Project Beaver

[OMLCNC]

You will be fine with the 24VDC Din rail. PS.
But not for the 80V one, that would be best with a toroidal type that is putting out about 68V DC

Re the sensors you can use the switches as travelling ie they move with the gantry etc and have fixed taargets at each end that way you will only need three. Also check if you need NPN or PNP type for the controller you are using.

Thank you Clive, your post I understand, after that Neal's post #35 Whoosh straight over my head - "CSMIO-IP/M, I suggest NPN N/C proximity sensors" for example NPN = Polarity, N/C = Normally Closed, CSMIO - IP/M = ??? Some bits I understand of Neal's post in practical terms. Yep i do get it, its the motion controller, me being thick!

I only say this, not as a criticism of Neal but to demonstrate my level of understanding when it comes to electrics/CNC, (The last time I did CNC lathe work we used paper with holes in it, and you gave programmes on card to a nice lady to run on the main frame, before PC’s were around)

Then #36 Mike's post "Pro-Tram units to tram the spindle" not a clue, well can guess
#37 Dean's post mostly understand, #38,#39,#40 I get the general idea, but too early on my learning curve.

SO I think what I should do is go away and do a wiring diagram and come back with more questions (I'm going to need one anyway to wire it all up). Then find out were to get all the components from.
I will start by looking at Joe Harris wiring diagram (Thank you Joe) as my machine is copied from his.

One other point I am thinking about is that I already use 3phase in the workshop by one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TRANSWAVE-...0AAOSwEzxYR~K4 is it any use for my spindle or am I just being penny pinching on the inverter?

[Clive S]

Ok don't get yourself in a flap its a bit like having to lean a foreign language you pick a few words up but they don't make sense.

Tramming is just adjusting the spindle so that is perpendicular to the bed ie. if it was lopsided and you was making a cut the tool would be leaning over to one side and that would make it cut on one edge more than the other.

You don't need to buy a fancy tool to do that you can do the same job with a DTI (dial indicator) which you will need anyway.
Re the Transwave it is of no practicable use for the spindle you will need a VFD and with that you can vary the spindle speed.

You will need a decent size box about 600 x 600 x 200 ish to fit every thing in. Personally I don't like putting the VFD in the control box .

Hope all this helps but it is better to ask questions rather than buy a load of junk like kits of parts.

[OMLCNC]

Ok don't get yourself in a flap its a bit like having to lean a foreign language you pick a few words up but they don't make sense.

Tramming is just adjusting the spindle so that is perpendicular to the bed ie. if it was lopsided and you was making a cut the tool would be leaning over to one side and that would make it cut on one edge more than the other.

You don't need to buy a fancy tool to do that you can do the same job with a DTI (dial indicator) which you will need anyway.
Re the Transwave it is of no practicable use for the spindle you will need a VFD and with that you can vary the spindle speed.

You will need a decent size box about 600 x 600 x 200 ish to fit every thing in. Personally I don't like putting the VFD in the control box .

Hope all this helps but it is better to ask questions rather than buy a load of junk like kits of parts.

Yep that helps Clive, I have DTI, can you use an old PC case for box? I think I have seen that done?

[Clive S]

Yep that helps Clive, I have DTI, can you use an old PC case for box? I think I have seen that done?

You will regret it if you try and fit it in a pc tower. And like Neale I made the mistake of too small a box.

[Neale]

Sorry - didn't mean to confuse but you said CSMIO first!

Yes, good choice of motion controller. Ignore the few posts talking about Mach3/CSMIO issues as you won't need to deal with these yet and we're not talking about show-stopper problems. NPN, N/C - yes, correct translation. The most important bit is N/C. If all the limit switches are wired with normally-closed switch contacts, then as soon as a switch opens, the machine stops. You might say that normally-open would do the same thing. The big safety-related difference is that if a wire comes loose, a soldered joint fails, you've forgotten to plug in the limit switches - with N/C connections then this looks like a limit switch has tripped and the machine stops/won't start. Bad connection with N/O switches and the first you know of it is when the gantry hits its end-stops and tries to keep going!

