installing belt reduction and second with belt reduction. Impressive:)

...Pretty amazing how a little 3:1 or higher gear box makes a huge difference. Thank you for the picture data

Impressive! Love your profiled reduction assembly plates. Why straight when we can have curves... beautiful.

Hi Ivo, mind sharing the dxf for those nice curved gearboxes ? They are looking PROFESSIONAL... well done

Here are dxf drawings of my version of gearbox for mechmate. It is 4:1. Bearings for it are 61902.
Tooth gears are: 72 teeth 15-5M (aluminium) and smaller 18 teeth 15-5M (steel)
Belt is 425mm 15-5M
All bolts M6

Thank's Ivo, now maybe I will go gearbox also...this one is so SEXY...:D

I opened the files with Coreldraw and Vectric V-Carve pro and notice that on both programs the washer does not fit on the back or front plate...maybe it's something with these programs that change it when you import it.

Here are some videos what i uploaded to youtube
PE-HWU 8 mm machining
Styrofoam machining
Machining aluminium AW5754 (AlMg3) 4mm sheet
Cutting that alu sheet is still a headache for me. Today i tried to cut it with 4mm one flute plastic cutters.(bits for alu will arrive tomorrow) Results at end of day are 5 broken bits and lots of knowledge. Best results for cutting it is to cut it with one pass. Plunge need to do with ramping moves 10mm lenght and ramp angle 10 degrees. It need to do not for it that bit dont cut trough but because if i do straight plunge then chips will not start to fly away and result is jammed and broken bit. Spindle rpm are 15000 and feedrate 800mm/min. At video is feedrate 1000mm/min, but as can hear there cutter will scream too much- result vibration and broken bit. Tomorrow i will try with special alu bits i hope that they will work.