New Machine Build- My steel frame router

[Spiv]

Long time reader, first time poster here. I'm into the home stretch of building this machine so I thought it was about time I shared with the community.

(edit) Doesn't seem to want to let me post pictures. Guessing I have too few posts. Trying as links:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FsjS474GOs...1600-h/001.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FsjS474GOs...-h/cnc_002.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FsjS474GOs...-h/cnc_003.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FsjS474GOs...h/DSCN0001.jpg

[Spiv]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FsjS474GOs...-h/cnc_008.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FsjS474GOs...h/DSCN0127.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FsjS474GOs...h/DSCN0123.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FsjS474GOs...h/DSCN0164.jpg

http://gesare.com/uploads/DSCN0172.jpg

[Spiv]

And a video of it running:

YouTube - Home made CNC test

YouTube - Home made CNC test

[harryn]

Hi - nice project. I really like the fixed gantry and enclosed nature of the frame design.

I am not sure, but you might need some dampers on the motors based on the sound in the movie.

[FandZ]

That is an interesting design and congrats on getting it moving. Do you plan to make a housing around it?

[analogman]

ahh lemme guess... umm... CNC setup and running on the kitchen counter.. hmm. Bachelor by any chance?

[Spiv]

Originally Posted by harryn Hi - nice project. I really like the fixed gantry and enclosed nature of the frame design. I am not sure, but you might need some dampers on the motors based on the sound in the movie.

thank you; it's entirely possible. I really don't know much about dampers so any info would be welcome. What would they improve?

Originally Posted by FandZ That is an interesting design and congrats on getting it moving. Do you plan to make a housing around it?

I do, in fact it's already in progress. I'll get some more pics as soon as the enclosure is finished. I plan to have the whole thing boxed in in hopes of running coolant when necessary.

Originally Posted by analogman ahh lemme guess... umm... CNC setup and running on the kitchen counter.. hmm. Bachelor by any chance?

lol, guilty. I'm pretty well used to explaining myself to some degree whenever I bring a new girl home. ("so.....what do you do for a living again??") To be fair, I did have an ex who let me set up lab tables in the living room for this kind of thing.

This is the first thing we cut with it (back out in the garage, that is, not in my kitchen):


It's proving to be very strong. At 70ipm I can put all my weight into trying to stop it and it won't miss a step. Nothing flexes or binds. I can't wait to see what all I can do with this thing.

[stevespo]

Nicely done! You're going to have a great time with it. I like the look of the design, and the fact that you can easily enclose it. Good work.

Steve

[Spiv]

A little bit of the "dog house"

[sonicwonder2000]

Beautiful! How did you find it welding that frame together? What size tubing did you use and how did you deal with welding distortion?

[Spiv]

Welding wasn't bad, but I've done a lot of precision frame type stuff in the past (such as the frame for my ongoing lotus seven project). It's all 16 gauge 1" tubing. I cut everything to exacting lengths before hand so that I could assume their cold length. Put everything together with tacks and corner clamps to start with, did all corner to corner measurements and shifted/adjusted where necessary. It's slow going, but it came up right on the money for the most part. On my lotus frame the corner to corner is within 1/32" over 12 feet using the same method.

There is a smidge of error in a couple places though, which is foolish not to plan for. I adjusted for this using shims I cut up out of one of those auto parts store feeler gauges (like raising one corner of the bed up to level it to the top axis- Feeler gauge strip under the rail mount).

[Spiv]

Teaser:



Still plenty of work to do. I ran out of sound deadening material, so more is on the way.