welding steel base or just getting aluminium extrusion

**reefy86** · 31-12-2017

already have rotating nuts in mind, from the looks of it my gantry is weighing between 150-200kg so is this a deffo servo route then?

**Desertboy** · 31-12-2017

Originally Posted by reefy86

already have rotating nuts in mind, from the looks of it my gantry is weighing between 150-200kg so is this a deffo servo route then?

200kg's! this seems excessive for a wood router a hell of a lot of weight to be moving at speed it's like 1/5 a car you'll need chuky motors.

Have you considered buying a 2nd hand router
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CNC-Route...IAAOSw1cNaOuvj

haggle with them you might get it for £4.5k ;) I find if you visit people and wave cash at them you can get some leeway ;)

**Boyan Silyavski** · 31-12-2017

If you are tight on money for the build, you could buy cheaper square rails than Hiwin. Find a good factory and buy from them. it will be wise to make a plan and follow it. My machine cost me somewhere around 6-7k totally. 8x4 machine can not be made properly for 5k. you have 3k for rails, ballscrews and so, 2k for electronics and motors, 1k for metal for frame and so on. Though i lied to myself some time that i can make it for 5k.

And i had all necessary machinery and skills to design it and make it 100% by myself. And not first build, mind that.

So make a plan, follow it, be persistent, do not make any mistakes and you will do it.

**reefy86** · 31-12-2017

this might be a stupid option for some people but i would prefer to build it rather then buy one just purely for the knowledge i will learn on the way and if something ever packs up in the future then i will know how to fix it. 200kg is alot of weight just for cutting wood but there will be a lot of rapid movements for 3d so i need the gantry to be solid. i was thinking about fixing the gantry and moving the bed but i have future plans so i will need the space for other things.

**Boyan Silyavski** · 31-12-2017

It will be impossible to move such big bed, The gantry is the way. I am sure you will manage to weld it. I learned to weld on my first machine and stick welded it. Did not have a Mig at that time. It even turned good. Think what i am telling you about the Chinese square rails, they will save you some money. In fact last time i bough they were Hiwin quality like, almost :-). But were proper steel.

**reefy86** · 31-12-2017

will look into those boyan but it aint one of those things is it where its 50/50 if you get shit rails or hiwin like? only reason why i am going hiwin is because there is 100% guarantee i will be getting quality.

**Desertboy** · 31-12-2017

I only have 15mm Hiwin's but I have originals on the Y axis and clones on the X I can't see a difference but let's see in a year lol.

Would I buy clone again without blinking but get the right clones so the rail is compatible (Like mine) then you can swap original Hiwin's carriages onto the rail if you're carriages ever failed.

I was thinking of buying 2nd hand next time
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THK-NSK-IK...19.m1438.l2649

carriages can be repacked with new bearings if needed which is essentially a recondition as long as the rail is not nicked. I have seen lots of 2nd hand rail never seen it physically damaged, rusty yes but not chipped. The carriages are what seize on old machines left outside. The rails do go rusty but much slower than normal untreated steel possibly due to years of greasing in their pasts.

**reefy86** · 02-01-2018

whats the longest bit you guys have used without any deflection or breakage? beginning to think having a long z height is limited by the tool bit for 3d work. i can see that on some areas where i need to penetrate 300mm then either the router is going to collide or the bottom of the front plate will.

**Clive S** · 02-01-2018

Originally Posted by reefy86

whats the longest bit you guys have used without any deflection or breakage? beginning to think having a long z height is limited by the tool bit for 3d work. i can see that on some areas where i need to penetrate 300mm then either the router is going to collide or the bottom of the front plate will.

It all depends on what you are cutting, There is somebody on here making surfboards with long cutters out of a type of foam.

**Nr1madman** · 02-01-2018

Also think about if you are gonna use drills as they can be longer than routerbits.
I got the tip to calculate z travel/clearance based on thickest material and longest drill I plan on using :)

Skickat från min SM-G955F via Tapatalk