Thread: New South Aussie Machine - Build Log 2010

Hi Noel,
Great work on the console and machine.

I am not an expert but I think you may need steel to keep EMI from the power side to the low voltage side. No drama as a bit of tin plate where the perspex is will sort that out if you get noise. Obviously don't do anything unless you start to get false triggering. I have those cheap switches on my console and they just keep working so don't be in a hurry to swap them out. I found the trick was to put a heat sink clamp on the stems while you soldered the wires to the switches otherwise the heat distorted the plastic case.

Look forward to more progress and thanks for taking the time to explain it and post the photos.

Mike
Re-the wheels - I guess you are referring to the drive wheels inside the bandsaw. if so, my machine has two brushes attached inside which continuously clean the wheels. I also have a fairly strong dust-extractor attached to the cabinet, and this seems to suck out most of the dust and debris, whether it is wood-dust, or aluminium swarf.
So - no real problem when cutting aluminium.

Rod
Thanks for the tip about sheilding for EMI - I will give it a go if I get any noise.
Thanks also for the tip about the heat-sink when soldering the connections onto those cheap switches. Just goes to show - if I had been thinking properly I wouldn't have destroyed about ten switches trying to solder the nasty little connections.
In the end,I took off all the badly soldered joints and used small slide on cable clips - problem solved and no glucky soldered joints.
Cheers
Noel

Well guys
Plugging along but getting to the tricky part where I have to start thinking - Oh Oh!.

I had a look at a picture of daniel's machine and figured that I would follow the basic design of his gear-boxes, but would pivot them centrally so as to minimise the angle between the pinion and the rack.

As you will see below, I am not much chop at using CAD or other drafting packages, and as is my usual style, I simply draw mud-maps of what I am going to build - so sorry guys - no detailed drawings.

Anyway, I have started to cut the sides for the tyhree gear-boxes on my previous CNC machine, and I must admit I was really surprised at what a good job it does. The sides are cut from 12mm aluminium plate, and although I started off spraying the cutter and the plate with kerosine, I eventually stopped that because of the mess that kero-soaked aluminium swarf makes. The mess got everywhere.

Eventually I just cut the plate 'dry', and periodically blew the swarf off the work with compressed air - much easier to clean up, and I had no problems whatsoever with the cutters.I think I would recommend to others to try cutting aluminium 'dry', and just slow down both the feedrate and the spindle speed. At least as far as I go, i reckon another half hour or so of cutting is well worth it to get a good clean cut with no messy wet swarf clogging up everything.

Well, at this stage, I am well into cutting and have started to 'mock up'the gear-boxes in wood to see how they go together, and to give me a more accurate idea of measurements.

I have also started working on the control-box for the new beast, but I will post more about this at a later date. For now, here are a few piccy's of the gear-boxes being cut.

Cheers
Noel

Just a quick addendum - anyone who wants to see my drawings for the gearboxes is welcome to them. I have posted them below.
Cheers
Noel

Hi Noel,
Do you call that Noel Sketchup? Don't worry I do the same hand scribbled drawings as it is quicker for me to do.

As for the ally I use an aquarium electromagnetic pump which produces about 15 to 20 PSI and you can hardly hear it run. A flood coolant nozzle aimed at the cutter is perfect for moving swarf and sawdust from the cut. Good thing is it doesn't blow it over the workshop and make sawdust airborne like a blow gun does.

See photos

Hey Noel,

Looking good. How long did it take to cut your gearboxes on your cnc. I haven't even got my machine running yet and i've been toying with changing the gearboxes already. lol. Good news for me though, my shed roller door finally arrived so hopefully i can move the machine into its new home soon.

Anyway, looking awesome, keep up the great work.

Daniel

what are you doing with your old one?

Richard

If thats is directed to me about my gearboxes, hadn't put any thought to what i will do with them. The main reason for the change will be the fact that i'm going to upgrade to nema 34 which have been sitting in my garage for a while now. I got a good price for some waterjet pieces to change my gantry sides over, and will be looking to get more done when i finally sell my kitesurfer off (sold it once but buyer folded in the end).

Daniel

Originally Posted by twistedfuse

If thats is directed to me about my gearboxes, hadn't put any thought to what i will do with them. The main reason for the change will be the fact that i'm going to upgrade to nema 34 which have been sitting in my garage for a while now. I got a good price for some waterjet pieces to change my gantry sides over, and will be looking to get more done when i finally sell my kitesurfer off (sold it once but buyer folded in the end).

Daniel

I think he is interested in buying Pigs CNC Router going by the thread he started.

Twistedfuse... wondering what physcopig7 is going to do with his old CNC

Never mind then. Thought it might not have been

Noel, any more changes to your machine.

Daniel
P.S Bring on the 4 day weekend.

Hi Guys - sorry about the long time without a post, but had an unexpected stay in hospital for a week or so, and still getting over it, so haven't done a great deal since the last post.

However, I have put a couple of photos up as I understand that you lot like 'piccys'.

Before getting çrook'. I started on theZz-axis. This was simple as I used a 'good secondhand'? THK KR33 actuator which I purchased from Thailand.
I was very happily surprised by the quality of the actuator, and the speed of delivery.

Being a bit suspicious, I half expected the thing to be worn badly, or to be rusty - however, it turned up in almost prisdtine condition and works very well.

As with all the other parts, I cut out the mounting for the stepper for the Z-Axis with my old machine - still get a real 'frisson' whenever I make anything with it - (still wondering sometimes why I am bothering to build a new machine - but what a 'kick'I get seeing it come together - guess I just like building things).

Anyway - a couple of photos to keep you all happy, and I hope to be back working on the beast in the very near future.

Cheers
Noel

Sorry to hear you have been crook - hope it is nothing too serious and you are back to shed activities soon.

Photos are great and good to see detail of each part. I use a lot of those actuators and they are quick to fit, simple and give good service. I priced one like you have a couple of years ago and they wanted $2,500 in Australia for it.

Progress on your machine is quick especially given your recent event.

Hi Rod
Yes - the build has been going well up until last week. I was feeling a bit unwell and the doc's discovered that my Thyroid was stuck ópen', and I had a bad case of thyrotoxicosis. Means that my thyroid was over-stimulating everything. On medication now and coming good, however, while in hospital, the doc's also found that I need a valve replacement in my heart, so that is slowing me down a bit too.

So - to cut a boring story down, it probably means that I will be a bit slower finishing the beast than has been the case so far.

Anyway - looking forward to seeing the machine actually move - then I will be happier about it.

I am also amazed at the price you were quoted for a THK actuator here in Australia - I only paid $180.00 for mine from Thailand, and am very pleased with it.

OK - talk to you all later,
Cheers
Noel