[sblack]

I got my kit in early July at the beginning of a month of vacation. It was all supposed to be done by now...right! I have the woodwork done, primed and painted and am starting out on the mechanical stuff. I sealed the MDF with Duratec sealer, which works great, and finished with car primer and paint. I have a HobbyCNC controller, MSC 1/2x10 2-start lead screws, DumpsterCNC delrin nuts and anti-backlash clamps. I got a lot of information from my friend John who built a Lion's Claw (prototype kit) router and learned from his experience. His is doing good work now with his machine.

My only snag so far is with the nuts, for which I did not buy the right flange. Joe's blocks will take the square flange and it was probably mentioned in one of the threads but I never took the time to check the details. So I had to put the proverbial round peg in the square hole. Thankfully, I have a lathe and was able to pop the nut blocks into the 4 jaw chuck and bore them out. It remains to drill and tap some holes. I will make the holes in the flange bigger than required so that there is some adjustment to ensure that the nut is well aligned with the feed screw. My friend John insists that it is impossible to live a normal happy healthy fulfilling life without a lathe and I have come to agree with him. They are just so handy to get you out of a jam! Even a little 7x14 chinese mini-lathes are very useful for this sort of job, or making spacings, bushings or what have you. Of course once you get one you will end up wanting a mill too - great for cutting the slots for the mounting screws on the aluminum bearing holders - no filing for me!

This week I hope to finish the Z axis including installing the acme rod, then polish up the gas pipes and install them on the X and Y and assemble the gantry. It is really coming together.

[bp092]

Nice work on the build, look forward to seeing it all come together. Also nice pick on the dumpster stuff, it's amazing to see how a simple thread modification and some cheap well machined hardware can make your entire machine perform better. I was stalling and struggling at 80IPM and after I upgraded to the different start/tpi rod & dumpster hardware I was up to around 150-160 IPM a little higher at times when in rapid traverse.

[sblack]

I ran into a problem with the Z nut - one of the horizontal bolts that attach it to the Z carriage hit one of the vertical bolts that attach it to the support blocks below. I also notice that sometime when I drill the HDPE the drill goes off at an angle, even when I drill in a milling machine! I perhaps fed too fast, did not take the time to center drill or something - dunno, but most frustrating. Any hints or pitfalls to avoid when drilling in HDPE? My bit was sharp and I was holding everything very square. It is tricky stuff to deal with I find.

I cleaned the pipe rails last night and once the Z axis nuts are dealt with I will assemble the gantry. I forgot the 1/2" bearings and ordered them last night. This should come together in the next 2 weeks as all the difficult stuff is done.

[bgriggs]

I ran into a problem with the Z nut - one of the horizontal bolts that attach it to the Z carriage hit one of the vertical bolts that attach it to the support blocks below. I also notice that sometime when I drill the HDPE the drill goes off at an angle, even when I drill in a milling machine! I perhaps fed too fast, did not take the time to center drill or something - dunno, but most frustrating. Any hints or pitfalls to avoid when drilling in HDPE? My bit was sharp and I was holding everything very square. It is tricky stuff to deal with I find.

I cleaned the pipe rails last night and once the Z axis nuts are dealt with I will assemble the gantry. I forgot the 1/2" bearings and ordered them last night. This should come together in the next 2 weeks as all the difficult stuff is done.

Is that you Scott? This is Bill Griggs. I am also building a Router. Mine is a slightly redesigned Hybrid 4'x4'.

Bill

[elogicca]

It's great to see other Montrealer's in here

[sblack]

Hi Bill, yep, that's me. I now have the gantry assembled. Should have the rest of the assembly done this week. I am waiting on the bearings for the feed screws which will hopefully come this week and by the end of the long weekend (Canadian thanksgiving) I should have the mechanical assembly complete.

