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  1. #81
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    Bob,
    I like
    Those should work very nicely.
    So do you have it up and moving, or did you want to get the limits sorted first?
    Thanks
    Dave



  2. #82
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    Thanks guys.

    Not ready to move yet Dave. I don't even have the motors mounted at this point. Been working on the wiring diagram. I would really like to do the first test moves over the T-Day holiday even if the electronics are spread out on the bench.

    Need to order a few parts though so I can get them in time. Need contactor, terminal strips, relays, switches, some connectors, cable, that kind of stuff. I haven't ordered the motor cable yet. Don't know whether to rig up something temporarily or just order some good stuff and hope I order enough. Probably rig something up. Wish the cable chain was of the 'pop open' design. Seems like threading the cable could be tedious.

    But first movement would be a great milestone. I just hope I don't have anything 'over' adjusted and it grinds itself to pieces (the R&P parts mainly) lol.

    BobL.



  3. #83
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    Bob,
    Threading the wires is not as bad as it seems.
    You can upen up the cable tray but i think I broke one catch so I stopped that and just shov the wires a second set of hand would also be useful.
    My take on shortcuts on the spindle wiring is do it right the first time or you might end up chasing yourself.
    Doing testing on bench makes lots of sense. Then you have a known working point to refer to.

    If you are worrying about the RP being tight, loosen it off then work it in. You will be bringing the baby up with little steps not running the sprint first race. You built your first one so I know this will work out very well.

    Dave



  4. #84
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    Bob,
    Its been a month, just checking in to make sure that Santa has not kidnapped you.
    Dave



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    Hey Dave,
    LOL, you're close. This holiday season really snuck up on me. That combined with some of of life's craziness has left little time for the shop.
    I've done a little here and there, made a few decisions. Next steps are to finish up the securing and aligning of the frame to the X-Rails and then I can get serious about mocking up the electronics and making some movement.
    I should get a couple of solid days in the shop next week as it turns out.

    I hope everyone on the forum has a fantastic holiday season and I WILL say

    Merry Christmas to all !!

    Hope Santa is good to us all and there's some shiny new CNC related presents under your tree (I've got it on good authority there may be a PC 890 Router and some precision collets under ours

    Have fun, be safe.

    BobL.



  6. #86
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    Default Back on Track

    Ok, the holidays were great but now it's back to work on the build.

    A few things actually did get done over the holidays in very short stints.

    I got some small 1/4" Alum. Plates off of Ebay. I used them to attach the XYZ cross beams to the frame. I used 3 on each cross beam.

    XYZ Gantry Build with Rotary Axis-100_0218sm-jpg

    I also ordered 4 80mm lengths of HFS 4080 extrusions to use for supports on the rotary end. This makes the ends of these short pieces exactly the same height as the cross beams so when I need to extend the cutting table to the full length of the machine all will be well.

    I took 8 of the double 90 degree brackets and slotted out the hole on one side so they sit squarely on the frame beams ( the XYZ X axis rails are about 1/4" offset from the frame beams). That's what I'm trying to show in the closeup of one of the short extrusions.

    XYZ Gantry Build with Rotary Axis-100_0212sm-jpg

    Got my PC 890 router for Christmas along with a set of precision collets for it Those precisions collets look great and there is no doubt that my runout will be so much less with this setup than the one I'm using, which is a Dewalt laminate trimmer with a split cylinder reducer for 1/8" bits. Can't wait.

    XYZ Gantry Build with Rotary Axis-100_0219sm-jpg

    So, as far as the the frame is concerned what's left with that is to do some final measurments on the the parallelism of the XYZ X rails and do a whole lot of bolt checking/tightening. It is really amazing how many bolts I've screwed into this thing. I don't know exactly but it is literally hundreds.

    BobL.



  7. #87
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    Default What's going on with the electricals...

    As far as the electronics go, I do have a rudimentary wiring digram. It needs some work but is hopefully far enough along to at least do some preliminary movement.

    I had picked up a nice solid enclosure from a suplus center for my control box but the decision has been made not to use it. We could probably cram everything in there, but it would be awkward and difficult to work on.

    As far as the control box location goes, that ended up being somewhat of a compromise. Due to the location in the shop that this thing will sit, along with the rotary axis taking up one end the control box needs to be accessed from the side of the machine. I don't like the fact that the control box is directly under the path of the moving gantry. I sure hate to get smacked with one of these things:

    XYZ Gantry Build with Rotary Axis-100_0220sm-jpg

    I built a slide out shelf that the control box will sit on. Hopefully this will work.

    XYZ Gantry Build with Rotary Axis-100_0221sm-jpg

    Since I can't use the enclosure I was going to use I guess I'm going to build one out of wood. Easy enough to do, but won't provide any electrical sheilding. I thought of lining it with aluminum flashing or even just using some metal duct tape.

    Will doing this provide any advantage sheilding wise?

