[streetrodlover]

Recived my gantry supports yesterday. I have to say even though they will work, I was very disappointed in the quality of these. It has only been about 8 months since I ordered this kit, and I was waiting this whole time for something that looks like you spent 10 min on. Pictures are worth 1000 words, here you go:

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[grubscrew]

those are some ugly uprights, have you gotten any reply from Nate as to why the quality is so poor? I cant think of an excuse that would ever work for this situation...
on a related note, have you installed them to get up and running? or have you been running all along?

[streetrodlover]

I have not got a response to the quality of these supports. I did install them, but as far as running, I wont know if these are going to be an issue yet. All the time and money I've put into this so far and everytime I look at the gantry supports now, it just makes me mad cause they don't sit flush. I am still finishing up a couple odds and ends. I would like a response as to why they are bad tho. It's not like this is a custom gantry, it's the same as the 4x8 machine. I subscribed to your other thread, I am curious to what your repeatability problem is.

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[grubscrew]

I wonder what the material cost would be on remaking them yourself? might be worth the saved aggravation of not having to look at them?
as for the repeatably problem, its got me stumped, I am hoping someone steps up that has seen it before, all my googling has turned up nothing.

[streetrodlover]

I may redo them eventually it wouldn't be very expensive just plain bar stock. They should work as is still since its a support piece not a squaring piece. I'm hoping you get it sorted out soon, I will be heading down the accuracy test probably in the next couple of weeks. And I imagine I will have some issues too.

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[grubscrew]

hi there streetrod,
How has the machine been working for you?
Got any big cuts out of it yet?
Would like to see some pictures of your new base if you have any!

[streetrodlover]

Hey grub,

No haven't cut anything yet, it has been pretty cold all winter up until this week. I also made my stand from 2x2 1/8th in steel. We are done welding, did a couple coats of paint, probably needs another 2 or 3 tomorrow. I still haven't decided how I want to mount the plywood too it yet, thanks for posting how you did yours by the way. The stand was coming along real square and straight, but once the gussets were welded, it pulled all the outside pieces down so there is about 1/8 in bow on all outside pieces. I will have to shim once I get it painted and put the plywood on. Hopefully next week I will start cutting.

Here's some pics of the new stand so far it's right around 300lbs by itself.
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Attachment 272290

Also a couple months ago I was testing accuracy and also ran the roadrunner test here's the link to that:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8a30JjTXv4A

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[streetrodlover]

Well apparently tapatalk didn't upload my photos to the stand correctly so lets try this again.

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I'm going to try to get out there tomorrow and get the top plywood bolted down, and hopefully this weekend I will get the machine moved to the new stand!

[streetrodlover]

Got the machine on the new stand, it was a lot of steps over a couple of days and I will try to spit it all out from memory.

Friday I got the top put on, shimmed, and bolted down. I ended up using 1/4 in metal screws and washers counterbored along the outside two side rails. In the middle I will be using square u-bolts that will go around the tube underneath, and through the plywood to clamp it down. I then jacked up each side and put furniture dollies underneath, then moved the new stand in front of the old stand. We unbolted the cnc from the old stand, and then my old man and I stared at the machine and the new base, pondering ways to pick it up and move it. After a couple of cigarettes and many different ideas (some involved chains from rafters which are drywalled in, or seeing if the brackets that hold up my shelf along the back wall would be strong enough, or my 2 ton engine hoist that won't fit under either of the stands) I said why don't we just lift it, it's only 3-400 lbs? I basically designed the height of the new stand to almost match the old. We only had to lift it maybe an inch and move one foot before we could slide it on the top of the plywood. So we did lifted and slid it on the new stand, it wasn't bad, nothing fell, broke, or twisted. Once I got it on the new stand I adjusted it a little to get it square, and now it sits more square than it did on the old stand. I disengaged the Y axis pinions and the gantry slides so much better under it's own weight.

This morning I got up went out there and decided to get the old stand out of the way and put the stand in its new home, so I jacked up each side of the new machine, put the dollies back under, pulled it out of the way so I could get the old stand out, then pushed the new stand in it's place. I jacked up each side up, took the dollies off, screwed the new leveling feet in on both sides, and got it all leveled out. Then decided to get the shelf cut out and bolted down. I'm glad it's done and went smooth, kinda wished I would have just started with a welded stand from the beginning. This sits up higher, I have better access to the shelf, and I can move it around if needed (probably won't do that very often).

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[streetrodlover]

Hey everyone, it's been a while since I posted an update. The machine has been up and running since about May so for a few months. I have not had any problems with it, it is dialed in, pretty accurate and repeatable. My actual first real cuts on the machine was a paid job so that was cool, kind of a "well here goes nothing" test. Since then I've been making mostly v-carved signs and monograms, once my full-time job settles down hopefully I will start getting into some 2.5d carvings. Here's some of the stuff I have made so far, enjoy.
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