Joe's 2006 in Albuquerque

[BobF]

Way to go!
Glad to see you are cutting.

[joecnc2006]

Very glad you got the machine going, cut looks nice and smooth.

Joe

[TCGliderguy]

O.K.... I admit it. I've been having too much fun actually RUNNING my machine to spend time posting here.....

I finally got the shop sort of cleaned up, and got some pictures taken. You'll see my ultra-high tech computer/monitor stand (constructed from 3/4 inch schedule 40 PVC pipe... and bailing wire. Yes... real bailing wire. I ran a double strand diagonally across most of the sides and back... stuck a screwdriver between the strands, and twisted until tight. That stiffened things up nicely!) A coat of rattle can paint, and it doesn't look too bad. I wanted something that was quite "open" , so that I can blow the dust out with an air hose. The monitor will actually swivel, although I haven't felt the need to move it since I put the monitor into its cradle. The "desktop" for the keyboard and mouse is a piece of white shelving from Lowe's. The big advantage of this self-contained cart for me, is that I can roll it between my CNC foam cutter, the CNC router, and the CNC mill that I haven't built yet.

I found a 10 foot length of 1 1/2 inch diameter corrugated plastic hose (intended for a shop vacuum), that I canabilized into my cable carrier. I used 6 feet on the long axis, and 4 feet on the cross axis. I cut some brackets for each end of the hose, and used silicone construction adhesive (in a caulking gun) to secure the hose to the brackets. I put a second coat on , after the first coat dried... and smoothed it with a putty knife. I still need to put a coat of the silver hammerton paint onto the adhesive, and it shouldn't look TOO bad.

I cut strips of MDF for a sacrificial table top, and cut dadoes into the bottom with my table saw. I made up a simple drilling fixture to get the holes placed identically in the ends of the MDF strips, and used brass, threaded wood inserts, screwed into holes in the "real" table top surface of the torsion box. Now, if I do have an "oops" and cut into the MDF strips, I have a reproducible way to make replacements.

Woodcraft had some nice T-bolts, in two different lengths that slide in the dadoes. Next CNC project is to cut some hold down pieces, that will secure with wing nuts. Temporarily, I am just using the T-bolts, with washers and nuts to hold things down.

In the shots of the computer cart, you can see the speakers that fit nicely (wedged between the monitor and the cart tubing), and the USB CamPod adapter box (from Super-Tech.com) that connects the computer to the input of the HobbyCNC stepper controller. I am really liking the SuperCam software interface. It gives me instant gratification, and the ability to draw simple projects right on the machine.... but I can still import G-Code, DXF, or HPGL drawings from a CAD program. The shot of the computer screen shows my 4-up drawing of the hose support brackets. SuperCam lets me select any or all of the graphic elements, and cut them in any order that I choose.

I also drew up a 1 inch grid pattern, and cut that into the sacrificial table strips... using a small Vee-bit router, set to cut to .020. That gives me some handy grid lines to use for aligning and measuring on the tabletop.

I've got the home switches set so that the machine returns to the "Zero-Zero" position on the grid.....

Next project is to cut a dust collector shroud, and get it hooked up to a small shop vacuum. (If that doesn't work out, I'll buy a big dust collector... but space is getting so scarce that I may have to put the dust collector in YOUR garage.... :-)

I'll be back with some "pretty parts" shortly.... For those of you building your Joe's machines.. or just planning. Keep the faith! It is all really worth it! It took me the best part of 10 months to get mine done.... but I am so glad that I did it!

-Taylor

[TCGliderguy]

I forgot that you can only post six pictures in a batch... so here's the rest!

[TCGliderguy]

Happy New Year to Everybody here at the "Zone"...

I've been busy with work, and with tweeking and tuning my Joe's 2006, so I haven't been around here much, but I did want to share a little project that I cranked out as a Christmas present for an M.D. friend of mine who is a Harley Davidson nut! I cut it from a laminated pine panel that they sell at Lowe's.

