[nlancaster]

Glad that was easy to sort out widget. When are you going to be cutting?

[widgitmaster]

Glad that was easy to sort out widget. When are you going to be cutting?

Thanks Man!

As soon as I can afford to extend the Dust-Collector so it reaches the Monster in the garage!
Widgit

[bill south]

Looks good Widget!
Kind of hate seeing you get it dirty!
Did you create a dust shoe for the new machine? Sorry I can't remember!
Bill

[CNCMAN172]

Sounds very good now Widget. You will probably never cut anything that fast but I heard no binding at all. Sounded great.
Russ

[widgitmaster]

Sounds very good now Widget. You will probably never cut anything that fast but I heard no binding at all. Sounded great.
Russ

Hi Russ,
Actually fast speeds are only used to get into position for cutting, and in a business where time is money, the increase in production is desired! When I finally get to cutting out the Aztec-Mayan Calendar, you will see how the 1100-IPM rapids will fit into the picture! I have run a simulation of the 48" calendar a few times, and when the V-Bit finishes in one zone and rapids to the next, its stunning!
Widgit

[widgitmaster]

Looks good Widget!
Kind of hate seeing you get it dirty!
Did you create a dust shoe for the new machine? Sorry I can't remember!
Bill

Hi Bill,
No, I had purchased a "KENT" dust shoe with magnets!
Unfortunately I had 99% of the Monster designed & assembled before I made the purchase! The Kent dust shoe is just an 1/8" too wide on each side, and will smash into the gantry ends. So in order to use it I will have to modify it and readjust the x-axis limits to get it to work! And there is a limit to how much I can reduce the travel, as the x-axis only has 48.7267" of travel now! If the Kent shoe can't be modified, then I'll have no choice but to make up a custom one!

The Max-Travel for all axis
X=48.7276 (limit to limit)
Y=97.4158 (limit to limit)
Z=9.7014 (above the spoil board)

[nlancaster]

Well at least you have another router to cut a dust shoe on

I spent the first few months of getting my machine running wading thru chips, until the machine was running good enough to cut a dust shoe.

[kuroguy]

I set off the smoke detector in my shop before making a dust shoe. Moved it up on the list after that.

[widgitmaster]

Hi All!
It's been a while, as my back is barely able to support me and my projects!
So I forced myself to work on the monster this morning and actually got allot done! The top surface has been machined corner to corner, and the aluminum plate has been mounted on one end and it's been surfaced as well! The Kent dust-shoe worked well to keep the dust down, but I didn't have an adapter for the shop vac or a long enough hose! So I had to chase piles of sawdust while the cutter was moving! The aluminum was easy to cut, as I smeared bees-wax all over the top of the plate! This kept the metal from sticking to the cutter, and left a shiny finish! The bees-wax is the same stuff I use with the bandsaw!

Next I put an indicator in the spindle, and checked the tram! The spindle was slightly out of square, as expected! So I cut up a few steel shims of various thicknesses, and loosened the screws attaching the gantry! After a few trials, I raised the back up .036, and raised one side .003. Now the dial reads zero on all four axis points! Now I have the center of the machines travel set to zero in Offset #2 G55, and the center of the aluminum table is offset #6 G59!

The reason for the aluminum plate, is that I have several small projects to make, and it's easier to hold the blanks down with double sided masking tape! And using tape on MDF is totally useless, as every time you lift it off, a peace of the table comes off too!

Tomorrow is Chiropractor day
Widgit

Oh Yeah,
I'll re-cut the aluminum to remove the scallop surface!

[CarveOne]

Looking good sir. Get that back worked on and take care of it. Long hours standing in front of machines can do its toll on backs.

[widgitmaster]

Looking good sir. Get that back worked on and take care of it. Long hours standing in front of machines can do its toll on backs.

Thanks Carv'e!
My back has been adjusted and relaxed all weekend! But I did get the aluminum plate re-surfaced after tramming the head, and it looks perfect!
Widgit

[CarveOne]

That's good to hear. I've had some aching lower back symptoms lately due to working so hard on the two current projects I am getting ready for the Aspire camp trip. That and keeping the guys here entertained while you are busy, or recuperating from being busy.

Are the routers going to be in fixed locations on the gantry or do they have a limited range of horizontal movement independent of each other?

[widgitmaster]

That's on a different thread Carv'e!

Today I made the 1st part on the big Monster!

I positioned a 1/2 sheet of MDF on the router table, and put 4x dry-wall screws in the corners. Then I drew a line connecting the four corners, and set x,y to zero on the lines. Then I ran a 1/8" 2-flute endmill, to clear out the bottom of the pockets. Next I put a 3/4" diam 90 deg V-Bit in the spindle, and ran the Monster for 2:45 to cut the calendar's details. Lastly, I used a 1/4" 2-flute endmill to cut the perimeter leaving 12-tabs. Then I ran the endmill again to remove the tabs!

I'm now the proud owner of a 48" diam Aztec Mayan Calendar !!

I made a 10-minute video, and will insert it when it finishes uploading to You-Tube

[nlancaster]

nice and big!

I just sold my joescnc2006 and ordered a CRP4848, so I can maybe make myself a 48in mayan calaneder

[widgitmaster]

Here is the of the Mayan Calendar!
Widgit

[CNCMAN172]

Very very NICE Widger, congratulations. You must be on cloud 9.

Russ

[widgitmaster]

Very very NICE Widgit, congratulations. You must be on cloud 9.

Russ

You have no idea Russ!
I have been toying with the idea of selling the monster as quickly as possible, because it is just too large for my little shop! But after today, I think I'll hook up the dust collector system, and keep it just the way it is! The only problem is the two E-Stop buttons are not so easy to reach in a situation, so I'll be adding a few more of them!
The machine is so quiet without the shop-vac and an air-cooled spindle screaming, I could get addicted to this big monster very easily

Widgit

[Donny M. Carter]

Very impressive Widgit! Congrats on the monsters completion! If anythings really ever complete!

[bill south]

Looking Good Widgit!!!
Everyone needs a 4 foot Aztec calendar! I already know what your next project is going to be!! You most definitely need a paint booth. I for one do not envy you having to finish that monster. Since Big Red was built for Big Jobs, well again. You'll need a paint booth. Now how are you going to machine one of those????
I kind of hate seeing this project coming to completion.
Many thanks for all of the time you spent posting the pictures and the explanations of your masterful work.
Bill

[widgitmaster]

Looking Good Widgit!!!
Everyone needs a 4 foot Aztec calendar! I already know what your next project is going to be!! You most definitely need a paint booth. I for one do not envy you having to finish that monster. Since Big Red was built for Big Jobs, well again. You'll need a paint booth. Now how are you going to machine one of those????
I kind of hate seeing this project coming to completion.
Many thanks for all of the time you spent posting the pictures and the explanations of your masterful work.
Bill

Thanks Bill!
But i really hadn't considered the machine completed :idea: as is my budget!!
Those 97 Lb beams were brutal on my old bones, but all in all this project was exhilarating!
My office is still piled up with boxes of components for another build, say a 10" x 36" x 72" work area?
Wishful thinking I suppose :cheers:

For those of you who have not figured it out, I'm a Disabled Veteran!
Here is what I looked like at time of discharge from the Navy in 1971, and it took many years and allot of plastic surgery to get my ducks in a row after that!
For me to be able to build a monster like this, is an achievement, but I do have PTSD which preoccupies and distracts me at all times!

To all my fellow Veterans out there, It's not what you take away, it's what you are left with that counts!
Widgit