[fatham]

Hi Bill, yep, that's me. I now have the gantry assembled. Should have the rest of the assembly done this week. I am waiting on the bearings for the feed screws which will hopefully come this week and by the end of the long weekend (Canadian thanksgiving) I should have the mechanical assembly complete.

Is it me, or is the Z axis mounted backwards, on your gantry?

[DeWalt58]

Nice paint job Scott!! Guess you mounted Z backwards for testing?:idea:

Cheers
dewalt58

[joecnc2006]

Is it me, or is the Z axis mounted backwards, on your gantry?

Good eye, i'm sure he knows now or when he gets the leadscrews for sure.

Joe

[sblack]

Good eye, i'm sure he knows now or when he gets the leadscrews for sure.

Joe

DOH! Can you say "noobie"?

BTW, I know some guys are gluing the rails in place. Is there any need to do this? Personally I don't see it.

Today I spent a couple of hours scrubbing the rust and black stuff of the pipes that I got for the X. It was all that was available locally. I ended up chucking them in the lathe at one end and holding the other with a fixed steady. Now they are clean and I can go ahead and install them...at least I could if I had not put the gantry on backwards...2 steps fwd and 1 back.

It is a long weekend and since it looks like rain tomorrow and no flying I will likely get everything assembled. Will post pics and hopefully not embarrass myself again!

[bp092]

Sblack, glue what rails in place?

[sblack]

X axis rails - the 1" gas pipes. A friend built a Lion Claw machine and he glued them... I take it by your answer that this is not being widely done on Joe's machine...toldja I was a noob...

[sblack]

I got it assembled and the carriage flipped around, which was a bit of an adventure in itself. This thing is big and heavy! I had to sling the gantry from the ceiling to be able to maneuver it in place. Now I need to add the drive components - motors, feedscrews and nuts etc. It might be a strange order to do it in but I was anxious to get all the pieces together so that I could once again move in the shop. I am picking a filter cap today so I can finish the control box. Now all I need is a PC for the shop to run it.

[joecnc2006]

Looking good, But you got finger prints on the End piece, You will need to clean those off before you place it in the Art Gallery. LOL

Joe

[bp092]

One disadvantage to going with the typical white , the anti back lash housing on the back of my gantry is practically black from lithium grease and oil

[sblack]

The router is finished except for running the wiring from the control box to the steppers and limit switches. I have a bit of energychain stuff that a friend gave me which will fit the Y. I have also seen some examples on the form of guys using some sort of flexible corrogated conduit for running the wires - looks like a vacuum cleaner hose. Sometimes you see it in cars to protect wires from chaffing. Any idea where I can get that or what it is called? Any suggestions of good examples of arranging wiring? I could lash something up but sure as hell I will find out that it wasn't quite the best way and I will end up removing it and drilling a bunch of needless holes in the machine. Any advice greatly appreciated or links to good threads. There are so many pics on this forum (which is great) that it is hard to zero in on one or 2.

thanks

Scott

[calgrdnr]

Howdy Scott,

If conduit in the picture is what you are talking about. Lowes , home depot will have the blue flex conduit in electricial dept. I could only feed two cable into the Blue conduit. I merged all three into black hose from sears water pump hose accessor kit,saw same kit at OSH in the plumbing section cheaper few days after I bought this. I am guessing but believe the black is 1.25 dia.


Kent

[sblack]

Thank very much Kent!

I like your setup. I was going to build a table for mine but I think 4 stout legs screwed to the end plates as you have done should be fine, maybe with some diagonals for stiffness.

[sblack]

Kent, I read through your adventures and Joe mentioned that you were using Uni-strut? Is that the blue stuff? I am not familiar with that term. You are doing some great work.

[rdhharm]

Kent, I read through your adventures and Joe mentioned that you were using Uni-strut? Is that the blue stuff? I am not familiar with that term. You are doing some great work.

If you look at the bottom left in the picture you will see the blue tube in something that is it. It is a U shape piece of metal.

Rick