[CarveOne]

This weekend I managed to spend a lot of time on making the corner brackets for the gantry and installing them. The wiggle factor seems to be about half what it was without the new brackets. I presume that the remainder is not going to be correctable and will depend on the cable system and two stepper drive system to take care of any remaining issues with the gantry not being rigid. The Y axis mechanical travel is now 50".

I also continued work on the table saw fence. I made the eccentric cam but haven't drilled and tapped a 1/2-13 hole for the handle shaft yet. There are some places that need tack welding to hold the part that slides on the box tube front rail to the underside of the fence tube. A small steel plate needs to be fabricated and a hole drilled in the vertical part to mount the plate onto a bolt so that the plate can swing as the cam is tightened and loosened. A window and pointer needs to be added to the front of the fence so that a measurement tape can be seen through the small window. The CAD drawing may make more sense than my description alone. I should have bought the Delta T-12 fence. This homebuild fence is becoming a lot more work than I had planned.

CarveOne

[CarveOne]

This morning I was casually looking at the remaining wiggle in the gantry and noticed a very small movement at the two bolt heads that hold the bottom of the gantry support riser to the plate that the bearing carriages are mounted on. After tightening the two bolts and checking the same bolts on the opposite side of the gantry (they were tight) there is a lot more resistance to wiggle now. It still isn't totally rigid but it is far better than it was.

These 5/16" bolt heads are through the middle of the wide side of the 1" x 2" box tube. I'll try spreading the load at the bolt heads by putting 1/8" x 2" x 2" steel plates on both sides of the box tube to see if the 0.120" thick walls of the tube is flexing. If it helps to reduce the remaining wiggle I'll leave them in place, possibly welding them at the corners.

I don't think that there are any other places where flexing can be reduced. Seemingly stiff steel parts will flex much more than I had thought when I started this build.

CarveOne

[CarveOne]

I've made some more progress on the table saw fence in the past couple of evenings. The eccentric cam and swinging plate is completely assembled now. There is about 3/32" of clamping travel, which is actually a little more than I expected. It will be compensated for when I clamp and weld the other lower parts to the fence assembly. Note that the hex head bolt to the right of the fence will be changed to a flat head bolt and the rail will be countersunk so that there is no interference with the eccentric cam anywhere along the rails.

In order to weld the fence parts I installed a 220vac single phase welder outlet below the work shop's load center box today. I hope to make use of it tomorrow if nothing slows me down.

CarveOne

Edit: Added updated drawing image

[CarveOne]

The CNC work shop's table saw fence is nearly completed. Made a lot of progress over the weekend and this evening. Just need to countersink the screw holes in the HDPE slabs slightly below the surface and buy some 6-32 x 3/4" flat head screws (24 each). If I can find some nylon screws I'll use those, at least where it is possible for the saw blade to contact them. Otherwise I'll get brass screws.

The HDPE slabs are 1/2" taller than the box tube so that jigs and fixtures can be made as accessories that clamp to, or slide on, the top of the fence.

There is more to do to the table saw itself, but it's mostly cleanup work not worth mentioning here. The table saw is dedicated to future CNC projects work and I thought someone out there might be interested in seeing a fence that was built at home. This all steel fence weighs 13 pounds 4 ounces. Not at all a light weight. I modeled it using ideas from my Jet band saw fence and the Shop Fox Aluma-Classic and other higher end fences (the HDPE slabs). The eccentric cam is much wider than either of the two reference fences and really locks the fence down rigidly at the rear end of the fence even though there is no locking feature back there yet. If it is found to need one it can be added later.

CarveOne

[harryn]

That is a heck of a fence. Now you just need to add some cross wires so it doesn't rack. J/K.

[CarveOne]

That is a heck of a fence. Now you just need to add some cross wires so it doesn't rack. J/K.

Not a problem Harry. I'll just add another clamping assembly at the other end of the fence.

Well, I also had a passing thought about figuring out some way of using a pair of Ahren's linear carriages so it would roll instead of sliding. Stepper motor control of the fence position would be a useful feature for the obsessive woodworker tool junkie. (Maybe I should patent that idea and sell some of them.) The thought passed rather quickly when I visualized just how much saw dust would be on the rails when cutting stuff.