    Anyhow, the current plan is to mock up the control box with basically just a mounting board and a front panel. This will allow great access and allow me to make what I'm sure is going to be tons of wiring changes before the final design. Especially considering I've got the rotary access to do and some doo-dads I want to add to the machine.

    Then once the control box is working and stable I'll know exactly how do the final control box configuration. Ideally I think it would be great if this machine could be used to cut it's own control box panel and whatnot.

    Well, that's it for now. It sure is great to be back on the build though

    BobL.

    Last edited by boblon; 01-03-2012 at 10:32 AM. Reason: Fixed attachments


  8. #88
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    Bob,
    Looking good.
    Mounting all the electronics on a sub panel of metal will make a nice sub assembly and give to a place to have a common AC ground.
    I just love your base. Its going to be so cool once its all together.
    Happy New Year.
    Dave



  9. #89
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    Thanks Dave. I hope the frame works as well as it looks

    Spent the last couple of hours removing screws, applying thread lock, tightening them down and marking them so I know which have been done.

    I taped a digital gauge to a steel ruler and used that to check how parallel the X rails are.

    XYZ Gantry Build with Rotary Axis-100_0223sm-jpg XYZ Gantry Build with Rotary Axis-100_0222sm-jpg


    Not too bad I don't think. As I was editing the photo I realized I didn't even try to adjust the rotary end, so I could tweak that one. I don't think I'll mess with the others. Here's the results:


    XYZ Gantry Build with Rotary Axis-100_0225sm1-jpg

    Glad that's done as these old bones don't take to crawling around that frame while sitting/kneeling/crouching/etc on the concrete floor of the garage.

    This desk chair is getting comfortable, better get back out there

    BobL.



  10. #90
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    Default Beginning the Control Box Prototype

    With the frame more or less complete I can move on to the Control Box (CB) prototype.

    When we were deciding where the CB would go, I cut a scrap piece of 3/4" plywood (from a packing crate). At the front of this board I mounted a panel canted at a 15 degree (I think) angle. To see if the front panel would be big enough we tried a cutout layout.

    XYZ Gantry Build with Rotary Axis-100_0227sm-jpg

    When I started laying parts in it, it quickly ceased to seem spacious. I figured I could save some space by mounting the power supply vertically on one wall. So I needed a wall. And I needed something for a back panel. So I decided to whip up another CB.

    XYZ Gantry Build with Rotary Axis-100_0226sm-jpg

    I also got the PMDX Geko motherboard mounted to a heatsink. I had ordered a heatsink off of EBay and it ended up being just short of being long enough so I cut a piece of aluminum and mounted the heatsink to it with 9 6-32 screws with thermal compound between them. The Geko manual says you should use a heatsink when operating at 3 amp or higher (drives support 7 amps). I'll only be driving around 3.5 amps so it should be ok.

    Next is some head scratchin' deciding how to lay it out and what parts I'm missing to get to the point of first movement.

    BobL.

    Last edited by boblon; 01-04-2012 at 05:46 PM. Reason: Spelling


  11. #91
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    Default Bells, Whistles and DooDads

    My plan is to get just enough connected in the CB protoype to get first movement and verify the build.

    I still need to drill holes for mounting my homemade homing switches.

    @Dave/Will...
    Are you guys happy with the locations you chose? Any recommendations?

    First movement can occur without them but need to do that.

    Anyhow, I'm going to add a lot of extras. Some acutally usefull, some because the geek in me comes out at times like this.

    The panel meters shown in the previous pic include an amp meter, thermometer and three volt meters.

    I'm not sure where I want to hook up the amp meter to. I'm thinking of hooking it up to the power supply input.

    Not sure whether I'll just monitor the inside temp of the CB or attach the probe to one of the Gekos.

    Aslo planned are the following:

    ---Touch probe plate and second touch plate (mounted) for tool changes.

    ---Provision for touch probe. I already have a mechanical probe for it.

    ---Laser crosshairs for positioning. I got some but not sure now if there the right ones. Based on a thread here.

    ---I brought a mini E-Stop I would like to mount somewhere.

    ---I've got some donut shaped led lights to use as a spindle light but this one might not happen.

    ---Provisions for mounting my wood lathe chuck on the table for inlay work.

    ---Camera mount. I have a wireless camera I so I can watch jobs cut. It's currently mounted off machine but that machine is a moving table. I guess It doesn't NEED to be mounted on the gantry. We'll see.

    So, as you can see there's going to be some frilly dressing.

    Anybody care to add anything to my list for me?

    Looking forward to first movement though

    Thanks for looking.

    BobL.



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    Bob,

    First off your build is looking great. Like Dave said I like your frame. The 80/20 or similar is the way to go. Cost high but time saved is price LESS. So far the location for my limits is working good. Your really putting a lot of extra design and other small details in your build. Good job. I have not posted yet but the support from XYZ after has been great. I got a new screw and ball nut, installed and seams to have fixed many of the problems I was having. Thanks to Glen at XYZ for your help. We are all learning here but want a machine that is productive. The biggest thing we all face is getting it fine tuned. All ideas welcome.... Really I want ideas. Bob let me know if you want any other ideas.

