Yet another first router

[Clyde]

I haven't had any problems with driving the gantry from one side, yet.........I have only cut 3/4" MDF so far in my tests, but up to now it is solid.......It is 23" from center to center of the thomson rails for the x axis.

THE WHITE BOX that the x rails and channel are sitting on is 1/2" MDF torsion box 5" tall, 34" x 60" (WxH). I read a reply in a thread here somewhere about DIY having a show on it, so I looked it up on DIY's web site and decided it was a good thing, and it is very very solid. I built mine a different way than they suggested.........but still a torsion box all the same.

I would have built the box with some options built into it before it's assembly if I had it to do again............one, I would like to have had wood blocks in the corners for mounting legs............two, I would make sure I kept my measurements of where exactly the internal supports were (horizontal and vertical honey comb like supports)...........three, I would have relieved the internal supports by drilling large (2.25"?) holes in them so that air would flow easily throughout the inside (for dust collection purposes, and It would have been lighter, I can barely handle it by myself with nothing attached to it)........four, I would like to have put PVC pipe through it in strategic places to run wires around internally..............planning ahead to that detail would be quite a task, but probably worth it..............

[Clyde]

The attached pic shows how I built the torsion box............

[Graham S]

I thought as much, it just looked solid!!

[High Seas]

Originally Posted by Clyde .......three, I would have relieved the internal supports by drilling large (2.25"?) holes in them so that air would flow easily throughout the inside (for dust collection purposes, and It would have been lighter, I can barely handle it by myself with nothing attached to it)........four, I would like to have put PVC pipe through it in strategic places to run wires around internally..............planning ahead to that detail would be quite a task, but probably worth it..............

Might add, "....."five, consider the box as a plenum for a vacuum mount system....
Looks great and the torsion box is a real good idea - Did you use smaller (thinner) dimensioned MDF for it - suppose you could have and still be plenty rigid.

[Clyde]

Yes, I used 1/2" (instead of 3/4) MDF throught the torsion box.........it is plenty sturdy!


Today, I have to start on building 2 guitars that were ordered, so I must pause a while on finishing the cabinet that the torsion box sits on (only the frame is complete, have to add draws, enclosed area for computer and driver box, etc............).

[InventIt]

Very nice job.
Like the motor mounts with cooling fins, good idea.

[svenakela]

I'm using the same idea of sandwich layed up table as your torsion box, but with aluminium in three layers. Almost as strong as a solid plate but almost half the cost and of course less weight.

Forgot: your machine looks really nice!

Cheers,
Sven

[napalm03]

nice machine Clyde, I like the heat sinks on the steppers, they do get very warm if you over power them, I have some on my taig mill and they get almost too warm to touch somtimes. I'll make my mounts a heat sink like yours, very novel idea! What kind of rails are you using? Are you able to cut alum plate?

[Clyde]

"What kind of rails are you using? Are you able to cut alum plate?"

The rails are Thomson 1/2" with single and twin open pillow block bearings.

I have cut some aluminum, although that was not my primary goal.
I'm using the machine to make pickguards for my own electric guitar model at this time. I hope to use it for other repetitive routing on the body in the near future (have to model it in Rhino3D yet).