Another Torchmate 1 build question

[blackhollowmfg]

I have the rails done for my TM1 kit. They are put together just like TM has in their instructions, which is a 2"x2" tube on one side and two 2"x2" tubes tacked together on the other side. The gantry then rides on them. I welded four short pieces of tubing under them, eveny spaced, then one piece of 2"x2" tubing to the uprights. The legs attach to the lower pieces of tubing, as well as the material support slat brackets.

I experienced a small amount of warpage after all the welding was complete. I did only a couple of welds at a time, but still go some warpage, about 1/8" +/-.

What do you guys think about fitting a piece of cold roll flat bar to the top of the rails? I could fit them to the top and make sure they were perfectly level and straight. Without having the small parts here yet from Torchmate, I am just thinking ahead at this point.

As soon as I resize some pictures of what I have so far, I will get them posted.

[MechWerks]

Not familiar with the kit but I did build a version of a Torchmate table several years ago from pictures they used to have on their site. The table frame was done with 3x3, 1/4 wall tube and solidly welded. I put bolts in plates at the bottom of six legs to aid leveling the machine. Then stretched welding wire to use as a straight edge to check bow and camber of the frame. Used a torch to heat spots and hit with a wet rag to work the frame into straight. Even with that the frame was capped with 1/2" x 4" CRS bar for the gantry to ride upon. That CRS bar could have been shimmed to a perfect level but seemed to come out quite flat and level. The gantry is some 80/20 extrusion in a "T" shape ridding on 1/2" cam followers for ride and holding the gantry in reference to one of the cap bars. The system uses dual racks and a driveshaft to drive the gantry through the length of the table. Only issue being the rack is exposed to potential dross getting in the teeth. Which hasn't really been much of an issue. The machine gets used to cut mainly 3/8 to 1/2" steel parts and has a table size that easily holds a 4x8 sheet of material. Used a Stepper World stepper drive system and entire cost was less than half of a Torchmate drive system.

[Mike@Torchmate]

A typical TM1 setup will have a piece of 1" cold rolled square tube welded on top of the 2"x2" rails, on which the gantry will actually ride and guide itself. The problem with fitting a cold rolled flat bar to the top of that is the cam follower bracket was designed to fit them onto that 1" tube. If you'd like more information on how to build your table, please feel free to contact us anytime.

[blackhollowmfg]

Thanks Mike. What i was thinking was to put the flat bar on top of the tubing to ensure the top of the rails were as square, level and true as possible. Then, on the one side with the two 2'x2" tubes where the square bar mounts, tack the square bar to the top of the flat bar.

The problem with fitting a cold rolled flat bar to the top of that is the cam follower bracket was designed to fit them onto that 1" tube.

Are you saying then that the cam followers ride on the outside of the 2"x2' tube, or the 1" square bar? If it is the 2"x2" tube, then I could see the problem.

Thanks!!!!

[Mike@Torchmate]

The CAM followers ride on the outside of the 1" square tube.

[blackhollowmfg]

Mike, I got your second PM. I think we are on the same page now. Here, this will explain my idea much better. If I do it this way, then I suppose I could use hot rolled instead of cold rolled? I have oodles of hot rolled in 1/2"x2" and 1/2"x4".

Or, am i putting too much thought into this? Again, it is only off by about 1/8" in places. Should I be more concerned with getting the 1" square bar straight and true -vs- worrying about the 2" tubing?

[blackhollowmfg]

A side view of what the table will look like. The material support brackets will be hung from the lower piece of tubing.

[blackhollowmfg]

Well, here is what I have done so far. The kit from Torchmate should be here tomorrow, so I should have it fairly completed by this weekend. About all I need to get ordered now is the plasma cutter, which will be a Cutmaster 101.

[blackhollowmfg]

Woohoo!! UPS came today and brought the motors, brackets, signal generator, cables, etc for my table! I should be able to have all the mechanical assemblies completed by this weekend.

[Mike@Torchmate]

Sounds good, if you have any problems let me know.

Also that table design seems fine, as long as the flat stock is true and level, it should work fine.

[blackhollowmfg]

Great, thanks for the offer Mike! Seems pretty straight forward, but you never know with me......