I agree that a box of the size that Clive suggests is about right. I used a 600x400x200 and although I could just fit everything in (by bolting lightweight power supplies to the inside of the door, for example) actually wiring the thing gets to be like keyhole surgery. A bit more space would help. I used an old PC case for my first machine, but that used a cheap, small, breakout board (the CSMIO needs rather more space) and I was using just 3 older analogue drivers which are a lot smaller than the newer digital drivers that I am using for Mk2. I was also able to use the PC power supply for 5V and 12V supplies but you are going to need 24V for the CSMIO.

Good luck - looks like you are going down the right path.

[OMLCNC]

Sorry - didn't mean to confuse but you said CSMIO first!

Yes, good choice of motion controller. Ignore the few posts talking about Mach3/CSMIO issues as you won't need to deal with these yet and we're not talking about show-stopper problems. NPN, N/C - yes, correct translation. The most important bit is N/C. If all the limit switches are wired with normally-closed switch contacts, then as soon as a switch opens, the machine stops. You might say that normally-open would do the same thing. The big safety-related difference is that if a wire comes loose, a soldered joint fails, you've forgotten to plug in the limit switches - with N/C connections then this looks like a limit switch has tripped and the machine stops/won't start. Bad connection with N/O switches and the first you know of it is when the gantry hits its end-stops and tries to keep going!

I agree that a box of the size that Clive suggests is about right. I used a 600x400x200 and although I could just fit everything in (by bolting lightweight power supplies to the inside of the door, for example) actually wiring the thing gets to be like keyhole surgery. A bit more space would help. I used an old PC case for my first machine, but that used a cheap, small, breakout board (the CSMIO needs rather more space) and I was using just 3 older analogue drivers which are a lot smaller than the newer digital drivers that I am using for Mk2. I was also able to use the PC power supply for 5V and 12V supplies but you are going to need 24V for the CSMIO.

Good luck - looks like you are going down the right path.

So do we think something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Schneider-...oAAOSwaB5XowFy will do the job if I leave the VFD outside the box (Or in a different box, would dust be a problem to it?)
Also does it have to be metal? Or will plastic do? Is it preferable to put it on the wall near the machine or underneath the machine. I can do either.

[Clive S]

So do we think something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Schneider-...oAAOSwaB5XowFy will do the job if I leave the VFD outside the box (Or in a different box, would dust be a problem to it?)
Also does it have to be metal? Or will plastic do? Is it preferable to put it on the wall near the machine or underneath the machine. I can do either.

Yes that would do and it does need to be metal you would also need to put a couple of fans in it as well. You can get 24V fans and run them from the 24v ps or if you have them you could use two 12v fans wired in series.

If you have the space mount it on the wall.

[OMLCNC]

So while I'm ordering things and waiting for them to turn up, I'm deciding on cap head screws, I have some phosphate (black) from previous jobs and some stainless steel. But reading Neil's build log he used BZP from here https://www.tool-net.co.uk/s-1211/ca...etric-bzp.html (Only on page 54 out of the 81 build log - more interesting than TV however)

Any thoughts, I seem to remember that Aluminium reacts with steel, or is it stainless steel over time, like a battery, white corrosion.

[JoeHarris]

So while I'm ordering things and waiting for them to turn up, I'm deciding on cap head screws, I have some phosphate (black) from previous jobs and some stainless steel. But reading Neil's build log he used BZP from here https://www.tool-net.co.uk/s-1211/ca...etric-bzp.html (Only on page 54 out of the 81 build log - more interesting than TV however)

Any thoughts, I seem to remember that Aluminium reacts with steel, or is it stainless steel over time, like a battery, white corrosion.

BZP is a good choice. Mild steel and stainless react


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