Designing a new router called Brevis-HD

[Zorbit]

Another effect of microstepping seems to be heat production, when I did my first conversion, a Gorton knee mill, I used big nema 34 motors and experimented with microsteps up to 256, the motors got too hot to touch at high settings. Worth thinking about if you are in a hot climate.

[peteeng]

Hi All - I looked at the driver settings and X&Y are 1000steps/rev and Z is 3200steps/rev. I think next time I'm there I'll set the Z to 2000 so that the increment is the same. The X&Y are 10mm pitch the Z is 5mm pitch... The settings are legacy values from Brevis 2....I seem to remember a slight vibration in the Z axis that was fixed by going to 3200.. YaGs current Z action is smooth.... Its time to have a look at its calibration closer anyway...I bought a new battery for my height guage so I can set Z betterer now...Peter

[peteeng]

Evening All - Decided to engrave the biz on the threshold. Used a 3mm bit 2000mm/min 12000rpm and 4mm deep one cut. Did well. The insert grid is really good. Last machine most of the inserts where above a cabinet so the screws or studs couldn't be set low. In YaG/Scoot I have set the inserts so screws have nothing underneath so now I can use M8 set screws and get very low fixings. I have to make many new clamps and steps as I go. Peter

[peteeng]

Late evening - I set up and drilled some aluminium today on YaG. Waiting for some new end mills to arrive to do an aluminium test cut. Drilling went well... Peter

[StrawberryBoi]

Looking great!

The insert grid... you put the M8 setscrews in when a hole is not in use and remove them to clamp using an M8 bolt?

[peteeng]

Hi Strawb - When not in use I leave them empty on this machine. As the holes go right through so does the sawdust. On the last machine most holes were blind so they filled with sawdust. On that machine I placed masking tape over inserts that were not used often to stop them filling up with dust. Peter

[peteeng]

Evening All - This afternoon I checked the calibration and square of YaG. Axes are within 0.5mm but its out of square about 2degs so tweeked that. Need to get some homing switches. Can people recommend to use mechanical micro switches or inductance? Did more on the washroom. Its been cold so the epoxy coating has taken 48hrs to cure on panels so slow going. But next week is hot so will be able to get all the walls done. Yippee.... To calibrate I put a sharp centre in the spindle and mark out a large rectangle by pricking the corners. Then measure up, check diagonals adjust, repeat. I want to cut some brackets for a toolbox trolley I'm making my wife so that will be the first dimensionally critical job for YaG... Peter

[mactec54]

Evening All - This afternoon I checked the calibration and square of YaG. Axes are within 0.5mm but its out of square about 2degs so tweeked that. Need to get some homing switches. Can people recommend to use mechanical micro switches or inductance? Did more on the washroom. Its been cold so the epoxy coating has taken 48hrs to cure on panels so slow going. But next week is hot so will be able to get all the walls done. Yippee.... To calibrate I put a sharp centre in the spindle and mark out a large rectangle by pricking the corners. Then measure up, check diagonals adjust, repeat. I want to cut some brackets for a toolbox trolley I'm making my wife so that will be the first dimensionally critical job for YaG... Peter

Proximity switches are the best to use NC NPN, PNP can be used, NPN are in most cases easier to wire into your system, either of these ( 2 ) types work well, some can be configured either way

[peteeng]

Evening all - While I've been coating wall panels in epoxy I have also coated the threshold. Decided its too good to step on so will use it as a sign and make another for the washroom... Peter

[Zorbit]

Why not fill those letters with epoxy and drop some sand on it, a sign and an anti-slip combined. When I was boatbuilding I used to mill slots and fill them with Sikaflex, then razor off the excess and sand the whole surface, the rubber would end up slightly proud and make a really neat anti-slip.

[peteeng]

Hi Zorbit - yes I've done that with sika and sand as well. But a sign is good and I like making stuff! so another threshold it is... The list for YaG is: cleats for the shelves on the walls, parts for the trolley handle, a rudder and centreboard for a dinghy, parts for the new workbench. Parts for Frankenrouter, 3 signs for the MensShed. List is getting bigger. Peter

[JayneV]

Hi Peter,

YaG is looking so good. I'm happy to hear you have a growing list of jobs for it. It needs to earn its keep.

