Pendent Control Finished

[Cartierusm]

Well I finally finished the complete pendent control. I posted some pics in "endmill, bits, oh my" post of mine. But thought I would start a new one so people can see.

I never realized how easy acrylic was to join. I will be doing it more often when I need to fabricate a box. All you do is line up the joints and squirt some acrylic cement, then capilary action takes over. Sets in about 20 minutes and full hardness in 24 hours. I looked everywhere for a black plastic project box 10" x 8", but the only one I could find that I liked was 10" x 6". The only problem with acrylic is I don't like the look even though I got a piece of black acrylic. So I covered the outside with some high end formica I had lying around.

The pendent control slips onto a rolling carriage that goes the length of the table. I used the Igus bearings I took of the router. So you can slide the controls to where you need them or lift it off the assembly all together.

[Switcher]

Very Cool!

You did a great job!

That would look cool with a LCD monitor attached to the back of it.

.

[Cartierusm]

Thanks. I don't think a monitor would fit, but I just had a client give me a Dell 19" LCD and I took that and put it in my arcade cocktail table and took that monitor and put it in my office and used my old office one out in the shop to replace the old crappy CRT...did you get all of that? LOL.

I am going to put the LCD on the wall behind the router on an articulating arm. I had another client give me a 42" sony plasma but one of the video boards was out too bad that would have been cool.

I tried many vacuum attachments for my router and nothing works very good, so I may just build a plexiglas enclosure for the whole thing, haven't decided yet but need to do something to protect the monitor.

[vcooney]

Cartierusm,
Did you cut the panel for your pend control on your cnc machine?
It's a great looking setup. Are you willing to share the specs. for the pendant controls?

Vince

[Cartierusm]

No. I share nothing! HAAA haa.

Anyway, I had my fun. Yes I cut it on my cnc machine. See my other post Endmills and Router Bits, Oh My! where I chronicle the struggle to figure out how to machine aluminum using a router, as I didn't want to fork out two grand for a spindle and since I'm eventually converting my bridgeport to cnc.

I basically started with what buttons I needed and how far apart they needed to be. I bought switches from Allied Electronics, All Electronics and Mouser. I then hacked a keyboard, a cheap 16 dollar usb one from Staples. Basically take it apart and chart the keyboard keys you want to use using a volt meter, next time I will just buy a keyboard emulator like a ipac, I use them all the time anyway when I build retro arcade games, I just didn't have any in stock and wanted to finish the project. Then wire up the switches labeling them and solder the leads to the keyboard guts (PITA). I then laid out the panel and milled...and you know the rest by reading my first post. The only control I didn't add was a reset button after hitting Estop. But I figure if I messed up and had to hit it I'd have to go back to the computer anyway, which is right next to the router anyway.

After building the device you must asign keys in Screen4, which is the Mach 3 GUI designer. Just open up the default design and double click on the control you want to change, estop for instance, then click on the hotkey button and it will ask you to enter a new key, just press the button on the control panel you want to operate it. I went with default buttons, which are all ready hot keys, for estop, jogging, step jog, fast jog, cycle start.

[pminmo]

Wow great job!

[Regnar]

Great Job, I have to agree with Switcher. You can pick up smaller lcd's for 60bucks off ebay. A nice 8 or 10 incher would fit nicely I think

Is that 3/4 inch aluminum holding up you gantry? I just ordered some and I have been questioning myself if I might have gone overboard. Just wanted to know how it is working out for you. I will read threw your blog.

[Cartierusm]

Maybe I'll look into the lcd, but as I've all ready said I have a 19" lcd already attached to the computer running it. But that will have to wait until the ballscrew conversion is finished.

Yes that 3/4" aluminum. Regnar, personally you can never over do it when build machines as accurate as these. I always try to over do it and make it as strong as possible, because you never know what you might want to do with it later down the road.