Thread: CNC Gantry Router #A

Hi Geoff,
Eighteen months ago I would have said Bosch but having got one back then and having the bearings fail a couple of weeks ago I am sitting on the fence now.

The Milwaukee is still going strong but hasn't done the hours the Bosch has.

They do a lot of hours and I give them a hard time cutting 10mm aluminum sheet for gantry sides, etc so I am not complaining about the service they have given.

The Bosch will get new brushes and bearing when I get time to service it.

Thanks Greg,

I bought a set of metric collets plus 2 extra collet nuts. I also bought a couple of 1/8", 3/16" and 1/4" collets from the US Guy.

I should be set now.

On another note, the baseplate for the Romaxx router is MDF 14" x 24", with 6 countersunk mounting holes. I want to make a baseplate out of that white bench top material that Nigel has.

Apart from the mounting holes, there are a number of slall holes down each side for mounting the sheet metal guards. I can probably do then by hand.

The plate has a whole lot of mounting hiles in it that will be threaded. I can do these one the plate is mounted on the router.

I want to use this plate to then mount a sacrifical MDF plate to when necessary.


Would your router be big enough to cut and drill it? I've attached the dxf so you can see what I'm talking about.

Cheers,

Peter.

Originally Posted by rodm

Hi Peter,
The mounts are 16mm plate on that machine but if you can mount 10mm or better 12mm to your Z plate then that should be OK too. The cylinder of the spindle is very rigid and will help stiffen the assembly.

Hi Rod,

Thanks for that advice. I bought a couple of extra Collet nuts.

I know I have some 10mm and possibly 12mm plate around. My plan was to mount the 2 spindle supports onto a 10mm flat plate that is screwed to the Z-axis. I was thinking of cutting 2mm deep slots (rebates?) into the flat plate that the spindle supports mount to to help locate them. Not sure if this is necessary though.

I am thinking of using 6mm cap screws to mount the supports to the flat plate if the supports are 10mm thick, otherwise 8mm id the plate is 12mm thick.

I attached a photo showing the Z-axis.

Cheers,


Peter.

I used two 6mm caps on a butt joint for each motor mount and it is fine. Just make sure that the head of the cap screw does not foul the linear bearings on the axis. Use round head or countersunk if needs be.

Rod,

Thanks for that. I'll go for 10mm plate and 6mm Capscrews then.

Cheers,


Peter.

Originally Posted by phomann

On another note, the baseplate for the Romaxx router is MDF 14" x 24", with 6 countersunk mounting holes. I want to make a baseplate out of that white bench top material that Nigel has.

Apart from the mounting holes, there are a number of small holes down each side for mounting the sheet metal guards. I can probably do then by hand.

The plate has a whole lot of mounting holes in it that will be threaded. I can do these one the plate is mounted on the router.

No worries Peter. I have a piece here that is big enough. 1/2" off white colour.

As far as tapping holes in it, I have done it and they are OK to put a bolt in it and leave it but the thread will not take fitting and removing bolts multiple times. Perhaps a threaded insert.

Maybe consider a piece of aluminium. The machine is worth it.

Greg

Hi Greg,

Thanks for your offer, I'll take you up on it. Eventually I'll get some aluminium plate and do what you suggest.

At least I'll have a nice machine to show at the next BBQ.

Cheers,

Peter.

I will look forward to seeing it. I have long admired these little Romax machines.

I will be away till next week. PM or email me with your Ph No. and I will give you a ring when I get back.

Greg

Now that I have caught up on the backlog of jobs that mounted up while I was making this machine I decided to revisit the dreaded electrickery.

I found out the computer in the console was the problem and despite adding heaps of memory and swapping video cards it was solving one problem and creating another.
I dug out an older computer and added more memory and my problems disappeared one by one.

I am now running the smoothstepper again and have the machine fully functional and stable. The touchplate, video camera positioning and slaved axis homing all work as they should.

There was a lot of mucking around with the parameters but most of it is logical.
The only thing left now is spindle control thorugh the DC06 but I will leave that for another day.

The main reason for this post is to let it be known it is not always the drivers that are the problem. The computer I had problems with drives many machines without a hitch but this combination of electronics caused a lot of peripheral problems. The trick with all this is finding out through trial and error what the problem is.

Hi Rod,

Good stuff - the smoothstepper working is really good

Glad you have tried it again

Hi all,
To bring this thread up to date as a fair bit has happened since the last post.

I have built and attached a ModIO console and mounted a Shuttle computer in the main body of the machine.

Space has been a problem and since I built this machine under the patio I had not been able to move it to a protected area until recently
.
I enclosed half my carport with a steel framed and fibro cladded Machine Room. As soon as the side fence was knocked down I moved the X3 CNC'd mill and Morphy into the main body of the Machine room and built the room around both machines.
I have been smart enough to fit double doors on the exit side of the room so large machines can be moved from the room.

Unfortunately I also has to sell off a lot of gear as well as farm out three ute loads of acrylic and MDF sheeting. Obott was a casualty but it has gone to a good home and is being re-fitted with new electronics and motors.

It has taken a lot of time for a mug like me to finish the room but given I shine a seat with my bum all day I am pleased I was able to build the room by myself. Mind you it was a couple of cartons job and I will not be rushing into building anything like this again.

So the machine room is now finsihed and Morphy has pride of place with plenty of lighting and a couple of blankets to keep it warm at night.

The room has suppressed the noise so I can machine later into the night than I have been able to before.

I have a weeks work cleaning up the shed and storing all the other things that have been residing under the patio. I reckon by the time I am finished there is a good chance SWMBO will be talking to me again.

For the observant - in one of the pictures in the previous post there is a completed Z axis so a glimpse of things to come. The machine room construction has wet my appetite to build more machines and I have lots of plans on the burner. 6 axis machine, another hybrid mill, spindle experiments and tool changer just to mention a few ideas.

Hi Rod,

Wow, That is an impressive room!

I bet the neighbors are happy - but not as happy as you, being able to cut after 9.00pm

noice, very very noice, jb

Hi Jason,
Yeah I am pleased to have the playroom.
One of the advantages as the kids leave home it creates space.