[LeeWay]

I did get this finished up a while back. Here are a few images. I had much more trouble with this than I thought I would. Wound up lowering the mounting holes 1" to get this to work in my spindle range. There is another thread going and the guy on there used offset screws. I had considered that, but only after I had these parts cut out already. His design is still pretty simple, but where my parts screws were meeting and stacking, the offset screws are all able to stack side by side. reducing the overall height to just about one section. Nice!

Link to other thread.
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/tormac...ml#post1462938

[Fastest1]

Hello Band of Brothers! You are not alone.

Ahhhhh, it feels good to know that I'm not the only one...lol

[TiagoSantos]

I forgot to update this thread, but I did get my Y axis cover finished up

It was my first time bending sheet metal for anything that actually had to fit together and I'm surprised it worked as well as it did. I used 22ga stainless, which was a PAIN to shear and bend even with my enormous 42" 3-in-1 sheet metal thing. Apparently it's not meant for stainless at all, I can see why.

It's not perfect, I should have spent a tiny bit longer in the layout phase and drawn lines for every bend, etc. But I reverted back to my usual self and just winged it. Anyway, I'm happy the covers seem to be working just fine and so far I haven't had trouble with chips getting stuck or making it through the panels.

[LeeWay]

I think you did a good job on those. Looks like they work well too. Thanks for sharing.

[TiagoSantos]

Thanks! Wish I had taken photos of the scissor mechanism underneath. I'll have to take it apart at some point! The mounting bracket is totally my style - a piece of angle aluminum I found on the ground, hacksaw'ed off roughly to size. Mounted to the column with countersink screws (cause that's all I could find on my workbench..) and hand made countersunk washers

I embarrass myself sometimes..

Anyway - my Y axis travels are still limited by the size of the saddle and how I've mounted the servo. I built the cover with enough travel to cover the bigger base/saddle/table that will eventually make it's way to the machine. One of the rare times I bothered thinking ahead while making anything for this machine!

[LeeWay]

I find that function matters more than form on one offs and prototypes. I have two forms of scrap buckets. One already picked through and nothing else usable I let go to the recycle yard. The other buckets are offcuts that I know are still useful. When they get full, I cull some of the less useful looking stuff to make room for the more promising stuff.
My Son makes about $100 a month or so beer money from brass, aluminum, CRS and stainless scrap that we produce. It's a job perk for him. Before I hired him, I would have a trailer load myself before I went. I made pretty good money per load then.

[mountaindew]

I find that function matters more than form on one offs and prototypes.

I like to add or think performance also. Reading this very thread a while back had me going on a fun design for way covers.
Thinking about how I can make these using formed abs plastic. Took some measurements for max span and min folded or collapsed.
Set down at drawing board and went to town. Figuring interlocking with ledges, lips and bends to keep it all clean and rigid.
Then I noticed a youtube video of hot chips sticking in a plastic dust pan 10 ft from machine.
Easy to see my abs design would function well but perform terrible and fail. What a rooky and back to drawing board.
md

[LeeWay]

I do sometimes get some hot chips even with coolant, so yeah. Although it does not adhere very well to my shower curtains.