After accumulating a bunch of parts, a new build was started today. About a year or two ago I started a 48" x 48" build that stalled when I just couldn't decide on ballscrews or 1/2-10 5 start acme. It got put on the back burner but will be resurrected after this machine is finished.
This ones a bit smaller because I'm just using what I have on hand.
Z axis is a PBC Linear 'slide' @ about 11"
Y axis is a Thompson @ about 39"
X axis is unbranded @ about 19"
Extruded 8020 type frame and other misc odds and ends. Again, this is all being done with what I have on hand, I don't want to spend anything on it other then for a router of some kind. Probably a colt router. Cheap.
I'm using PBC redi rails and carriages on the x axis. As you can see in the picture, I have about 40 of them. Perfect for this machine, and easily adjustable. I have bigger carriages and rails but with only 19" on the X, the 4" redi carriages fit perfect. The 48" x 48" that's waiting to be finished is using 5" redi rails and 10" x 10" carriages. Very solid and will use duel screws, though I'd rather use R&P.
The gantry sides on this build will be 1/4" aluminum channeling. If there's any flex I'll bolt some steel angle to it. I have 1/2 inch aluminum plating I'd rather use but I have no way to cut it. I have an amazingly pathetic limited amount of tools to work with so I'm having to rely mostly on ingenuity to get the job done. It's like having puzzle pieces from a bunch of different puzzles and I'm just fitting pieces together until they make their own picture.
I originally purchased 6, 5 phase Vexta (?) motors and drivers off eBay. 3 for the big machine and I'll use the other three on this one. They're about 300oz and have gearboxes attached, though I don't know if the gear boxes are a good thing or not. May need bigger steppers anyhow, at least for the x axis, as this has some weight to it. X axis is 1/2", y and z are 1/4" so a bigger motor on X...??
I'm going to try and figure out how to get a frame built around the x axis tomorrow. It's self contained with very few places to actually bolt it to the frame without some modifying. Have to see what I can come up with. Z axis to the Y axis is pretty much done other then figuring out motor mounts. Once the x axis and frame is figured out I'll work on the gantry sides and how to tie them to the Y axis. Once that's done I'll have to work on electronics.
Throwing a bunch of pics up. Please feel free to comment, criticize, laugh, or encourage. AND, if you by chance have anything I can use for the bigger machine (ballscrews, acme stuff, R&P stuff, steppers and drivers...) that you would like to sell or trade, shoot me a message.
-Michael