Adjustable steel gantry pictures

[bgymr]

Hey guys, I'm planning my next router that will have a 5 foot gantry span. The whole build will have some linear bearings. I haven't committed to exact components yet. Before I commit to actual components (profile or round rails, pretty sure it will be rack and pinions on x and y). But anyway, what i want to consider now is how to design a steel channel gantry, like a 6x6 square steel tube and steel risers. What I'm worried about is leaving myself enough adjustable with a steel gantry. So rather than reinventing the wheel, I'm having a hard time finding pictures of existing steel gantrys that have some adjustable that when I go to tram and so on, I will be able to do so.

I know this is vague, and honestly it's meant to be since I know i want a 5x9 table and steel. What worries me the most is adjusting it, so that is what I'm asking for.

Thanks.

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[wizard]

Hey guys, I'm planning my next router that will have a 5 foot gantry span. The whole build will have some linear bearings. I haven't committed to exact components yet. Before I commit to actual components (profile or round rails, pretty sure it will be rack and pinions on x and y). But anyway, what i want to consider now is how to design a steel channel gantry, like a 6x6 square steel tube and steel risers.

I'm not sure what you are saying here. You do not want to use channel iron to weld up a steel beam.

What I'm worried about is leaving myself enough adjustable with a steel gantry. So rather than reinventing the wheel, I'm having a hard time finding pictures of existing steel gantrys that have some adjustable that when I go to tram and so on, I will be able to do so.

It would be better to build is so adjustability isn't a huge requirement. More so you want joints and so forth in the machine to be solid. Things like Epoxy grouting can make finalizing final adjustments much easier. In any event there are as many techniques as there are machine builders.

I know this is vague, and honestly it's meant to be since I know i want a 5x9 table and steel. What worries me the most is adjusting it, so that is what I'm asking for.

Thanks.

Yes it is very vague.

The only thing I can suggest is to make sure your construction methods are sound. This might sound just as vague but you build in accuracy as much as possible. The higher the expectation for alignment the higher the need to precision machine components, stress relieve those components and otherwise make use of traditional machining techniques. Or you may take on some of the newer techniques here such as epoxy leveling.

[mactec54]

Hey guys, I'm planning my next router that will have a 5 foot gantry span. The whole build will have some linear bearings. I haven't committed to exact components yet. Before I commit to actual components (profile or round rails, pretty sure it will be rack and pinions on x and y). But anyway, what i want to consider now is how to design a steel channel gantry, like a 6x6 square steel tube and steel risers. What I'm worried about is leaving myself enough adjustable with a steel gantry. So rather than reinventing the wheel, I'm having a hard time finding pictures of existing steel gantrys that have some adjustable that when I go to tram and so on, I will be able to do so.

I know this is vague, and honestly it's meant to be since I know i want a 5x9 table and steel. What worries me the most is adjusting it, so that is what I'm asking for.

Thanks.

The main thing is you make all your main frame parts so they can be Heat treated ( stress relieved ) and machined where needed after fabrication

You will have a better machine if you fabricate the main Beam instead of using Tube

[bgymr]

Thanks guys. I just got a quote to surface and heat treat a 6x6" tube, and the cost is out of my budget. I'm now considering again what my approach will be.

I really like the epoxy idea. I will also epoxy the steel tubing the table will be made of to give it a flat surface to make sure it's flat. This seems like a ingenious way to get things flat. I found some posts of guys epoxying their gantry beam, which seems not that complicated, but my question is how do I get the two epoxied surfaces to be perpendicular.

One idea i've had is to weld plates into the end of the 6x6 tube, drill and tap 6 screws into each end. Then on the risers where the through holes will be, make them large enough to have adjustability and hope that is enough.

[mactec54]

Thanks guys. I just got a quote to surface and heat treat a 6x6" tube, and the cost is out of my budget. I'm now considering again what my approach will be.

I really like the epoxy idea. I will also epoxy the steel tubing the table will be made of to give it a flat surface to make sure it's flat. This seems like a ingenious way to get things flat. I found some posts of guys epoxying their gantry beam, which seems not that complicated, but my question is how do I get the two epoxied surfaces to be perpendicular.

One idea i've had is to weld plates into the end of the 6x6 tube, drill and tap 6 screws into each end. Then on the risers where the through holes will be, make them large enough to have adjustability and hope that is enough.

You only machine the area that the rails Ballscrews and risers mount to, you will need to add ribs inside the 6 x 6 tube, epoxy is not that great, it's still soft and rails Etc. can move around, there is no substitute to using metal to metal mounting