Chads new machine

[ynneb]

Chad, how is progress going? I want some pictures of some stuff you have made with your machine.

[chad]

Hi Yenneb, So sorry for the delay. We have cnc'd out our knee mill and i have been making stuff on that. As well as getting used to the g-rex and mach-4. I have played with the plug in mach 3 version but haven't made the switch. I will post some pictures soon of the Knee mill .

As for the big mill it has been in limbo for the last month and a half but i got the power supply finally done and I had it moving today. I am going to spend all day tomorrow tuning and tweaking the thing and i will take some recent pictures. and upload them this weekend. The big mill is going to be full steam ahead starting this week .

Chad

[chad]

Hey, Some more pics. I will take some more this week.

These pictures show more of the machine. I have been getting it going this last week and hope to get it dialed in and cutting in the next couple of days.
The big "box around the machine is our attempt at keeping the dust from going everywhere. I finally got around to tidying up the power supply and cleaning up some loose ends. I will put some more up in a couple of days.

Chad

[chad]

Just a couple more...

Chad

[krymis]

Chad,

Was it neccessary to use what ever size box tubing that is?  I am no machine builder and i understnd the concept of build it right once, but in your opinion would it be safe to use 2x3 box with either a 1/8 or 1/4 wall thickness?

[chad]

We wanted as little flex as as is possible. Tubing is 4x4,4x6,2x2,8x8 and all is 1/4 thick.
I weigh about 175 and with the machine on and holding position i can only get about .01 flex in any of the axes pushing as hard as i can.
The more steel The less flex, more mass less chatter.  At Least that is what we are hoping for.  If the machine was just for light foam then yes it is about 85% overbuilt. MDF and dense tooling board isn't light and needs something that is pretty ridged, especially with the x down 36" . If it isn't strong a 100 ipm cut in 3/4 mdf is going to get a lot of flex in the z. The head and the z weigh just under 300 lbs and some test cuts were smooth as butter at ~100 ipm. Not only that but this machine is capable of 550 ipm rapids. If not strong accel and de-cell alone would cause considerable flexing, the gantry weighs around 1300 lbs. Also figure a 4'x8'x3' block of mdf weighs arund 2400 lbs, we have to be able to put that on the table without the base and machine flexing and binding the slides.


Chad

 

[krymis]

Chad you have an e-mail from me....

[lvjtech]

Hi Chad  the machine  looks  perfect ,
It  will help us  with the  inspiration  to keep going with  cnc learning .
Chad , can I post  your  pictures  in different forum  .(Like  cnczone)
I would love that others people see this machine.

[chad]

Lvjtech:  I would prefer the pics stay here ( one less forum to answer questions on) but feel free to link to here.  Also thanks for the kind words it has been a challenge for my partners and I.

Krymis: I will look for your email, I get ~ 120 emails a day in that address and it is easy to loose one.

We got 2 and a half inches of rain at the shop last night in 45 min. There was 1.5 inches of standing water in the shop, i was there till midnight shop vacing water out ;(

Chad

[JDolecki]

Ya think you could fund one of my projects?