mostly steel JGRO

[drafterman]

Hello,
Well I have had my machine complete for the last few months and I have been sorting out bugs and refining a few items. This has been my first experience and I have learned so much will all of your help. I have enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks.

I have a steel background so I decided to build everthing out of a steel framework and weld it together. The unit will run a 24" x 40" size work piece and has dual drives on the x-axis. I used some old hydraulic cylinder rods for the rails and added one additional skate bearing per side on the x-axis to help assist with some of the load of the heavy gantry. Xylotex 4 axis system; 425 oz-in motors with phenolic dampners on each motor. The lead screws are 1/2-10 ACME (soon to be upgraded to 2 start) with dumpster nuts. I also have a CandCNC BOB and their remote mounted relay board. I am using the Hitachi M12VC router and have a custom dust collector hood (not shown in the photos). I also built a pneumatic lift table so I can move the entire unit around the shop without scratching the floor. The wooden cutting table is removable and I have a steel frame table that I add in its place for using this as a plasma table as well (too slow currently for this).

The unit has very good resolution and accuracy, but is a little slow on the dual drive x-axis. I can run the Y and Z at 80 IPM, but the X will handle no more than 20 IPM currently before they stall. I think I have some mechanical issues to sort out here, but for my first machine I am pleased thus far.

Thanks again!

Drafterman

[Jason Marsha]

Wow very impressive machine. Do you have a video of it in action?

Do you have one of the dual drive motors slaved to the other?

Jason

[drafterman]

I'll see if I can find a video to post.
Yes, the A axis is slaved to the X via Mach 3.

[Jason Marsha]

If you can try a single motor and then switch it to the other side it may reveal some answers.

Jason

[drafterman]

I will try that...I am now second guessing the whole dual drive. I thought this would assist in preventing the possiblity of the gantry "rocking" from side to side under a heavy pull (since the gantry is so heavy), but I notice a few other posts whereby they seem to get by with a single motor in the center.