machine enclosure

[corrie]

Hello to all,this has probably been covered many time but I,ll ask anyway.What would be the best way to make an enclosure for my machine,with great access for loading and unloading parts,also to keep noise level down?My CNC can be viewed at www.freewebs.com/corriewild/ cheers and thanks.I would have posted a pic but it,s too large.

[dertsap]

ive been toying with the idea of using clear bath tub sliding door asemblies for the sides and plywood or something similar for the top , they are cheap at any used building supply retailer

thats some sweet work you ve been doing

[corrie]

Hey thanks,I,m trying to contact some companies about some polycarbon sheets to make an enclosure.Either buyn the material and make it myself or have someone make it for me.My enclosure will be 50 "x49"x30" high.Will put a split in the front section with a piano hinge so i can lift it up and it will rest on the top section,somewhat like a car trunk but all the way back if you know what I mean.I just like the idea of being able to see all that the machine is doing when it,s moving around.Sick of having to clean up the shop after every time I run it,takes the fun out of routing.Cheers and good luck in your quest.

[dertsap]

hatchback shocks would work well on something like that , give it that cusion effect and lighten it up when you want to open the hatch

[jgro]

I made mine from 2x2 lumber and 1/4" hardboard. I lined the inside with pink insulation foam to cut down on noise. The door has hinges at the top and is supported in the open position with a folding support that I made from some scrap wood. The side panels can be removed at any time by unscrewing them from the 2x2 frame. Hope this helps.

jgro

[corrie]

Looks good jgro.The reason I,m going with 1/4 material is because thats all the space I have around the perimeter of the machine itself .The base MDF is 49"x50" and the second MDF base is 3/4" in from the first MDF base.Maybe poor planing on my part,this will give me room to bypass the X-stepper motor.The peak hight of the Z-stepper is about 24" from the secondMDF base.Will post some pics when done,cheers.

[HayTay]

Here are some pics of my enclosure. Made of 2"x2"s, leftover 3/4"x12" pine from another project, some 1/4" ply scrounged from a remodeling project at work, 10 24"x24" plexiglass sheets, and a $2 roll of vinyl sheeting that was on the discontinued shelf at Wal-mart.

Definitely cuts down on the noise and the dust. One of my next projects will be a dust collection system. It's a drag vacuuming up after every cutting cycle.


Hope the pics give you some inspiration,

HayTay

[corrie]

Looks good,and yes vacuming does suck.The wife says i vacume my shop more than the house,I wonder why that is,L.O.L.Cheers and thanks for the pics.

[arie kabaalstra]

Originally Posted by dertsap hatchback shocks would work well on something like that , give it that cusion effect and lighten it up when you want to open the hatch

that's not a bad idea!!.. just made me remember i had those in the box i had in my van.. a wooden box on which i could sleep during raceweekends when the bike was'nt in the van.. box was used to store spareparts, tires, and my racing gear, along with my toolbox...

if you fit them "Smart" those shocks will keep the hatch closed, and when opened, after passing a "dead point, the shock starts assisting opening, making i t lighter.. (hope you can still follow me here ) when you open the hatch, you will first be compressing the shock, but as it passes "over its hingepoint, it starts to expand again, making lifting easier..

still have some of those lying around...