welding steel base or just getting aluminium extrusion

[driftspin]

M5 too here.

The first of a set of 20mm hiwin X axis rails takes a lot of time to line up to what ever straight reference.
I checked 100 times before drilling the first holes.


After squaring up the gantry to the first rail, the second rail (X) wend a lot faster using the gantry as a guide for the second rail relative distance.



I clamped down using 3 clamps before pre drilling 3 holes over 1830 mm span, ends and middle, with a 5.9mm drill, to remove epoxy and centre drilling a centre hole for 4.2 mm drill.


I have a well balanced, old :-) battery drill.
Its easy to keep vertical 90 degrees to the surface and used no other tools.

I used the 6mm hole from the rail for a guide icm with the 5.9 epoxy removal / pre centre drill and drilled 4.2 and tapped all m5 free hand with the battery drill.


Bought 2 machine taps m5 and 5 4.2 drills from toolstation (volkel) did about 100 holes in 4mm steel with 1 drill 4.2mm (ground hss) and 1 tap and still going strong.


Just use oil on drill and tap, and vacuum clean all holes before tapping.


I have had no problems with off centre holes or problems tapping the treads.


After tapping there is some wiggle room but not a lot about 0.5mm ...


After torqueing down the m5 i have had no binding trouble in the carriages.


Hope this helps.

Grtz Bert




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[reefy86]

Thanks guys, just would like to ask a question that i can't seem to find the answer to on the forum But has anyone ran a machine for multiple years using epoxy resin without it weakening over time? also what methods do you do to get top and bottom rails lined up to exact same position?



Got my keys today for my workshop so will be cracking on soon :)

[driftspin]

Thanks guys, just would like to ask a question that i can't seem to find the answer to on the forum But has anyone ran a machine for multiple years using epoxy resin without it weakening over time? also what methods do you do to get top and bottom rails lined up to exact same position?



Got my keys today for my workshop so will be cracking on soon :)

Hi reefy86,

I would like an answer to the epoxy question to :-)


For Y rail alignment?

I used 2 extruded profiles across the x rails in front of an behind the gantry.

And 2 across on top of them, parallel to the x rails under the gantry.

Now you have 2 flat references to put 2 machinist squares on. in a horizontal/ upright position on both sides of the gantry.
In the same X rail level plain.

The bottom of my gantry is half raised 12+ cm over the X rails.

I moved the rail so the carriages are just over the edge of the beam so it is close as possible to the Z axis side so the machinist square just touches them and not the gantry box section.
The rail is on the edge of useable flat of the epoxy.

Hope this helps.



Some left over extrusion 8040 goes a long way for alignment purposes.

I did check them for resonable straightness before using them this way.

You need square and flat references all through the build, i did under estimate this.

If not for epoxy this would never have worked out for me.


Grtz Bert


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[reefy86]

What do you think of my idea which probably some of you may think its a waste of money on the extra epoxy resin.

There will be 2 gantry sections so the z axis is boxed in the middle.

this is just a quick rough up, the red pieces are the epoxy resin fully cured

1. weld the steel box sections together

2. lay the sections down on a level surface and pour epoxy resin

3. after 10 days or however long it takes to cure flip the sections back to normal position.

4. attach gantry side plates and adjust and bolt to as square as you can get it.

5. again pour epoxy resin to level both sections on the same plane

6. attach the linear rail on the front of the sections and then use a magnetic gauge indicator and use the top to line up the rails.

[reefy86]

Would like some opinions on the above please :) in the meantime i am purchasing necessary tools to get the job started but would like your input if possible.

1. how accurate of 1800mm straight edges and if someone can recommend one if the cheap ones are no good.

2. is bigger the better for the engineer squares? seen some 300mm ones but are nearly £100 each

3. anything else you recommend i should buy to make things easier on the way?

I know you guys are probably sick of hearing from me now lol but things will actually be getting done once i have ordered the necessary tools.

[Nr1madman]

Would like some opinions on the above please :) in the meantime i am purchasing necessary tools to get the job started but would like your input if possible.

1. how accurate of 1800mm straight edges and if someone can recommend one if the cheap ones are no good.

2. is bigger the better for the engineer squares? seen some 300mm ones but are nearly £100 each

3. anything else you recommend i should buy to make things easier on the way?

I know you guys are probably sick of hearing from me now lol but things will actually be getting done once i have ordered the necessary tools.

I dont quite get it.. will one set of rails be on top and 2 sets in between? :D

For question 1 you should read boyans build threads. Somewhere in there he states DIN numbers for the necessary straight edge and where to find them. If Im not misstaken he also wrote about the squares..

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[reefy86]

no just 2 sets in between and the epoxy on the top is just a reference for the gauge indicator, one some videos people sit a magnetic block onto to linear bearing blocks and the have the gauge indicator touch against the aluminium extrusion all the way down the rail until its square but aluminium extrusion is not perfectly straight but with the epoxy resin being very flat and straight then i thought doing it this way may work.