Jayne

[Zorbit]

Hi Zorbit - yes I've done that with sika and sand as well. But a sign is good and I like making stuff! so another threshold it is... The list for YaG is: cleats for the shelves on the walls, parts for the trolley handle, a rudder and centreboard for a dinghy, parts for the new workbench. Parts for Frankenrouter, 3 signs for the MensShed. List is getting bigger. Peter

The MensShed will probably be wanting to V-Groove signs, in which case you'll find that the tools with one active cutting edge will do a MUCH better job than the common type with two edges ground from a piece of carbide that goes right across the diameter of the tool. The two-edge type struggle to cut sharp V in the corner of letters.

This is my preferred tool:

Amana Tool - RC-45711 In-Tech Insert Carbide V Groove 90 Deg x 11/16 Dia x 21/64 x 1/4 Inc : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

[peteeng]

Hi Zorbit - I have always used std square router bits for signs. I tend to fill these with epoxy or one of the members fills with paint..... Haven't done any V carving but would like to. Thanks for the "bit" Peter

[peteeng]

Hi All - Here's were YaG/Scoot-S2 started with Brevis. The parts are being sandblasted and painted as they went rusty. So will pick them up in the next couple of days. I decided to make something a bit more robust then this (Brevis-HD) but then enquiries were for bigger machines so YaG came about. Then Covid hit and its development slowed down and finally I completed iYaG/Scoot-S2. Brevis was made as a plotter/knive cutter/laser CNC but does really well routing. So the rebuild is using a stiffer Z plate and an antibacklash Z nut. I've lifted the back panel so long objects can be stuck through. Now off to play with YaG... Peter

[peteeng]

Morning All - I hate gremlins.... don't feed them after midnight. YaG has been behaving fine but yesterday morning the Z axis decided it would go down but not up. Then after rebooting and warming the valves a bit it was fine... Then the Y axis decided to grown and jerk... then it too went normal then went extra angry... so I stopped. So I looked at the config and the ports had changed. Been using this config for years and UCCNC has never done that before. So I fixed ther config but now the Y axis still growls. So I disconnect the gantry and the drive nuts are going in different directions!! So I check thru the config again with no clues. Then it works again then not. Its late so time to take a break. I decide its been a long time since I've updated UCCNC so go and load that up to see if it helps. Next morning no change but the Z has stopped going up. So I work thru the wiring as that could be the culprit looking for a loose wire. Can't find one but the split terminal block could be the issue. So I fiddle with that and Z is good. Hmmmm. Then the Y axis comes good. So check the config, wiring and say OK time to reconnect the gantry.... have to do some commercial work so I'm into that.

Yesterday I made and fitted a proper dust wall. Got rid of the G clamps and plywood. I was going to make it out of aluminium composite sheet but the sheet I had was not big enough, so some thin ply it was. Gremlins started when making threshold No2. The calipers here I found in a factory that I rented some 30 years ago. Been a great thing to have. I also found a set of German kitchen knives in the same shed made from vanadium steel can be sharpened very sharp...

[JayneV]

Hi Peter,
Sorry about all the gremlins. Did you figure out what was causing the problems or was it a combination with fiddling with the UCCNC settings and wiring connections?
Jayne

[peteeng]

Hi Jayne - I believe the Z axis problem was caused by me mucking with the wiring looking for the Y axis issue. The terminal strip plug was a bit loose at one end which is the Z axis end. That seems to be fixed now. The Y axis has been freed from the gantry and that is working fine now. I did update to the latest UCCNC but I don't think its a UCCNC issue. So today some time I shall reconnect the gantry on one side only and run then flip to the other side and see if that is OK. Then reconnect all togther.... I expect its the machine settling in somehow... Gremlins are always painful... Peter

[peteeng]

Hi All - Today I did a few diagnostics on the machine and the Gremlins got worse. I thought I had it fixed with some poorly tightened wire terminals so set up a job and promptly smashed a tool. The issue has grown to all axes. I disconnected the gantry and ran various things to see what's happening. Sometimes the A axis would stop and the Y would be correct. Sometimes the A and Y axis would travel in different directions. Sometimes the Y would dither on the spot then take off in the wrong dirn... Then the Z stopped working going up. Then the Y+ jogged in the same dirn as the Y-. My current conclusion is the BOB has failed. Resetting sometimes corrected it but it soon lost the plot. I don't think its UCCNC as the DRO is always correct. Since I have updated UCCNC I'm not sure if that has something to do with it. But I doubt it. I shall write a new config file in the new version to make sure its independent of the issue. Currently it reverts to the old screen.... Anyone had this inconsistent sort of behavior before? Peter

[JayneV]

Hi Peter,
Sorry the gremlins are sticking around.
Is it possible interference might be causing this odd behaviour? Is the wiring shielded properly?
Stray signals can do strange things to electronics. Just a thought.
Jayne