I found the nylon and steel screws I needed at Lowes on the way to work this morning. There is some fine tuning to do on the HDPE slabs before installing the screws. I wanted the slabs to be 1/2" above the fence tube but one end is about 30 thousandths too high. I'll correct it when I get back to working on it. Overall, I couldn't be happier with building one instead of buying one.

Btw, there are two "windows" for the self adhesive right and left reading tapes that I'll install after painting the box tubes. The machined-in zero pointers will be set for 0" when the blade just touches each side of the fence. Maybe later I'll modify it with Lexan windows having a thin red line.

CarveOne

[CarveOne]

Though it sure seems like it sometimes.

I have been continuing the table saw remodeling as first priority since it hasn't cost me very much so far. I expect to finish it in the coming week. The extensions are completed and the tops are covered with a light blue and gray mottled textured finish Formica laminate. I already had a piece stashed away from a remodeling project long ago that was large enough. The yellow stands are supporting the extensions until I can purchase the bolts I need to assemble them to the rails and table casting. The rails are painted with hammered silver. The table casting has been sanded and three coats of pure carnuba wax applied and then buffed with each coat.

The home-built fence is completed now and it far exceeded my expectations when I used it to cut the 3/4" plywood for the extensions. :cheers: See the photos below.

Next weekend my first priority reverts back to the second CNC machine build log (this one) and I'll be ordering the breakout board and power supply I need by next weekend.

I'll also order the cold rolled steel flat stock to replace the hot roll steel rails I have been adequately convinced that I should be using.

Last weekend I purchased a new computer system for the CAD and gcode development work. It will be set up as a dual boot system switchable between Windows Vista Business edition and Mach3, or Ubuntu Linux and EMC2.

CarveOne

[CarveOne]

Now I can go back to concentrating on the CNC router build now that I have a much better way of splitting up full sheets of MDF and plywood for the CNC router machines. It isn't a new high end of the price range table saw, but it is a good substitute and modifications to the rusty old free table saw only cost me about $250usd for the whole re-work effort.

The measuring tapes are calibrated to the side of the fence that touches the blade, so that means I have to be sure that I'm reading the correct pointer.

The little casters on the rear extension table are there to support the weight and allow me to move it around the shop more easily when I have it detached from the saw. They have a mind of their own, so it's a careful balancing act when moving it.

The feet are low cost machine feet I bought long ago. I epoxied a 1/2" nut into a hole in the end of the legs. The hole is deep enough that the threaded shank can screw in full depth of the threads, and another external 1/2" nut is used as a jam nut. The legs are "2x2" pine from Lowes. They are just inserted into a 1-1/2" deep pocket under the table top formed by glued and screwed "1x2" oak blocks.

The top is 1/8" Masonite hardboard with two heavy coats of semi-gloss polyurethane applied with a roller. That was much lower cost than buying new Formica laminate. Once it has had a few days to cure I will lightly sand the surface to smooth any roughness and apply a couple coats of buffed out carnuba wax to make it really slick.

I may eventually decide to sharpen the pointers if it seems to be needed, but they are working out fine for now.

The shallow gap between the rear extension table top and the saw top may need to be cleaned of saw dust occasionally but I don't expect accumulated sawdust to interfere with sliding plywood and MDF.

I hope this has been entertaining to some of the viewers, and I know it will become a very useful shop tool for me.

CarveOne

[CarveOne]

Arturo Duncan at CNC4PC.com tells me via email that the C11G BOB and the 5vdc/12vdc power supply that I ordered is in the mail. This will be used with the four Gecko G203V drives I already have.

Now I need to determine for sure if a Keling KL7220 72vdc 20 amp dual diode unregulated power supply is going to be safe (back EMF?) for use with the above parts and four Xylotex 425 oz/in stepper motors. Or would the KL-6515 65vdc 15 amp be a better choice?

I want this 2nd machine to go as fast as the 1/2-10 5 start lead screws can reasonably be expected to go without whipping.

Any advise on this subject is welcomed.

