Re: Advise on building a CNC table
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JAZZCNC
Personally IME these type of Combi machines never do anything really well and there's always a compromise. Better building one or the other to be best they can be.
I agree totally with Jazz combination machines of any type never do 100% of what you want them to do. You can't beet a purpose build machine any day. Tried a few different combination machines in the past thinking I could save money and then lost money when I sold them.
Mike
Re: Advise on building a CNC table
I've just read it again, and not being up on plasma and water tables I assumed that plasma cutting was done on a bed of slats or inverted angle irons and that a water table referred to a T slot type affair for cutting aluminium with flood coolant/lube. Now I realise that the plasma and water table are one and the same thing. :nightmare: I need to lie down for an hour with some Slipknot full blast.
Re: Advise on building a CNC table
clive S. i guess thats true.
erm i guess all and any advice is good.
for the size of table i want. what size frame would be ideal.
best place to get the steppers. and other electronics.
software ?
Eddy
i guess that would make it easy to fasten.
but the mess the plasma leaves when it cuts would
proberly mess it up, and i thought of another way to fasten the ply to the water table.
jazzycnc
a lot of reading tells me thats it best to have a water table with cnc plamas.. helps keep the metal cool and cuts down on the smoke etc.
changing it over to a router would be fairly easy.
take the torch mount off the gantry and fit the router mount on.
sking any slats that have dross on the top with a soft disc.
fix ply bed onto 4 or 6 tabs that are welded to the water table slats.
i understand that they proberly dont belong together.
but if it turns out they both dont work well together.
then i can leave it as just a plasma table and always look at making a router one.
Re: Advise on building a CNC table
Quote:
TOrnado69--changing it over to a router would be fairly easy.
take the torch mount off the gantry and fit the router mount on.
sking any slats that have dross on the top with a soft disc.
fix ply bed onto 4 or 6 tabs that are welded to the water table slats.
i understand that they proberly dont belong together.
but if it turns out they both dont work well together.
then i can leave it as just a plasma table and always look at making a router one.
Please take this in the spirit that it is intended:beer: I think you really need to read JAZCNC's post again and digest what has been said.
You will get all the help you will need on this forum as I and countless others have done:applause:.
Start by asking specific questions ie what do you want to use the machine for: wood, plastic, alu, perhaps engraving etc. then start a build log and read a lot of the logs on here. Submit a drawing of some sort to get advice on and be prepared to get a bit of flack (most of it is given in good faith and humour on here) don't give up there are some good guys on here willing to help, but they need something tangible to work with.
Sketchup (SketchUp | 3D for Everyone) seems to be a good package to make a drawing in and it's free.
Don't buy any motors or electronics until you are happy with the frame. Giving some idea about your budget for the build will help. ..Clive
Re: Advise on building a CNC table
Quote:
Originally Posted by
T0rnado69
changing it over to a router would be fairly easy.
take the torch mount off the gantry and fit the router mount on.
Yes sounds easy as chips but I've not seen any commercial machines that do this and believe me they would if it was at all practicle. I've seen less than a couple that have DIY built and that's for good reason.? They don't play nice together.!
Just swapping out torch for spindle isn't simple as you realise or think but you'll find that out the hardway by the sounds of it.! . . . Good luck.
Re: Advise on building a CNC table
If someone asks for advice on their new idea and everyone says, "Don't do it" you might think that would count for something. After years on forums I can assure you it does not.
Confidence is that feeling you get just before you understand the problem. Brimming with confidence the beginner assumes the forum has got stuck in it's ways, isn't prepared to accept brilliant new ideas and needs to be led from the darkness into the light of a new age.
After rejecting all advice he tries to build something. People will still try and help because they know that after a couple of spectacular failures he will become a useful member and willing to shoulder the burden of answering beginner questions.
I think the best introduction to CNC would be...
1: Buy someone else's failure cheap.
2: Identify where they went wrong and fix it.
3: Use your new found skills and the fixed machine to make something better.
I don't think anyone will ever take this advice but there is something delicious about saying, "Told you so" (You would think that somewhere we would have a tongue poking smiley but I cannot find it, please use your imaginations) :playful:
Re: Advise on building a CNC table
I try not to say "Told you so" but unfortunatly I Do get to think often. . :whistle:
Re: Advise on building a CNC table
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Robin Hewitt
(You would think that somewhere we would have a tongue poking smiley but I cannot find it, please use your imaginations)
There's one called 'playful' that might do :playful:
Re: Advise on building a CNC table
right, it may be a good idea. but not one that will work well.
as jazzycnc has said not seen any others like that.
i relise that all the members that have posted in this thread together proberly
have many years in cnc stuff.
so im going to listen and learn.
so its best to make the table a cnc plasma.
and maybe instead of converting my mill to cnc.
i look into making a cnc table with a spindle.
so it can do metal, wood, plastic etc. ?
would that be the better way around it.
cheers...
Re: Advise on building a CNC table
Hi
Just wondered if your were starting a build log for your plasma table. I'm hoping to make a table of a similar size. But I have no idea what slides motors and bought equipment I need. I really want this information before I start designing to table.
I'm hoping to make a table that can produce products good enough to sell so it has to be reasonable quality.
Any advise on how your going would be great