[millman52]

Millman, two reasons for this reply; one to motivate you some more; great looking table. Have seen many home built tables and some have not been impressed with at all. Two because i have the plasma cnc table fever and would like to build my own table. Temporarily in a bind because my partner going through a divorce. Lost much equipement and our shop but are slowly getting back on our feet. I am searching the internet for a table to build and found this one months ago and have been watching progress; I LIKE!! Have you thought about electronics yet. Servoes or steppers? Who`s drives and how about height control. Keep up the good work! You have motivated me to begin to accumulate material.

Thanks for your encouraging words. I spent many hours looking at other home builds as well as everything I could find in both kit form & "bolt together & run". From those I took what I thought were sound ideas & added some of my own. Already if I had it to do over there are a few things I'd most likely do different. As far as the design goes It would still be about the same only 6' X 12'. I'd add a couple more inches of clearance underneath the gantry. I purchased steel pulleys (4") for the notched belts, I wish I had gone with alum. because of the weight.

As for electronics I have purchased a package deal from www.CandCNC.com Including their MP 1000 THC. I am using stepper motors & am setting up my table to run Ox/Fuel as well as Plasma. I really can't pro nor con the electronics package as I haven't actually put it to use. As far as the looks of everything in the package all looks really good & is extremely neat. I have contacted CandCNC's web support page a few times & have receieved timely & satisfactory answers every time.

Software: Most home shop guys seem to be using some of the less expensive CAD programs. Then Sheetcam for G code processing. & of course Mach3. There are other options of course but I'm not the one to guide you here. I already had AutoCAD so I purchased Sheetcam to go with that. Mach3 comes with the package deal of electronics I purchased. I also have Corel Draw. but haven't learned how to use that either. Just not enough hours in a day

I run an industrial shop & need a shape cutting table almost every day. I decided I also wanted a nesting software so I also purchased BobCAD/CAM/With BobNEST. At this point I am very disapointed with that.

[DISCONNECTED]

You will find you really do not need any cad programs for most shape cutting.I have bobcadv21 and I really do not use it all that much.Coreldraw is much quicker and easier.CandCNC is good stuff and Torchhead(Tom Caudle) is real helpful.

[lamicron]

I use corel for cutting in a laser machine and it is very easy to use, do you think it can work ok with mach3, for plasma cutting?

[millman52]

I use corel for cutting in a laser machine and it is very easy to use, do you think it can work ok with mach3, for plasma cutting?

As I stated earlier I haven't used Corel but others tell me it works fine for plasma. I do know that www.CandCNC.com has a dxf tool that is supposed to make using corel draw a breeze to use with Mach.

Again I'm not all that familiar with mach or corel at this point. I'm sure there is a Mach forum somewhere on the Zone. Look for it & post your question there.

[millman52]

Last few days I have been struggling with learning Sheetcam & trying to configure mach to my machine. This is most definitely my weak link to getting this thing to work. As yet I haven't hooked the computer to my table I am just trying to get some simulations to run in mach.

[grinder_gary]

Millman 52,

Look in your Mach folder look in G code folder. There is a file called roadrunner.

I use this for simulation. You can also use a file from sheetcan that you are learning with. My table is not set up yet but I run the simulation on mach to see if my sheetcam files I create will run.

Keep up the good work

GG

[millman52]

It's been a while since I updated with any photos of my progress.

I have managed to make & mount switches for my safety limits.
Made posts, mounted my cable & rollers for the cable/hose festoon.
Made brackets & mounted the PSC-650 quad stepper controller from Cand CNC.
Made & mounted the channel for & the Igus E chain for the Y axis.

About all I have remaining with the physical build is routing hose, wiring & some paint (If I can get motivated for the paint).

[lamicron]

Millman, the cable carriers are from IGUS? How much did it cost? This item is very expensive, Im trying to make it termoforming polystirene previously cut with the laser, this is the figure previous to the bend, hope it works ...

[millman52]

Millman, the cable carriers are from IGUS? How much did it cost? This item is very expensive, Im trying to make it termoforming polystirene previously cut with the laser, this is the figure previous to the bend, hope it works ...

I bought mine (new) from Ebay for about 1/2 what it costs from an industrial supplier. If you look closly I installes (2) runs of it on my Y axis. It's smaller E chain. It worked out great though the channel I made for it to run in is the same width ad my gantry rail. As an end result I'll be able to attach my plasma Z axis & torch on the opposite side from my Oxy torch.

I didn't use the Igus chain on my long axis simply because I didn't want it in my way for getting cut parts & scrap off the table. As the pictures show I am hanging all my wires, hoses on an overhead festoon alon the X axis.

How are you planning on pinning your polystirene together in the hinge joints?

[lamicron]

I' going to use rivets, and on top ( i've not make the holes) it will have a polyestirene bridge, maybe I finish the samples for tomorrow..
Can you put all the wiring in the same carier with the plasma wire? isolated is needed?

