Will be assembling my x carve soon... Once I have

Attachment 29806

.... constructed a work table for it to go on.
I've started cutting up the sheet material using my Track Saw. ... I hope the jpeg of the plans I have drawn loads up.

The design is a folding table as my workspace is multi purpose. Once folded down the whole unit will only be 600mm wide... Though quite long (1.6m approx) as I have included a cupboard with four plastic trays and a pull out surface for the control unit and also a laptop.

The design is based upon one I saw on you tube which seemed quite innovative... The only additional adaptation I might make is the possible fitting of a couple of gas struts as used in hatchback cars to make lifting easier....

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X Carve under construction

007JHS
to Andy, A, Gary, +7
19 minutes agoDetails


The basic structure of my X-Carve is complete.... Though the bolts securing the end plates on the Y Axis beams are only 8mm ... I might subsitute those with some 10mm M5 bolts... Though I'll have to pick those up from the hardware store. The brackets for the drag chain beam on the X Axis were just plastic... and one of them broke. I reglued it using superglue and a strengthening and bulking powder. Wasn't at all impressed with these flimsy pieces. Luckily I had a strip of 1mm aluminium. I traced around the plastic brackets and then carefully drilled the holes and then cut out and filed down the aluminium strips. Bonded those with superglue to the back of the each bracket and then fitted the drag chain rail... In construction so far, these plastic brackets have been the only disappointing item.
Next stage fit the router spindle and stepper motor then the drive belts followed by the wiring.... Actually no.... Next stage is to secure the X-Carve to the work surface with four bolts and inserts... M6 as I have these already... This will then allow the work surface with attached X-Carve to fold down as planned... the whole workstation folded being only 600mm wide.

I included a 300mm steel engineers ruler by way of the old 'place a Geologist's hammer routine' to give a sense of scale... Basically it's effing well big.

Attachment 30022

Hope the pic comes up.... my completed work station and fully assembled X Carve.
Now waiting for son number one to finish sorting out the new laptop he has bought for me... he's a good lad.... and to load up some suitable software.

Son number one helped get Easel started on the new laptop he's bought me and we connected up to the X-carve... tested all the axis stepper motors... Z didn't work... couldn't make it out... Doh! headslap... had forgotten to insert that terminal block into the controller.
Ran a simple easel file to test things... without a cutting mill and without a piece of board to cut... just to see how things went....
Let's just say... I was very pleased.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MikeS

Son number one helped get Easel started on the new laptop he's bought me and we connected up to the X-carve... tested all the axis stepper motors... Z didn't work... couldn't make it out... Doh! headslap... had forgotten to insert that terminal block into the controller.
Ran a simple easel file to test things... without a cutting mill and without a piece of board to cut... just to see how things went....
Let's just say... I was very pleased.

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Hi Mike S - some of your first carves would be good to see -

Which stepper motors have you used?

How do you find Easel?

Thanks

WoodKnot