Another Joe in GA

[BobF]

Today I added some 6 pin DIN sockets to the front panel of my controller and attached mating plugs to the motor leads.
I reconnected the motors and all works as before.
I should have my kit from Joe next week and can start the rest of the build process.
I got the HobbyCNC kit with the 305 ounce motors. I have run them at 250ipm according to Mach3. (what it should be with a 1/2 8 2 start Acme). Is there a known RPM limit for steppers?
I saw a link to a screw manufacturer on another post and they had a spec for torque to lift 1 lb. I ran a quick excel calc and it looks like the motor should generate about 200lbs of force at 305 ounce inch if you assume that the screws and nuts are equal to their screw and plastic nut combination.

[bearwen]

BobF,
If you want to know what kind of torque you have and calculate other stuff go to this thread Calculating What kind of power i need ????and have a look the member named Mariss Freimanis is one of the techs engineers @ Gecko the guy knows his stuff and hes really nice before I bought my Geckos I called Gecko and actually talked to Mariss for about 45 min and found out that most of us have our machines configured incorrectlly we could get so much more out of them if you do your home work.

Good luck

Bearwen

[BobF]

Thanks bearwen, thats a very informative thread.
The calculation I found gives me a guesstimate of the force the motors I have could apply.
I am assuming they work ok on the application as they are the motors and kit that Joe recommended. Actually he had the 205 motors, but I asked if the 305s would work well and he said yes.
The gantry on this machine is nowhere near the weight of the one in your thread.

[BobF]

I came home today and there was a large box at the foot of the stairs leaning against the newell post. I loaded it onto my handtruck and rolled it into the garage. Opening one end slightly revealed a large quantity of packing peanuts.
My kit finally arrived. THANKS JOE.
So far I have been sorting through the parts and loose fitting some together to see if I remember how this goes together from all the threads I have read on the Zone. THANKS to all that have gone before. I don't know that I could build this without all the information here.
I see a busy weekend ahead. I just hope I get some time to assemble a few parts.
Anyone have a recommendation as to order of assembly?
I see most building Z first and then Y and X last. I think I will probably go that way.
Looks like Joe includes the parts to be able to use the original anti backlash setup as well as dumpster nuts.
All the parts appear very precise and fit nicely.
I am sure I will have questions as I go, and I wll take some pictures to post.
Thanks again to everyone and especially Joe.

[DeWalt58]

Great to hear Bob, that you got your kit!!! Sounds like a fun weekend ahead! Yes, I vote for the Z-axis first.

Cheers
dewalt58

[TCGliderguy]

For whatever it's worth... I started with the big, X axis egg crate.... just to get the largest volume of parts out of the way. I had stacks and stacks of MDF parts... and wanted to make some room.

I used a 4" roller to apply a 50/50 mix of TiteBond glue and water to all of the parts. When that dried, I primed all of the parts (again with a roller... after masking the gluing areas with 1/2" vinyl electrical tape)... and finally painted everything with Rustoleum Hammer finish silver paint. Using a roller is nice, because you can roll right over the recessed gluing areas, without messing them up with paint.

Good luck with your build.... It's fun to see the big machine come together....

-Taylor

[BobF]

I finally got some things done over the last 2 weekends.
First picture shows where I drilled a few extra holes in the gantry sides. I used them all to allow me to use bolts for clamps. I will probably use the upper 2 to add some more allthread across the upper section of the gantry.
I super glued the nuts into the MDF that are used for the adjusters. I used thick super glue.
I also glued up the torsion boxes, and the Z carrier. I primed everything with Killz and started painting with Rustoleum hammered finish silver/gray. Got a few more parts to paint.
I have assembled the plastic parts and mounted the dumpster nuts. I attached them with 8 32 machine screws and nuts. I mounted the Z nut with screw heads facing the braces, and carved small notches in the braces to allow clearance.

[joecnc2006]

Looks good Bob.

[BobF]

I finished the gantry today. I hooked up the motors and jogged Y and Z around. Spent a few minutes playing with the moror control settings in Mach. I managed to get Z to run at 120 IPM and Y at 220 IPM. As long as I don't try to set the acceleration too high it seems I could run at the limit of the motors speed. I have the 305 in lb motors from hobbyCNC.
I used the dumpster parts for AB nut, couplers, and collars.
I put an extra block on the carriage. It has a hole just slightly larger than the Acme rod and may help a little with whip.

[BobF]

Is there a way to reverse the motor direction in Mach?
I know I can change the connections on the HCNC board, but it would be easier to change in software if you can.

[joecnc2006]

Is there a way to reverse the motor direction in Mach?
I know I can change the connections on the HCNC board, but it would be easier to change in software if you can.

Config / Homing and limits

[BobF]

Thanks Joe,
I thought there was, I just couldn't find it yesterday.