[davek0974]

Parts and materials on order, been messing with the CAD software today, side plates for the gantry...

The top box is the gantry beam, 50x50, the motor sits down the bottom on a plate that swivels on the point shown. It will be spring loaded but restricted so it cannot jump out of the rack and chew it up.

A couple of 75mm gusset plates under the beam on the inside and a rib or two on theorised should stiffen things up a fair bit.

Going with direct drive to start, with the option of adding reduction drives, belt drive, or even ballscrews later on.

[davek0974]

Got two welded side frames - standing side by side, there is no visible warp, I'm pretty chuffed with that as it was a concern. I levelled the frames between the bench and sawhorse using a spirit level wedged them up, shimmed the bolting points between frame and top beams then tacked the outer and inner faces, seam welded the lower and upper faces fully, then seam welded the outer face, inner face is left tacked as there is a cross-beam to go in.

Its a bit bigger than my existing one Looks good though.

Upon assembly i realised i could not weld in the lower cross-beams as planned, I'm not really up to vertical mig yet, cannot get it on the bench, and the underside welds could not be done at all. Answer - make some more bolt fitments out of 10x50mm bar, weld them on and bolt the lower cross-beams in, this will make disassembly easy too.

[davek0974]

Ok, linear rail came today

Using a taught line to check my beams, I have a slight bow in both sides, as you look at the table they would bow towards each other at the centre, the amount is about 1 to 1.5mm on each side so thats pretty bad and would give me a 3mm variation from centre of motion to either end.

Question is - how best to tackle this????

[LeeWay]

It all depends on the overall design. Some designs will allow you to brace them with adjustable cross members. Others will not.

[davek0974]

That would work, it's my design so anything goes

I could easily weld in some mounts on each side, midway and then fit a cross tube with shims at one end to adjust parallel.

Maybe even use the mid support for the slats, haven't got that far yet though.