7 years ago i builded mechmate. Now is time to build second router. Work area gonna be about 3400*2100 mm. Its based mostly on mechmate design, but with some improvements to achieve better accuracy. For now base table is welded and i have milled linear guide bases ... with mechmate. It took whole week to mill them. One picture is more then thousand words:
Base frame is quite solid. Weight is 900+ kg. If i stand on one table cross bearer (115kg) it bends 0,08mm. If them are later tied together with spoilboard it will be even more solid.
X and Y axis gonna be rack and pinion, Z azis is planned with ballscrew. Motors will be leadshine closed loop steppers, geared down 1:4 with belt drives.
Dams made from melamine board and coated with mold release wax are in place:
To seal it correctly i poured first on corners one layer fast curing epoxy:
Actually i dont now it. I got it from local supplier. On canister was only information on its properties, but no info who is producer. Its UV proof epoxy, liquid time is 5 hours, gel time from 5 to 10 hours on temperature +20c and total curing time 48 hours. On first picture looks that layer is 10+mm thick. Actually it is about 3 or 4 millimeters. On edges epoxy is thicker as it climbs up to the dam littlebit
I levelled frame corners and epoxy layers are allmost same thick. If there is some height difference it is as frame is 2600mm wide relatively so small.
Some update over long time. For now is gantry and y axis car welded and surface for y axis rails poured with epoxy. Then sanded down creeped up edges and installed linear rail bases and rails. With tightened wire checked over rail straightness and shimmed it correct with 0,1mm shims made of beer can tin.. Epoxy surface flatness was on 0,5mm tolerance, propablly due sanding. Now started disassembling it to make paint job.
Pictures:
Yes it fun, except painting job. I was crawling 3 hours under it to get cnc base painted properly. Now moved machine to its final location. I hope to have enough time on weekend to clean and paint gantry and Y axis car.
Motors and drivers arrived. Drivers are Leadshine ES-DH2306 and motors ES-MH33480.
For motion control i ordered ethernet smoothstepper and CNC4PC C23 breakoutboard. For some reason CNC4PC people forgot to send me smoothstepper, only C23 board arrived. Promised to send me ESS separately. Again 2-3 weeks to wait.
I had not much time on this week for cnc building. Only cleaned and painted gantry
I am waiting criticism to another cnc related idea. I am planning to rebuild my dust extraction to one bigger central unit instead of on each machine one small unit.. Lets say for example like Holzcraft ASA 4003 . But to improve shop air quality by blowing used air outside and avoid building special cabinet over dust extractor is idea to order special filter bags. They should be double walled, inside filter cloth and outside airtight fabric with output.