6'X12' DynaTorch build log

[WSS]

Originally Posted by Edwardo I just read the warrenty section on DT web site, they give the reason for the deposit on the replacement motor, i guess it makes sense as it could add up to alot of money for them, but that being said i wonder why they didnt catch onto the malfunctioning motor when they test run the unit before shipping? EDD

Edwardo,
It just dawned on me that you read the warranty section on their website. I looked hard for it over the weekend. Could you pm me the link?

Thanks!
WSS

[Edwardo]

Good morning Tommy

Any news on your motor ?
This is the link for the warrenty, its on the front page at the bottom with the other links, have a good day and all the best..
EDD

http://dynatorch.com/Warranty.htm

[WSS]

Good news! A new motor was handed to me by the our UPS driver! And there was an email authorization from DT to do the repairs on my desk when I got in this afternoon. I am waiting for a few policy details from DT before I will proceed with the installation.

Edwardo, Thanks for the link. I had been there over the weekend. I was thinking it was the newer version. The warranty version that shipped with the gantry is very different than the one on the link you posted for me.

I doubt my company will let me purchase soapstone now without scrutiny. I feel like a heel. I missed quite a bit. But I have to say that Greg is working closely with us now. DT could have voided our entire warranty due to my missing the fine print. I had received verbal authorization to do the many alterations we did to meet our needs, But I did not get prior written authorization. Greg has covered us by sending us the written approval. They are not going to count this motor towards the two they would authorize per their current warranty policy. So it looks like it will work out nicely.

EDIT: I should add that I was told Greg paid for next day to us himself!

I did have a chance to put together a HP cut chart for mild steel and expose/develop it onto a aluminum label. I did it when I did the E-stop label, as it's just as easy to do many sheets as it is to do one with the set-up. i had hoped to have the HP chart on black but it wouldn't develop correctly so I ended with red which looks pretty good. I will get some of the letter size magnetic photo paper and stick it to so I can move it around on the command center.

Cheers!
WSS

[magma-joe]

WSS, glad to hear things are looking up. Will you be installing the motor tomorrow? How did you make those charts? I want one!

[WSS]

magma-joe,
I hope to get it up and running sometime tomorrow. The charts were made with a UV exposure kit I use for making metal marking stencils. It is a "extra" included with the metal marking kit. I used to make quite a few knives and would make custom stencils for each one. The company sent a sample aluminum plate to play with and I was hooked. It is pretty straight forward as you can do your art work and print it on a transparency sheet (Staples by the box) and put it over the aluminum sheet and expose it under the UV light and then rinse it in warm water and it exposes the detail. It also marks most metals really well with the chem-etch kit. it puts either a .006" deep mark or a dark black oxide mark, or both if you switch between ac and dc while your marking. You can get 50 marks from the stencil if you treat it good and clean between each mark. here is a link:

http://www.martronics-corporation.com/sign.htm

http://www.martronics-corporation.com/eom.htm

I know it seems like a "as seen on TV" kind of sales gimmick but it works. They also sell different kinds of adhesive covers for the signs. I like the polycarbonate covers as they add a nice frosty look to them and withstand gloved hands really well.

Another trick that is not as durable but more colorful is to mirror print your image on a transparency sheet and then run it though a Zyron sticker machine. They can be had at craft stores like micheals or joannes. The image is then trapped between the shiny transparency and the adhesive. The drawback is it is not very UV resistant. I am not sure about plasma but a welder will fade it in a month or so. If it is not exposed to light it will do well. And you can print in full color.

Do you have a 1650? I will post the chart as a jpg. It has been chopped and spliced to show the info that I will need, including the assembly. I still need help when re assembling the torch.

[magma-joe]

WSS,
I am sure you are ready to see the sparks fly! I am anxious to hear how it all works out.
Thanks for the info and link. I am very interested. Is the chem etch what you normally see on the blades of most knives these days?

I have the 1250 hypertherm so I need a different chart than the 1650. Since I do alot of thin material I also want to make a chart for finecut consummables.

I know you have already checked the ground for your table and Dynatorch has their own method for doing so in their manual but there is something I wanted to pass along to everyone that happened to me.

In the Dynatorch manual they state that you should consider drilling a hole in the floor near the machine and drive in a ground rod so as to get a good ground for the machine. I did just that when I installed my table however after conducting their ground test on the new 5' deep ground rod it failed terribly. My first thought was how could this be? Perhaps I must have made some kind of mistake in the test. I checked 2 more times, same result?

After consulting with my electrician he informed me that the moisture in the earth has alot to do with with how good of a ground you get. He recommended that I run some water down around the rod to help it. My building was built in 1982 so after 27 years the soil beneath must have been plenty dry. I was'nt to keen on this as it would have required drilling another hole and the water would have had to seep at least overnight.

I ended up buying a roll of 1/4" diameter copper grounding rod and running it to the existing ground rod for my buildings electrical box. It then passed the ground test with zero problems. It made me realize that a ground can change over time and just because you have a 5' ground rod driven in the soil does not mean you have a good ground and it should be checked periodicly. It is cheap insurance against pontential electronic damage.

[tof1]

Joe, can you explain how to check a ground rod?

Thank you

[magma-joe]

tof1, Go to the Dynatorch website and download their manual. In the last few pages it shows how to test the ground.

When are you going to post a pic of your table???

[WSS]

magma-joe,
I spent 8+ hours on grounding. I had to drill two holes that were 12" deep and still didn't pass through the concrete. In the end I ended up outside the building (three feet from the table, 1 foot from the intended ground site). I used a copper clad 8 footer and it went OK from there. I used #4 solid to pass through the wall and installed a junction box and tied everything inside the box. I used #6 stranded from the table and 3ph ground strap and #12 for the 110 to the console. I could not find a 100w bulb anywhere around the shop. I had to use a 60w bulb and scale it (Leon did the math for me). It called for .75v but Leon wanted to see .5v, we had .2683v w/a 60w bulb which factored to under .5v. I still think I will add another rod and tie them together. Our local Lowes was out of them last time I looked so I will try Home Depot.

A question regarding a potential problem: I used the cable carrier to carry the plasma torch cable as well and tried to loop it as gently as I could. The transition from X to Y carriers run really close to the master motor (within an inch), should I make a bracket or some way to get it away from the motor before i put power to either the motor or plasma? I noticed that none of the cables in the harness are shielded, I am hoping there is not a noise issue here.

Thanks!
WSS

tof1, ya, post some pics when you get a chance.

[tof1]

WSS, I have my plasma cable in a cable chain with everything else and it's fine. It also runs right next to the Z motor. Took off early today, I'll try to get a pic up tomorrow.

[magma-joe]

WSS, I have never had a problem with mine. I included a pic. When I install the new gantry I am going to reverse the direction the Igus chain comes from as it will allow a much easier transition fron the X to Y. If you open this link go down the page to technical info and open up the solid model of the Dynatorch dropside dual drive, select run on the menu and you can see the layout of the Igus chain from the other direction. You can also pan, tilt, and zoom in with the tools.

http://www.dynatorch.com/Map.htm

[WSS]

magma-joe,
Thanks for the pic! Mine is almost exact, yours actually has a gentler bend. I will pull mine out a little to go around the motor like yours. Mine sits right on top of the motor now.

tof1, That is good news, I was wondering how the noise would affect it. It sound s like it is going to work fine. I have heard that servos have a tougher time with noise than steppers. It seems that both the plasma and CNC technology has melded together well.