[Sterob]

Hi Gully,
Do you think you will have to get the steel frame 'normalised' after you finished welding it?
I have seen comments regarding this in different places. I think its one of the drawbacks of using a steel welded frame?
Not sure if I would be able to get it done around where I live....dunno
Happy to be corrected on this....lol

Steve

[pippin88]

Wood router - don't worry about stress relieving.

[gully]

Hi Sterob,
Thanks for dropping by.
No I wont be doing any stress relieving on the frame for a few reasons.
I'm very careful about how much heat I put into any one area of steel at any one time when welding to minimize heat distortion/ stress
The rails will be fitted to a pretty hefty steel C channel that I'm planning to bolt down to the base frame rather than weld to it so they will be easy to shim
Build budget wont allow for it nor am I planning to ever use the machine for high tolerance parts.
Goal of the build is to have a larger more robust cnc that will cut as good as or better than my Joe's
As pippin88 so eloquently put it. Wood router.

[Sterob]

Hi Sterob,
Thanks for dropping by.
No I wont be doing any stress relieving on the frame for a few reasons.
I'm very careful about how much heat I put into any one area of steel at any one time when welding to minimize heat distortion/ stress
The rails will be fitted to a pretty hefty steel C channel that I'm planning to bolt down to the base frame rather than weld to it so they will be easy to shim
Build budget wont allow for it nor am I planning to ever use the machine for high tolerance parts.
Goal of the build is to have a larger more robust cnc that will cut as good as or better than my Joe's
As pippin88 so eloquently put it. Wood router.

That will make things easier for you. Good stuff.

[gully]

Shifts have been changed at work for the next 6 weeks, we have stepped up to 12 hour shifts, so now have mid week long week ends.
Task for today:
Make and fit cable chain tray mounts to rear of gantry.
disassemble and trim down drive end of gantry to final size.
Prep and paint gantry steel work, weather permitting.
Attachment 447480

Gully
(Did actually manage to get it painted today)

[gully]

Looks much nicer with a coat of paint and a bit of signage
Attachment 447508

It is absolutely bitter here today. way to cold for an old bloke to be in his workshop
Gully

[peteeng]

Hi Gully - I hear Antarctic blobs are coming through Melbourne. Hope its not the blob in the movie I saw when I was a kid. Is this can sprayed, gun sprayed, brush? Looks great. Peter

[gully]

Hi Peter.
Antarctic blob alright. Spent half the day shooing the penguins away from the pool.
Colour is dark grey hammer tone, applied with a spray gun. Matches my Joe's paint job.

Gully

[Sterob]

Hi Peter.
Antarctic blob alright. Spent half the day shooing the penguins away from the pool.
Colour is dark grey hammer tone, applied with a spray gun. Matches my Joe's paint job.

Gully

Looks very nice. The label sets it off as well.

[peteeng]

Can't beat hammer tone I think. Peter

[gully]

On days off again
Managed to source some suitable aluminium for the Z axis rear plate so it got machined out yesterday
Re assembled and squared everything back up on the now painted gantry.

Today, spent far to long making and fitting limit switch mounts to the gantry ends
Rapidly running out of suitable temporary fixings to hold it all together now. Cant wait for this lock down to end so I can get out and buy all the bits and pieces on my list
Attachment 447796 Attachment 447798

Gully

[peteeng]

Hi Gully - You'll be really happy the first time the limit switches are used in anger. I don't think the lock down will end soon. Peter

[gully]

Hi Peter,
Yes limit switches have saved my Joe's from disaster many a time.
A must have item for me

We still have 3 weeks left of hard lock down left. Hopefully after that I will at least be able to get to a bolt and steel supplier.
Till then I will keep plugging away at what I can.

Gully

[gully]

Plodding along with what materials I still have left to work with.
Have managed to cut down and fit ball screws to both C channel Y rails. will fit the linear rails on next days off
After that it's on hold pending being able to get out for materials.
Attachment 448466
Not a happy camper at the moment
Gully

[peteeng]

Hi Gully - Lucky my sheetmetal supplier is in the Qld/NSW "bubble" . A week ago I had to get some stuff from IKEA sent to a local depot. IKEA is 5mins outside the bubble but its not worth the penalty to go there!! No end in sight. Peter

[gully]

Hi Pete,
You are so lucky being able to get out and about. We will be lucky to be let loose by Xmas the way it is going here.
It is what it is, till it isnt.
Still plodding slowly along with what I can
Have managed to locate some 12mm stock and machined up the z axis router plate. So that is completed now
finished tapping out both Y axis channels and fitted the rails.
Now just working on the little jobs such as working out where is the best place for the Y limit switches the making the parts to fit them.
I find these little jobs seem to take up 90% of my time on any given day. That and looking for the tool I just put down
Attachment 449030 Attachment 449032
At least the weather is warming up.

Gully

[peteeng]

Hi Gully - Something like 10% of the tasks take 90% of the time. I've just spent a couple of hours looking for a 1mm discrepancy in a model and can't figure it. Checking all the holes line up is a pain but must be done before stuff is ordered. I suppose that's why you make MDF trial parts Peter

[gully]

MDF is your friend for prototype and mock up parts
Speaking of taking up 90% of your time
Tonight's Task: Design a simple micro switch mount which incorporates the end plate and a bottom cable conduit.
Time in as of now 2Hrs, By the time I make G Code, cut it out, test fit then adjust everything to fit the real world (cause its never perfect on the first try)
add another couple of hours. So I'm half a day in and now I get to spend more time making the part I need.
Where did the day go!:violin:
Attachment 449040

[gully]

On days off again in lock down city.
Task: Make those micro switch mounts with end cap from the pic above and a mount for Z axis stepper to live on
Attachment 449330 Attachment 449332
The box next to the micro switch mounts slips over the stepper motor as a cover, may or may not use it. will wait till its painted and see if I like it

Tomorrows task: Design, build and fit an adjustment screw setup of some type for the gantry sides so they trip the front limit switches at the same time when the gantry is square to the table

Gully

[gully]

Pretty much at a stand still now.
Gantry is complete as its going to get, and assembled. Just need to do the wiring and that wont happen till the table gets made. Need to find a place in my messy workshop to store it till its needed again
Once I can get some steel I will wind this build back up
Attachment 449998
Still not convinced I'm going to keep the stepper cover, but its on for now
Gully