I modified some clip art in Adobe Illustrator, exported that as a PDF file, and generated the pockets in Vectric Cut2D... then into Mach3 on my Joe's 2006 for cutting. I did a lot of the large pockets with a 1/2" two flute router bit, and the final detail with a 1/8" two flute router.

The finish was just MinWax Dark walnut stain, followed by a couple of coats of clear, satin finish from a rattle can. My doctor buddy was blown away when I gave the plaque to him on Christmas Eve. I figured he would hang it in the garage by his bike, but I think he's going to take it to his office.

Anyway... It was fun to do, and came out better than I had hoped.

[calgrdnr]

Happy new Years to you also ., Very nice machine, somehow I missed this the last few post . Did you ever get dust collector ? I put mine outside of the garage. its really not that loud so doesn't bother the neightbors. Best part is all the very small particles are outside to mix
with all the other air borne junk and not in my garage or lungs

Nice sign, bet your buddy was happy .

[TCGliderguy]

Yes... I bought one of the cyclone units that sits on a Ridgid shop vacuum... from that company in Kentucky whose name I never can remember.
I haven't gotten around to cutting a "shoe" to hold the vacuum hose, and contain the chips. I did cut a lexan disk, which mounts to the router, with about 1/2" clearance, so that the cooling windstorm that blows through the router gets deflected out sideways, and is not kicking up a dust storm underneath. I just stand there with a pointy nozzle on the vacuum hose, and sweep up the chips while the machine cuts. Obviously, I'm not doing production work, so this isn't really a problem... The BIG step was the air deflector. Cutting MDF filled the room with clouds of the sinus irritating dust before that deflector was in place....

Happy New Year!

-Taylor

[lovebugjunkie]

Nice build Taylor. Like your idea of PVC for the computer stand.

I used one of the accessories that came with the Ridgid shop vac to attach the dust shoe I made to the hose. I also use the mini cyclone from ClearVue. See the shoe here: http://romaxxcnc.proboards59.com/ind...lay&thread=146

[TCGliderguy]

Lovebugjunkie,

THANKS for the great photos of the dust collector shoe. I like your design better than anything I have seen. I think my own version will be in the works shortly.

One thing is obvious... to make a collection shoe system work, you have to either be using carpet tape, or vacuum hold downs. My lovely T-Slot system, with T-Bolts and nuts is going to hang up whatever kind of an attached vacuum shoe I use.

On that subject, I just got an e-mail from a friend of mine who is in the commercial composite fabricating business. He just took delivery of his 14,000 pound CNC router (Fixed gantry, and lots of cast iron... it has to hold .005" over a five foot square area.) Anyway, he sent me a link to a company that does nothing but vacuum hold down fixtures. A lot of this could be duplicated out of plastics, on a home workshop scale... Interesting video they have online as well... Check it out at http://www.nemi.com/

-Taylor

[TCGliderguy]

I've been cutting an assortment of parts lately, but find that I am having a problem with accuracy on the Z axis. Overall, the machine wants to cut deeper than what it should. I've been backing off on the Z axis acceleration and speed, but have gotten it to where it is painfully slow.

Can anybody share what sort of setttings they have on their Z axis... using Mach3 controller software?

Thanks!

-Taylor

[BobF]

TC,
Make sure your bits are tight. Upspirals may pull themselves into the work if loose. Also make sure your motor couplers are tight. My couplers were slightly loose and I would appear to randomly loose steps, but what was really happening is the coupler would slip on the motor shaft.

[TCGliderguy]

Good points... I'll check out the mechanics, and see if I can detect a problem.

I'm also waiting to hear from www.cnconabudget.com/PaulJonesZAxis.html
about his "Instant Z Axis" kits. An all metal, machined Z axis, with precision bearings seems pretty appealing....

Thanks for the input!

-Taylor