CarveOne

[contactirfu]

Carve one - you need to chk the Mechmate website to look at how the voltages are calculated - there is a lot of information there

http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56

[CarveOne]

Carve one - you need to chk the Mechmate website to look at how the voltages are calculated - there is a lot of information there

http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56

Thank you very much Irfan! I will do that so I can see what is going on there, as I haven't visited there in a long time. I have seen the formulas on CNC Zone also, but it was after I had already purchased a drive/motor/power supply kit for my first machine. I'm sure that I can get an answer in the Gecko Drive forum.

I hope everything is going well for you.

CarveOne

[contactirfu]

Carve one the things done and said on the Geko forum have been got to a conclusion with all of us having machines that work extremely well - I suggest you read the thread on the MM forum completely and there will be no need for you to go to the gecko drive forum

everything is going on well for me

RGDS
Irfan

[CarveOne]

Carve one the things done and said on the Geko forum have been got to a conclusion with all of us having machines that work extremely well - I suggest you read the thread on the MM forum completely and there will be no need for you to go to the gecko drive forum

everything is going on well for me

RGDS
Irfan

I went to the link you gave me and printed out the information last evening. I have been very busy doing some parts machining for the past week and haven't had much time at home for anything else. The upcoming weekend should allow some time to do some Mechmate forum reading.

When I started my second CNC machine I downloaded the Mechmate plans with the intent of building it and decided that the expense would just be too high for me. I still like the machine very much though. Maybe it will be in my future.

CarveOne

[CarveOne]

The breakout board and 5vdc/12vdc power supply module arrived from CNC4PC.com in good condition today. It will be added to the collection of Gecko Drives.

Now I have to somehow find the time to go back to work on my cnc machine.

CarveOne

[CarveOne]

A photo of the C11G BOB for Gecko drives and power supply is below.

CarveOne

[CarveOne]

Last evening I ordered three each 1/4" x 4" x 72" 1018 cold rolled steel (CRS) flats to replace the hot rolled steel (HRS) rails I originally installed on this build.

Though the sanding work I did on the HRS flats made a big difference in how the bearing carriages rolled, I was not totally happy with the rather loose dimensional tolerances (edge curve of 3/32" over 72") that I saw when placing two of the edges together before sanding. The flats that are on order are supposed to be much better than that, but I'll only know for sure when they arrive next week.

I purchased a pair of 1" x 4" x 6' clear pine boards to act as chip guards between the rails and the working area. They will mount close to the bearing carriages and I have an idea as to how to minimize dust that gets in the bearing carriages and to possibly lower the amount of accumulation on the rails. More on this (and photos) when it is assembled this weekend. It may or may not work, but I'll try it to see.

CarveOne

[Khalid]

Seems your build is a fun project
have
you all the best wishes

[cabnet636]

kahlid welcome back!! have not seen you post in a while, if i remeber correctly you wen to italy?

jim

[CarveOne]

Well, hi there Khalid!

I'm glad that you are still checking these forums and I hope that all is going well for you. We miss your posts and wonderful projects. I can understand that you may have "burned out" a little from the pace you were keeping.

I'm temporarily in a little better financial condition after a couple of completed contract jobs that paid reasonably well and have ordered a few items that will allow me to finish this build. All that remains is the power supply to run the Geckos and steppers. That will be ordered soon enough.

A local friend was passing by the tools department of the local Lowes Home Improvement store this morning around 9am and called to tell me that they had just placed two dust collectors in the clearance sale area. One was new in the box and the other was assembled. The regular price was $269 usd and the clearance price is $99.60 usd. I dropped everything I was working on at the time this morning and I drove the 10 miles to look at them. These are being discontinued. I purchased the one in the box even though it isn't the 650HP 10,000 cfm three stage cyclone dust collector I think I really need.

It is a Delta 50-720 single stage 1HP 650 cfm model. Maybe it will be better than my shop vacuum for the CNC machines, and hopefully be somewhat less noisy. Fine dust will seep through the upper bag into the shop air though.

CarveOne

[CarveOne]

My ShopVacs are definitely louder than this new dust collector. I won't know about the amount of suction it produces until it has an adapter on the 4" hose that adapts it to a dust shoe on the CNC machines. I connected a 10' hose I already had on hand because the 5' hose that was supplied with the machine wasn't long enough for anything but my Dewalt planer and Jet band saw.

It was near dark outside the work shop when I took the photo and produced a rather dimly lit image with flash.

CarveOne