My 4`x4` Table build

[Grunge-Fut]

Hi

I have just started building a plasma table to take 1/2 a sheet in England thats 1250mm x 1250mm, I have designed it with 1350mm travel on X & Y and 140mm on Z, with 200mm hight between track and table.

the plan is to use a 25mm rail with a rack and pinnion drive on "Y" with a 424oz-in 23 size motor. On "X" Im going to use cam follower bearings on 75mm CRS runners with a twin rack and motors set up on the outside the same motors as Y, and a Merchant dice YZTR for "Z"

I have only made the bridge and mounts at the moment from 60x60x4mm box, I went for 4mm so I could get good tapped holes for all the brackets,

any comments or advise will be welcome.

sorry abouy the state of my workshop,

Steve

[cjdavis618]

Looking good. Keep up the good work!

[Grunge-Fut]

Thanks, I was starting to think I was on my own and no one was realy interested.
Steve

[cjdavis618]

No, not at all. I like to think that your post has spurred them into building one of there own rather than posting.

Nevertheless, your work looks very good and clean. What tools are you working with to build it. It looks like your brackets were cut using cnc of some kind. Was it a mill?

Any plans drawn up yet for the complete design?

[millman52]

Have you started from a kit or all your own design? Progress looks good so far. Looks like you are doing a neat job with your workmanship.

[Grunge-Fut]

Hi Both

Thanks for the vote of confidence, I have drawn the whole thing on autocad myself no kit in fact I dont even have a plasma yet. I had a company on the south cost of england Laser all the brackets, I have a few tig welders a couple of migs a band saw, pillar drill just the usual tools, some of the drawings below hached drawings show bridge at either end to ensure motors clear legs

Steve





can some one tell me how to put the thumbnail photos in rather than the big ones im doing please

Steve

[Switcher]

can some one tell me how to put the thumbnail photos in rather than the big ones im doing please

Try this:

1) "Go Advanced" button

2) "Manage Attachments" button (popup window will open)

3) "Browse" button

4) Find the photo on your PC (you can load up to 6 at a time)

5) "Upload" button (in the popup window)


You have to wait until the upload is finished, or it won't work, the more photos & the larger the photo, the longer it takes to upload.


.

[Switcher]

You can also go back & change your photos that you already posted to thumbnails, just make sure that you have them on your PC before you change any of them here.

If you don't have them on your PC, just download them from your post above, then re-post them as your thumbnails.

You can edit your post for a while after you submit them, I'm not sure how long the time frame is, I do know after a while you won't be able to edit your existing post




.

[Grunge-Fut]

Thanks will try it and see what happens

[millman52]

Your table is only 4' long so it will not be as much of a problem. Someone else might get use of my slat holder arrangement.

My table is 12' long, I wanted the holders to be easily replaceable in case of damage so I made the bolt in & in short sections like the picture below.

The slats don't sit in the bottom of the notches of the slat holders. They are slightly below the top edge of the 2 X 2 box tubing.

This way the slats sit directly on top of the box tube & have the best chance of all being the exact same height. Also the slat holders don't support the weight of the plate being cut, they only hold the slats upright.

[Grunge-Fut]

Hi Millman

I had to read that twice, but thats a real neat Idea, I had to have my slat suports cut in 6 bits not 3 as in drawing, believe it or not it was because of transport costs.
I wanted the slats to run away from me when I loaded table so the metal would slide with out risk of catching or "chattering" so my supports run across so your Idea will work well,

You seem to be using a simalar track and gear to me do you think you coul send me a picture of your gear rack mounting please

Steve

[millman52]

OK Looks like I have my pics loaded in reverse order of what I intended.

Last pic. bottom row: I first made a drilling jig & clamped it to the milling machine table, to hold the rack gear parallel with the milling table for through hole drilling. This allowed me to drill a series of evenly spaced holes the length of my milling machine table travel. then unclamp the rack gear & slide it to pick up my original hole pattern & continue down the length of the rack gear. My racks are in 6' sections.

First pic. bottom row: Shows drilling in progress. You can see in the pic I have already drilled a section of holes & indexed my drill back in the last drilled hole & redy to continue the process.

4th. pic. top row: Shows the racks bolted to strap iron. I drilled & threaded the strap iron to accept 5-40 socket head cap screws. Notice there is a row of drilled holes in the center of the strap to mount the assembly to the table.

3rd. pic top row: Shows the side rail of my machine frame with a row of holes drilled for & threaded 1/4"-28 NF. This is to bolt the rack/strap assembly to the machine frame.

2nd.pic. top row: Shows rack assembly bolted to the frame rail.

1st. pic. top row: Entire front side rail assembly including; Front table frame rail, CR strap bolted to the top of thr rail for outboard gantry linear rail, & the rack gear assembly bolted on.

I wanted all these parts bolted on so they would be adjustable for fine tuning as well as easily repairable if a rack becomes damaged or worn.

If you choose to do something similar I recomend mounting the rack gear to CR strap. I tried using HR strap on the first rack/strap assembly & found the inaccuracy of the hot finished (black) strap a bit hard to keep the bolt holes in good alignment.

If you have questions on any of this, feel free to ask questions.

Neil