[wackocrash5150]

Hey all. Just thought I'd let everyone know that I was still alive and kicking. Been super busy with other things in life.

A quick up to speed on my machine. Finally got a hold of Nate and made arrangements to swap the machine. Made the journey back in the beginning of March to Lebanon Pennsylvania from about an hour north of Toronto Canada. Crossing the border both ways was surprisingly easy this time as a had absolutely every bit of paperwork in order. Nate roughly paid for my gas and threw in a few bits and whatnot. Checked out the new machine while there. Y-axis rails seemed much better, in plane and weren't bent/angled in. The rails were ever so slightly out but that was something I decided I could live with. Having said that, I should've paid attention to the gantry and z-axis a little more, as when I got back and got the machine back on the table, I noticed that the gantry was tilted back a bit, which causes the z-axis to essentially come down on an angle instead of straight down. I've since shimmed the back of the gantry with some washers and shimmed the z-axis plate with some aluminum foil. Still not perfect and not a permanent solution but, it will do for now. Seems like I traded one problem for another, however this one I can work around for now and actually fix locally. Other than that issue, it seems to work pretty good. The rack isn't tight or snapping anymore; it moved exactly how much I tell it to; all electronic issues worked out. I've actually mate quite a few signs on it for friends and family. I even tried out a but of 3d carving with a 1/8" ballnose a few weeks ago. Really neat! Wife was impressed. I'll post some more things one here like thoughts and pics of what I've done so far. Pretty basic level compared to some of the stuff I've seen on here but, I still like doing it.

Cheers!

Leon

[wmgeorge]

Thanks Crash for posting. Not sure where I am going with mine, had a few jobs to do and now my wife wants to move. To a townhouse to get away from the yard work and snow. In a way with a house and large yard, your never done. I don't know if I can fit my 48x48 routing machine, deWalt table saw and air compressor in 1/2 of a double car garage.

[wackocrash5150]

Yes that would make things slightly tight. My 4x4 takes up a good portion of our double garage.

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[wackocrash5150]

Not much but here's a little video of my Saturn in action. Cutting some 1/2" melamine to make a bartop arcade machine for the kids (and me, the Big Kid). Turned out well.

https://youtu.be/m6B0foGiFEo

[difalkner]

Nicely done! Why is your ramp speed so slow? I ramp at full speed for the cut into Baltic Birch and Walnut (typically about 175 ipm), don't see why you couldn't in particle board.

David

[wackocrash5150]

Nicely done! Why is your ramp speed so slow? I ramp at full speed for the cut into Baltic Birch and Walnut (typically about 175 ipm), don't see why you couldn't in particle board.

David

Hmmm .... not sure. I guess I was just being conservative.
I tell you though, one thing that made that job go a WHOLE lot easier was using Gerry's 2010 Screenset for Mach3. I love it. Yes; bought it legit. Easily worth the small price for the tool change macros alone.
Also worth noting is that i was using a couple Freud bits on this project. I had a 1/4" downcut and recently managed to snag a single flue 1/4" Freud compression bit at a sweet price due to probably a pricing error on Amazon. I gotta say, not overly impressed with the compression bit. Was running a 0.3" DOC and was still getting a fair bit of chipout. Next run I used the downcut for the first 0.4" and then finished with the compression. That worked out well. Glad I didn't pay full price for the compression bit.

[difalkner]

I switched to a Whiteside 1/4" compression bit earlier this year for cutting my Longworth chucks in 1/2" Baltic Birch and it has made all the difference in the world. I plunge and take a full depth cut at 175 ipm running 18k on the spindle. It seems like I could go faster but for now 175 ipm works just right. No chips or tear out on either the top or bottom of the BB cutting this way.

David

[GME]

Hmmm .... not sure. I guess I was just being conservative.
I tell you though, one thing that made that job go a WHOLE lot easier was using Gerry's 2010 Screenset for Mach3. I love it. Yes; bought it legit. Easily worth the small price for the tool change macros alone.
Also worth noting is that i was using a couple Freud bits on this project. I had a 1/4" downcut and recently managed to snag a single flue 1/4" Freud compression bit at a sweet price due to probably a pricing error on Amazon. I gotta say, not overly impressed with the compression bit. Was running a 0.3" DOC and was still getting a fair bit of chipout. Next run I used the downcut for the first 0.4" and then finished with the compression. That worked out well. Glad I didn't pay full price for the compression bit.

Compression bits are upcut on the bottom, and downcut on the top. So, if you are cutting in passes, the first passes are with the upcut. As you've learned, upcut=chipping. David's posting above holds the key. You need to cut at full depth for the compression feature to work as designed. The advantage of the compression bit is not having to do the tool change from downcut to upcut. Whiteside have long been considered some of the best router bits for wood. Fine Woodworking did a torture test/comparison of 17 bits back in 2003. Whiteside and Eagle came out on top. Here's a link to the article, in case you are interested: http://www.eoasaw.com/pdf/Whiteside-...outer-Bits.pdf. Interestingly, Freud didn't fare so well.

Gary

[micknm]

Whiteside, Amana, Osrud Cutter and others also make "mortise" compression bits. These have a shorter upcut depth than regular compression cutters so you don't have to cut full depth, just past the upcut part which is usually ¼".

[wackocrash5150]

Whiteside, Amana, Osrud Cutter and others also make "mortise" compression bits. These have a shorter upcut depth than regular compression cutters so you don't have to cut full depth, just past the upcut part which is usually ¼".

