Started my Solsylva

[Tom_M]

Finally got a good start this weekend after ordering parts for a few weeks. My first attempt at these things.

Based on the Solsylva plans, it's a dual screw, tooth belt driven from one stepper. Cabinet grade plywood torsion box with an MDF top. The rest is plywood and 2x4. 1/2" acme dual lead screws, and 1" iron pipe for the runners. Once you take lacquer thinner to that pipe coating, it's really smooth and polished under that gunk. Rear bearings are fixed, and fronts bearing flanges are adjustable.

Taking a break for now and will start the gantry tomorrow.

Tom

[revwarguy]

Looks like a good start, Tom. I've built a Solsylva, and you can get good results with them.

Do yourself a favor now (if you haven't already done so) and lay a straight edge along the top of the pipe rails and make sure that there is no light showing between the straight edge and the pipe, and also make sure that the pipes are pretty darn parallel with the surface of the box. When you torque the pipe mounts, its very easy to introduce gaps that way.

Look forward to seeing more of your build!

[Tom_M]

Looks like a good start, Tom. I've built a Solsylva, and you can get good results with them.

Do yourself a favor now (if you haven't already done so) and lay a straight edge along the top of the pipe rails and make sure that there is no light showing between the straight edge and the pipe, and also make sure that the pipes are pretty darn parallel with the surface of the box. When you torque the pipe mounts, its very easy to introduce gaps that way.

Look forward to seeing more of your build!

Thanks.
Checked the pipes and they're at least as straight as my straightedge. As far as parallel, after it was all screwed and glued, the pipes were 1/16" out of square. I was pretty happy about that because I can make that up with the stud hole fudging. I wanted to assemble all the wood parts with bolts and aluminum shimstock to get it really square, but it's a lot more rigid with the glue.

[emorning]

Hi Tom,

Newbie question here... how aer those front bearings made?
Are those pipe flanges? And what have you mounted inside of them?
I've haven't seen those in other pictures of Solsylva machines so I'm guessing they're not standard.

Thanks in advance,
-ted

[emorning]

Nevermind, I figured out what they are.

1" Four Bolt Flange Bearing

[Tom_M]

Ted,
That's the one but it's 1/2" ID bearing. Got it from VXB bearings.

1/2" Mounted Bearing UCF201-8 + Square Flanged Cast Housing:Ball Bearings

[louieatienza]

Good luck with the build... looks good! My first machine was also a Solsylva, and I learned a lot building/tweaking it...

[Tom_M]

Gantry is coming along. Rolls like butta!
Still to adjust:
Gantry top and bottom pipe for parallel.
Bed pipes for parallel.
Install side and bottom bearings.
Make adjustable leadscrew bearing plate from HDPE.

Then it's onto the Z carriage.

[Tom_M]

Steady progress, but it's so hot and humid in the garage, I haven't been putting in max hours.

These are not the final motors. I'm just using them for tuning. Stronger ones will be here next week.

Just a bit more work on the Z axis trucks, and it'll be time to tune it in.

Still need to enclose the electronics, make a cable rack, install limit switches.

All in all I expect good enough accuracy for guitar bodies and model airplane parts.

[Tom_M]

More progress. I know wood and pipe machines are out of vogue here, but I'm having fun building this. Pretty much all to go is to tweak and true it up.

I just scored a dell computer from craigslist for $40 and an LCD screen for $20, so now I don't have to swipe the computer from my laser. Now I have to make a swing arm off to the side to mount the screen.

[revwarguy]

Hey Tom,

CNC machines are what's in vogue here - doesn't really matter what they're made of. IMHO, I think you judge the capabilities of a tool by what you can make with it, not by how much money you spend on it or how fast it moves. I've done lots of projects in wood, many in plastic, and some in aluminum. There's lots to be said for getting your feet wet with an inexpensive machine, and then taking it in other directions if you get the call.

Of course, having said that, one of these days I'll probably upgrade my machine to a rack and pinion steel plate rail machine, but only because that looks like it would be fun, and they do look cool. I doubt that it will be near as fun as the first time I watched my machine cut something out that I designed, though. I didn't stop grinning for 3 days.

I do only one-off type work, so speed isn't all that important to me, but reliability is important, and I've had little to do in the way of maintenance for my machine - just keep things tight, clean, and lubed.

Stay cool and keep up the good work - Looks like your're getting pretty close to first cut, so I hope you've got a video camera to take of your machine cutting something for us to wow over!

[CarveOne]

More progress. I know wood and pipe machines are out of vogue here, but I'm having fun building this. Pretty much all to go is to tweak and true it up.

I just scored a dell computer from craigslist for $40 and an LCD screen for $20, so now I don't have to swipe the computer from my laser. Now I have to make a swing arm off to the side to mount the screen.

The newfangled machines are typically made of aluminum extrusion these days but the pipe and wood machines are within reach of a lot of us initially, or we aren't sure we'll get along with the hobby and don't want to spend a lot on the first build. My first one was a Solsylva 25x37 machine. The following two machines are mostly steel and some aluminum. Build what interests you. We still follow all of the builds even if we make no comments until it can be something useful.

CarveOne