Final design?

[CtrlZ]

Am I ready to get material prices?

This is the third and hopefully final design, but I'm prepared if I need to make more changes, so let me have it.

I added the multiple routers per the suggestion of another member. I tried to make the new Z axis design strong but still light weight so I appreciate any comments on this or anything else.

This project has be quit an evolution and has turned into a very nice machine in my opinion thanks to everyone who has helped so far. Hopefully I can find a way to pay back a little.

[ger21]

You're going to be cutting 3 parts at the same time?

[CtrlZ]

Yes, up to 3 parts at a time. The machine will be used mainly for cutting decorative milling in the blocks of stair parts and also occasionally cutting brackets out of plywood, (All light duty work) so usually multiple parts. I would like to be able to cut more parts at once, but don't think it's practical.

[ger21]

By cutting 3 parts at a time, it looks like you'll be severely limited in the size of single parts to about half the width of the table.

I'd try to get the spindles closer together. Since they all move together, maybe a single clamp? WHat are they, about 8" on center?

[CtrlZ]

Thanks Gerry, and you're right, the spindles are about 8" apart and it will only cut about a 36" wide part. I thought about making it like this image at first so I would be able to remove the attachment in order to have more travel, but I didn't think it would be strong enough with the bearings so close together, so I decided to sacrifice the flexibility for efficiency.

It won't be uncommon to mill up to 8" square parts (8 X 8 X ?), and occasionally even 12" square parts, (that's also the reason for the Z travel) so that's why I made the routers 8" apart. I want to be able to mill up to 8" parts three at a time, and 12" parts two at a time. The pieces I need to cut out of plywood are small enough I can cut them three at a time also.

Is there a way I could cut the multiple 8 inch pieces and still be able to cut a 48" piece? The only ideas I can come up with are making the table wider, and having another complete X and Y assembly ready to go.

[ger21]

Get rid of the high side rails and extend the gantry over each side. That's the only way I know of.

Unless you're doing parts that are the same size all the time, imo, that's a very inefficient use of space. Anything smaller than 8" will need to be precut to rough size, or you'll be wasting 20% or more material.

Hopefully you'll be making a lot of these parts.

[CtrlZ]

Originally Posted by ger21 Get rid of the high side rails and extend the gantry over each side. That's the only way I know of.

Lol, you make it sound so simple, but you might be on to something. I could extend the Y rails out some and then I would only have to change the Z assembly over to cut the wide stuff. Seems like a lot of work, but like I said, it will be rare.

It's mostly custom stair parts, (newels, balusters, and columns) so I won't have to rough them out, I'll just have to space the smaller ones farther apart, and a typical stair has at least 40 or 50 balusters (and up) so there will be a lot of them. And the pieces I need to cut out of plywood are all the same size and measure about 7 or 8 inches so it works out as far as the waste.

Is this design how it is strong/rigid enough?

[florins]

Hi CtrlZ,

I like the design very much, and apart of what Gerry said (and I agree with him), I have one single other observation: I would install the Z axis on the other side of the gantry, in order to keep the spindles as much as possible inside the gantry's base and to reduce the momentum on the X axis rails. It will work as it is, but in the way I suggested you will gain also some inches on the X axis travel (I call X axis the long axis).

Hope this helps,

Florin

[CtrlZ]

Thanks for the advice guys, I've been weighing the pros and cons. Multiple parts will get the jobs done faster, but then again, if I can set the machine up to cut a lot of parts one at a time and walk away for a while and come back when they are done, maybe I'm just as well off.

Meanwhile, I was also given some ideas (off camera) on some ways to maybe make the machine adjustable so I can still do both. I'll work on that and post if it works out.