Building a Rotary Axis


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    Registered P.Passuello's Avatar
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    Default Building a Rotary Axis

    Here are 2 videos showing the building of a simple rotary Axis.
    Both projects have plans provided. The links for these are under the "About" tab on Youtube.






    Cheers
    Peter

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    Default Re: Building a Rotary Axis

    Awesome videos man! Just what i was looking for.

    Can you tell me where you got that threaded shaft? and any more info on the spur?

    Unfortunately i don't have access to a metal lathe at the moment



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    Default Re: Building a Rotary Axis

    Quote Originally Posted by Zeppelin1007 View Post
    Awesome videos man! Just what i was looking for.

    Can you tell me where you got that threaded shaft? and any more info on the spur?

    Unfortunately i don't have access to a metal lathe at the moment
    Thanks for watching.
    I assume you are talking about the Headstock Shaft.
    I just bought a piece of 1/2" bright shaft from my local engineering supplier and used a 12mm die to put a thread on it my hand.
    While I do have a lathe I did the thread by hand in a vice because I realize that most of my watchers don't have a lathe.
    I wanted to make sure it could be easily done. I will admit that I used the lathe to turn the shaft down to 12mm but that is because I was using mismatched components that I had lying about home.
    If you make your shaft, bearings and coupling nut all 12mm or all 1/2" you will have no problems.
    One word of warning though. Make sure the die goes onto the shaft square or you will get a wonky thread and the spur will wobble.
    I did use a lathe on the back of the shaft to turn it down to match the hole in the pulley but I could just as easily drilled out the pulley on the drill press to match the shaft.
    You don't need a lathe to build this project.

    The spur was simple.
    I started with a 12mm coupling nut. 1/2" cannot be got here hence the 12mm thread.
    On each of the nuts flats drill a 1/4" hole about 1/2" down. (six in total)
    Then with a hacksaw cut from the top of the nut down each side of the hole to create the spikes.
    Next get a file and sharpen the spurs until it looks suitable viscous.

    IMPORTANT NOTES:
    When drilling the holes in the coupling nut wind a long bolt or your headstock shaft into the nut to use as a handle.
    You cannot hold the nut by hand so don't even think about it.

    Hope this helps
    Peter

    The ingenuity of idiots is unlimited.
    http://www.youtube.com/user/cncnutz


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    Default Re: Building a Rotary Axis

    Peter

    That does help, and yeah after thinking about the spur, i was going to just vice and drill press it..use a grinder, ok! Good to know thats how you did it!

    I have some timing belts, pullies, rod stock...

    I will have to drill out what i have to make it fit the 1/2" rod. Where did you get your pullies? Im trying to come up with a similar ratio. Im not finding what I'm after on McMasterCarr.

    Is the use of the pillow block bearings to deal with any slight misalignments between the 2 circle centers?

    Also, THANKFULLLY you are using the GeckoG540. I am myself and was starting to wonder how i would set that up in Mach3.

    Thanks Peter!



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    Default Re: Building a Rotary Axis

    Hi Peter

    Have you downloaded the file called "Rotary Axis Major parts.rtf" included with the drawings?
    It has links to one possible supplier on Ebay for the pulleys.

    Pillow blocks are used because I needed a way to lock the shaft to the bearings and pillow block bearings have set screws.
    It also makes a nice simple way of building the headstock.

    With regards the gear ratio if you are using a larger motor eg 380 ozin you might like to consider a lower ratio. Maybe 2 : 1 or 3:1
    The reason I say that is unless you are using something like a Smoothstepper to generate pulses for you will probably find the maximum speed of the axis to be quite slow compared to mine.
    If Mach3 is using the default kernel speed of 25Khz you will max out at about 180 RPM at the shaft using a 4:1 pulley ratio. (I haven't calculated this but it was mentioned by another builder)
    This is because the PC cannot generate pulses fast enough to turn the stepper.

    Since you already have the pulleys and belt you might as well use what you have and work out your best ratio from there.
    If you watch my first build video you will see I used a 2.3:1 and got the same sort of speed and power on the axis using my 150 ozin motor.

    Hope this helps
    Peter

    The ingenuity of idiots is unlimited.
    http://www.youtube.com/user/cncnutz


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    Default Re: Building a Rotary Axis

    To make this work you need a cam program that outputs a 4th axis tool path. I have Bobcad standard and to get a 4 axis version I would need to upgrade for about $2000. USD. I am retired and a hobbyist. Any cheap solutions ??

    Thank you
    Don

    The time has come the woodworker said to speak of many things. 0f routers and Wood , chips and paints and stains and CNC and other things.


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    Default Re: Building a Rotary Axis

    Quote Originally Posted by Gallchobhair View Post
    To make this work you need a cam program that outputs a 4th axis tool path. I have Bobcad standard and to get a 4 axis version I would need to upgrade for about $2000. USD. I am retired and a hobbyist. Any cheap solutions ??

    Thank you
    Don
    Hi Don,

    I suggest you watch my video on creating the files for the rotary axis.
    It takes you through creation of mallet project from the 2d - 3d file creation to outputting the rotary GCode.
    You will see a piece of software called CNCWrapper which will create the rotary files you are after.

    https://www.youtube.com/user/cncnutz/featured

    Let me know if you need any more info.

    Cheers
    Peter




    The ingenuity of idiots is unlimited.
    http://www.youtube.com/user/cncnutz


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    Default Re: Building a Rotary Axis

    Don, using CNCWrapper is not necessary. Here is the cheapest solution, to save you the $25.

    You can just generate the code as if it was flat in your BobCad standard program.

    Then use Angular instead of Linear in Mach3 when engraving on a dia. with the G51 scale command and A, B or C axis letter and the scale number at the beginning of the file to scale the movements from an engraving code. Example, if your wood is 4" Dia. and you want the engraving 3/4 the way around it, then multiply 4 X 3.14 = 12.56 X .75= 9.42. Your engraving and Gcode should be generated like it's flat 9.42" on the axis it will be wrapped using Bobcad. Then you input in the beginning of the Gcode file a G51 A, B or C 28.662 (270 (3/4 of 360) degrees divided by 9.42) You need to change the axis letter in a text editor from the X or Y axis that is going to be wrapped, to the axis letter of your rotary which should be A,B or C. It will then engrave 3/4 of the way around on a 4" dia.

    Here is a free and fast text editor. http://www.contexteditor.org/index.php

    Notepad & Wordpad are soooo sloooow at editing and changing text in large Gcode files.

    Jeff



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