It's alive and kicking!!

[Arquibaldo]

Dear revwarguy:

Congratulations on a fine machine and thanks a lot for the very interesting
and instructive log you published on your site (http://www.liming.org/cnc)

However, I couldn't find a few details which I'd very much wanted to know,
so let me bother you with a few questions:

- How thick are the Alu plates you used in the carriage and the gantry
end-plates?
-What are the dimensions of the Alu U channel you used for the gantry?
-What is the diameter of the black pipe rails?
-What type of bearings did you use for the 1/2" and 3/8" ACME threaded rods?
-What are the specs for the timing pulleys and belts you used for each of
the three axes?
-What is the tpi of the 3/8" ACME thread?
-What is the X, Y & Z travel you achieved?
-Finally, could you post one or two pics of the Y axis stepper and its linkage
to the Y ACME rod? I looked very carefully, but couldn't find any pic showing
this detail

I hope I'm not taxing your patience too much, but you've inspired me to finally
do something with the pile of parts I've been collecting for more than 10
years, still with no machine in sight...

Nelson

[revwarguy]

Hi Nelson,

Thanks for the kind words.

"Let me bother you with a few questions:"

Not a bother - I got a lot of good advice from this forum as well.

- How thick are the Alu plates you used in the carriage and the gantry end-plates? 3/8 inch

-What are the dimensions of the Alu U channel you used for the gantry? 6 x 2 3/16 inches, cut to 33 1/4 length as per plans. (C channel from Online metals)

-What is the diameter of the black pipe rails? It is sold as "black pipe" for water and gas lines, by inside diameter. The X and Y rails are 3/4 ID black pipe, which has an OD of about 1.03 inches. The Z rails are 1/2 ID black pipe. Don't be in a hurry to get the pipe - take a look at what's sold in as many hardware stores as you can before buying. In my area, I found that there were a couple of distinct kinds - one that had a very rough application of whatever they use to make the pipe black, and another one that had a very thin coat. The very thin coated ones were much easier to determine if they were straight (borrow a yardstick at the store, and lay it along the length of the pipe, looking for light between the two), and they cleaned up much better. Even then, I found you need to sand them where the bearings ride and then oil them to get a smooth glide.

-What type of bearings did you use for the 1/2" and 3/8" ACME threaded rods? Same kind from VXB.com just different IDs to match the rods, R6 and R8.

-What are the specs for the timing pulleys and belts you used for each of
the three axes? All XL pulleys and belts. X axis: 1 15 tooth to fit the stepper, and 2 15 tooth to fit the rods, belt is 82.8 inches Y axis: 1 15 tooth to fit stepper, 1 15 tooth to fit rod, 11 inch belt. Z axis 1 12 tooth to fit stepper, 1 12 tooth to fit rod, 6 inch belt

-What is the tpi of the 3/8" ACME thread? 10

-What is the X, Y & Z travel you achieved? Haven't measured it yet, but its something like 23 x 55 inches. This number depends on where and how and if you put limit switches on the table.

-Finally, could you post one or two pics of the Y axis stepper and its linkage
to the Y ACME rod? I looked very carefully, but couldn't find any pic showing
this detail I will try to put something up.

The biggest thing I can tell you is to get the plans. They are not just drawings, but lots of practical advice about making one of these. I don't know how much work like this David Steele has done, but it is a lot. The cost of the advice will be more than made up for by the avoided cost of bungled parts!

[Arquibaldo]

Dear revwarguy:

Thanks a lot for your prompt, complete and kind reply. I'll follow your advice.

Nelson

[sonicwonder2000]

Just in way of agreement, the David Steele plans are COMPLETELY worth it. He continues to evolve the plans and is available via email to answer questions. Do not hesitate to make the investment - it will pay for itself several times over.

PS: I am not affilitated with David in any way; I'm just a happy customer