This Freud bit I was using (model 77-102) has a ......... aww crap! It's my own fault. I somehow thought the upcut length was just under 1/4". Turns out it's 11/32". I wasn't cutting down far enough; was only going 0.3" but needed to go further than 0.344". Ok .... I feel kinda silly now.... lol

Live an' learn I guess .... lol

On the bright side, here's a dry fit of one of the bartop arcade machines I cut.

[difalkner]

That looks really good! Did all the pieces fit like you want?

David

[wackocrash5150]

That looks really good! Did all the pieces fit like you want?

David

Thanks for the compliment David.
They did after a bit of trial & error. The design was set up for 1/4" panel, but up here in Canada it's 13mm. Not much but it did make a difference on how the parts slotted together. I also believe that I have to tune my steps per inch in Mach3 a little better. My workaround was just to use the pocket allowance setting in Aspire. I'm making 2 of these cabs; one for me and one for my best friend. I think that If I was to do them as a "made to order" thing, there are a few things I would adjust in the design myself but nothing major.
Last night I slotted out the side panels for the T-Molding (which arrived this morning) and put some on. Looks pretty sharp with the white melamine and black molding. I will post some pics when that part is done.

Long journey to get to this part. It's funny but many years ago, it was making my own arcade cabinet that started my interest in the possibility of building a CNC machine. Sure I could've used a jigsaw but I'm just not that good, and I wanted it to be exact. I rebuilt a full sized arcade cabinet about 10 years ago. It turned out really well, but I always thought about how if I was doing it, all the things I'd do or design differently. That coupled with the fact that the old cabinet was a beast to move or place anywhere. I sold it about a year ago (I think it might be in some of the earlier pics of this thread) and have wanted something more sensible for myself and the kids.

Anyway .... enough babbling.

[Ntl]

Thanks for the compliment David.
They did after a bit of trial & error. The design was set up for 1/4" panel, but up here in Canada it's 13mm. Not much but it did make a difference on how the parts slotted together. I also believe that I have to tune my steps per inch in Mach3 a little better. My workaround was just to use the pocket allowance setting in Aspire. I'm making 2 of these cabs; one for me and one for my best friend. I think that If I was to do them as a "made to order" thing, there are a few things I would adjust in the design myself but nothing major.
Last night I slotted out the side panels for the T-Molding (which arrived this morning) and put some on. Looks pretty sharp with the white melamine and black molding. I will post some pics when that part is done.

Long journey to get to this part. It's funny but many years ago, it was making my own arcade cabinet that started my interest in the possibility of building a CNC machine. Sure I could've used a jigsaw but I'm just not that good, and I wanted it to be exact. I rebuilt a full sized arcade cabinet about 10 years ago. It turned out really well, but I always thought about how if I was doing it, all the things I'd do or design differently. That coupled with the fact that the old cabinet was a beast to move or place anywhere. I sold it about a year ago (I think it might be in some of the earlier pics of this thread) and have wanted something more sensible for myself and the kids.

Anyway .... enough babbling.

Are you using the Raspberry for the games? I recently saw something similar that a guy made running on Raspberry. Pretty cool what can be done at home these days, I wish I was a kid again lol. The funny thing is the kids don't think any of it is a big deal. Pretty amazing how far things have come in the last 20 years.

[wackocrash5150]

You betcha. Using a Raspberry Pi 3 and picked up the joystick set on Amazon. Just download the image and write it to the SD card. Bob's your uncle done. Pretty amazing.
Someone once asked me if all the games were "legit". I laughed and said that with the amount of money I pumped into these games as a kid, it's time for a little payback. Lol.

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[Ntl]

You betcha. Using a Raspberry Pi 3 and picked up the joystick set on Amazon. Just download the image and write it to the SD card. Bob's your uncle done. Pretty amazing.
Someone once asked me if all the games were "legit". I laughed and said that with the amount of money I pumped into these games as a kid, it's time for a little payback. Lol.

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Yep I can't imagine how much we spent at the local arcade. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have a Xbox back in the late 80s. Definitely post some pictures of the finished machine I might have to make one for the kids.

[wackocrash5150]

Yep I can't imagine how much we spent at the local arcade. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have a Xbox back in the late 80s. Definitely post some pictures of the finished machine I might have to make one for the kids.

Will do Ntl. When I do, and you like what you see, just drop me an email. I'll send you a materials list and the Aspire file for you to play with.

I should officially note that the design is based off one from a guy named HaRuMaN at www.harumancustoms.com , who in turn based his off a guy named Degenatron. Just so I'm giving credit where credit is due. HaRuMaN makes his DWG file available to the public. Lots of info available at Build Your Own Arcade Controls - Step up to real gaming excitement! in the forum.

Cheers

Leon

[wackocrash5150]

Hello all. Been kinda slow and sidetracked with other things in life, health issues ect., but a cleaned up the garage a bit and found my Saturn2 again ... lol
Just a random video of it cutting some plexi for a laser cutter build I've been tinkering with for a few months. Really no purpose to the video except that I was happy to have some working room and time/energy for it. Fired it up after 3 months, checked the lube, warmed the spindle slowly, homed the machine and away she went purring like a kitten. S&F was about 80-100 IPM at about 12k-14k RPM. Ysing a Yonico 1/8" O-Flute upcut from Amazon. Nothing special. A bit of audible chatter when cutting the longer lines.

https://youtu.be/Dg3t2W0z23E