It's RUNNING!

[TCGliderguy]

As promised.... when I got my Joe's 2006 router running, I said that I would let anybody reading this know...... Today is the day!

Well, I ran out of excuses..... the corrugated plastic tubing arrived (for the cable runs), the SuperCamXP software was doing what it was supposed to do, and I got all the limit and home switches installed and wired (but not hooked up yet.)

I found a Vee router bit, installed it in the Hitachi router... fired everything up, and told it to cut. I don't have any kind of sacrficial table top or hold downs yet, so I took the OSHA approved route, and hand held the piece of MDF down on the table top. By the time it got done cutting, my arms were trembling quite a bit, but that may have been from excitement as much as fatigue.

The sample floral design that comes with SuperCamXP looked pretty good, but fairly naked, so I left the piece of MDF where it sat... went into the software interface, and told it to fit some text into a box that I drew. I told it to cut, and voila... I had text. But it still needed something... so I went back into the software and drew a rectangle around the design. This time, I told it to cut in two passes, and go to .060 " depth, instead of the .030" that I cut the floral design to....

Wow! It's finally a cutting machine. Of course, I still have to rig a sacrificial table top and hold downs, and figure out something for dust removal....and make some nice end fittings for the corrugated cable tubing (instead of the jury rigged cable-tie set-up that I have now.

When I get the shop cleaned up a bit, I'll take some pictures of the finished installation. In the meantime, Thank You to Joe Cantrill (the Joe in Joe's 2006), Joe Communale, Dennis Bohlke at Super-Tech.com, Mike Beck at Rural Routers (www.mikebeck.org)... and all of you guys here on the Joe's forum for the help, guidance, and psychiatric counseling that got me through this project to this point....

Gotta go clean up the shop!

-Taylor

[teamtexas]

Way to go, that looks great for a 1st cut!! I wish I was there! I've been building mine for almost a year and thought I was about to have that "It's ALIVE" moment the other day when my BOB got here....but of course its broken and has to be sent back.[]

[Mr.Chips]

Originally Posted by TCGliderguy As promised.... I found a Vee router bit, installed it in the Hitachi router... fired everything up, and told it to cut. I don't have any kind of sacrficial table top or hold downs yet, so I took the OSHA approved route, and hand held the piece of MDF down on the table top. By the time it got done cutting, my arms were trembling quite a bit, but that may have been from excitement as much as fatigue. -Taylor

Man you are brave and sure of yourself. It had to be scary seeing that router come withing an inch or so of your hands.
Skip the shop cleanup until you have a sacrificial table top and hold downs.

Good luck.

[TCGliderguy]

Originally Posted by Mr.Chips Man you are brave and sure of yourself. It had to be scary seeing that router come withing an inch or so of your hands. Skip the shop cleanup until you have a sacrificial table top and hold downs. Good luck.

You need to remember that not everything that comes out of Hollywood is at it appears....

I actually cut that first part in the middle of a considerably larger piece of MDF.... and then cut off the excess with my table saw. I'm brave... but not stupid! :-)

Now I'm flailing around, trying to get the Home and Limit switches to work. No matter what I try, I can't get the X, Y, or Z to light up at the bottom of the SuperCam XP interface.....

I guess I am going to have to call Dennis on Monday, and see what he can suggest.