[millman52]

I have seen people rout the plasma torch cable in the carrier with their other wiring. I am not routing mine that way. At this point I am rigging for oxy/fuel. I will install Plasma at a later date. I most likely will route the plasma cable overhead on a boom much like a high pressure car wash hose.

[millman52]

My table finally has life !!! It's still crawling on hands & knees but at least I have movement under keyboard jog commands.

I'll probably try to bring the build log up to date a bit tomorrow.

[Weldtutor]

My table finally has life !!!

Congratulations on bringing your CNC table to life!:cheers:

Those first moves sure are a thrilling experience after a lot of work put into a project.

Your project log updates will be sure to inspire other viewers.

[millman52]

Below are several pictures.
The first 4 (on top row):

(1) The anchor point for all the wires & hoses. The chunk of closed cell foam worked very well to tension the group of wires & hoses th the clamps.

(2) The group of 3 rollers, clamps, swivels that support everything along a piece of 3/16" nylon coated cable. The cable O.D., with coating is 1/4". The roller/swivel assemblys have a ball bearing in the wheels which pretty much makes the friction free. They glide very quiet & hang free.

(3&4) Are of the festoon stretched out with the gantry run down the table apx 2/3 of the table length. Then of it retracted to the gantry home position.


Bottom row:

(1) Solenoid valves mounted to the torch carrier to operate turning on the gases for the preheat. The solenoid on top is to control the pierce oxygen.

(2) PSC 650 Quad Stepper Controller & table I/O card from CandCNC with the covers removed.

(3) Close up of table I/O card.

(4) Torch mounted with hoses attached.

At some point in the near future I am planning to install a plasma torch to the back side of the gantry so the table will be dual use without having to remove & replace torches.

[lamicron]

Hi millman, why you have 3 hoses for the torch(2 greens and one red??)
Like your z axis, mine was too complicated. Is it gear rack or screw?
Congrats on your first move!!! Are you going to paint it ? after you start to work that will be hard to do it....
luis

[millman52]

Hi millman, why you have 3 hoses for the torch(2 greens and one red??)

luis

I use 2 regulators at the ox tanks. This allows really great control of your preheat flame when leaving the ox & acet valves open on the torch. Also you can adjust the torch on during a cut cycle. I have found having just the exact right mix on the preheat makes for a much cleaner cut.

I'd love to have paint on it. I hate the idea of having to mask off or even worse removing what I don't want pain on. So I don't really know.

The Z axis for the Ox torch is a linear actuator. Enclosed ball screw. On the down side though it isn't controlled by the computer. As slow as Ox/Fuel is I have made a little hand held control to manually jog the torch up or down. Another reason I built it this way is. I am mounting plasma on the back side of the gantry on the same Y carrier. I'll be using my THC1000 on it. I just didn't want to have to be changing out between the ox & plasma setup. I have to cut steel regularly in thickness from 1/4" to 3"

[millman52]

I have spent most of the day tuning & adjusting.

Also spen a good bit of time reading the Sheetcam manual.

I was able to create 4 files ( 4' X 8' sheets) of real world parts I use on a daily basis. Got Gcode to generate. Transfered that into mach & was able to see the machine actually run the files.:wee:

Now I need to make some sort of a spring loaded pen holder & actually draw the parts on some paper with the machine.......

Figured that would be a good way to tell for sure if I have all my settings correct. Make sure it will cut a circle & not an oval etc.

[millman52]

I managed to get my steppers tuned up today. Not having anything to really go by for starters fot the acceleration & velocity. I took my best guess from what I could make of the Mach 3 & Mp1000 THC manuals.

needless to say I was way off base. I continued to make adjustments, run a test string of G code. Adjust, run, adjust, run, after 4 hours I still didn't feel like I had made any progress.

At that point I was pretty much convinced I had other problems. I gave up for a while & worked on some other things that was needing finished up.

Finally this afternoon I couldn't stand it any longer & I began to adjust again. Finally I could tell I was making improvement.

As it worked out for my machine the ratio between Velocity & Acceleration was about 30:1 Example: if velocity is set at 500, Acceleration is near 16. These numbers are nowhere near my final settings (which are a good bit lower) This is just an example.

I'm sure these #s vary widely based on amount of microstepping, reduction ratios & who knows what else.

I finally got there from some luck & the attitude that this table isn't gonna beat me.

[millman52]

Have run the table with several different 4'X8' sheets of parts nested on them. Haven't actually cut any parts yet. Just running different scenarios of parts in real time cut speeds. Everything seems to be running ok. After running an hour long programs & the torch stops at the end of cut. It returns to "0" Index marks I have placed on the table & gantry itself After every run. This tells me I am not loosing steps & everything is staying the way it should be.

[lamicron]

Hey Millman, I have my machine conected now but my motors dont run , make a sound half turn and stall, any idea?
Are`you working with Mach?