    Will



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    Thanks much Will.

    I didn't know you had issues that required replacing a screw and nut. I know Dave had issues with one of his.

    Care to elaborate on what your problem was so I can be on the look out for it?

    BobL.



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    Default A little more on the Control Box

    Got a little bit more done on the control box prototype today. Was my first day back at work.

    No more shop time til Sunday now.

    XYZ Gantry Build with Rotary Axis-100_0228sm-jpg
    XYZ Gantry Build with Rotary Axis-100_0229sm-jpg

    The PMDX breakout board I'm using will host a SmoothStepper as a daughter board. I would really like to go that route but am really leary of noise issues with it, especially with the wooden box I'm going to use. At over $150 it can be a pricey gamble.

    Would a metal shield over that board guarantee noise immunity if there were issues?

    Sure seems like my shop is in some kind of temporal anomily when 2 hours seems like 30 minutes. But still great to be back at it

    BobL.



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    Default Rebate.....

    When I designed my frame I chose to use Misumi Extrusions. Their prices were decent and their online configuration tool is great. I was able to download the 3d cad file of choice of each piece I configured.

    Anyow, at the time I submitted my order they were running a special of up to $150 credit for your first orders. I just got confirmation that I now carry a $150 credit there.

    Cooool !

    Too bad they don't sell SmoothSteppers huh?

    BobL.



  16. #96
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    Default Rotary Axis Design (Change?)

    I collected some of the pieces and materials I'm planning on using for the contstruction of the Rotary Axis and clamped them to the frame.

    XYZ Gantry Build with Rotary Axis-100_0232sm-jpg

    I have spent a lot of time thinking of how I could achieve a tailstock mounting design to allow for the flexability I was after. I have a couple of ideas, but nothing great, simple or graceful.

    I used the mock-up to do some preliminary measurments of the maximum length of workpiece I could likely achieve.

    XYZ Gantry Build with Rotary Axis-100_0230sm-jpg

    I knew I wasn't going to get much in the way of spindle length (as it were) but I was hoping for 16". It looks like with all things considered it could be a low as 12".

    I liked the design with the rotary along the Y axis (B) but knew it was against convention. This can also cause issues with some software. I know in some cases there is a work around, but I don't know much about this stuff yet.

    This design did however provide full access to the rotary axis for stock mounting and such and it provided the most compact footprint. Boy, this would me a cool set up on a 4" wide machine.

    Wiring it up in this position would be a little easier also.

    But....

    I'm thinking now of re-orienting it along the traditional axis of choice, X (normally an A axis I think, but this has two X motors, whatever).

    This would sure make the design of an adjustable tailstock contraption MUCH simpler.

    An 'A' rotary axis would give me maybe 15"-16" of large diameter turning length, but would also allow 3 feet plus of small diameter spidle lentgh.

    This would come at the expense of a larger footprint.

    Another advantage is there would be better (stronger) support for the rotary table assembly. Just that rotary table weighs in at over 60 lbs !

    I guess just typing this out is making the decision rather obvious. But, that's whats happening.

    Thanks for reading and please, comments/questions/suggestions are welcome.

    BobL.



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    Bob,

    Your build still looking good. Things always change when you start building.

    The problems I had was too much backlash. The new screw and nut seam to have made it better. Will let you know if it changes.

    Will



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    Hey Will,
    I assumed it was backlash, but it also sounds like it didn't become evident until you used it? Was it evident when you cut circles or what? How bad was it?

    I sure hope mine is ok, really hate to go through the hassle of it.

    Thanks for the info.

    BobL.



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    Bob,
    You have been busy I see.
    The email updates have not been coming through.
    I see your control box is going to have all the bells and whistles.
    With regard to the Smooth Stepper, I have heard that they are field testing the Ethernet version. I would hold out for that one. It does sound like Will has not had many issues with his USB one. I have not tried out the fix that Jeff asked me to test out. I figure since my machine seem to be working, why should I open it up and mess with things. I don't use the router as much as I would like to but, I want it to work when I do.

    Project right now is reorganizing my indoor shop and moving stuff outdoors so I have enough room to rip apart my KX3 mill and fix a couple of major problems with it.

    Dave



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    Quote Originally Posted by dfmiller View Post
    I have heard that they are field testing the Ethernet version. I would hold out for that one.
    Thanks Dave. That's interesting.


    Quote Originally Posted by dfmiller View Post
    I figure since my machine seem to be working, why should I open it up and mess with things.

    Lol, yeah, this was my logic when I decided to keep using PPs.

    I will keep going with the PPs for now and keep an eye on the SS website.

    Cheers and good luck with your KX3.

    BobL.



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