El Beast - Initial design phase, comments and critique welcomed!

[Zeeflyboy]

Looks nice. If you move all 4 z axis blocks down you will gain more travel, or move down the lower ones to increase rigidity at full extension.

What CAD programme is that?

Cheers,

Won't gain more travel by moving them down - it can already travel the full length of the rail so it's limited to rail length minus 2x carriage.

However it's been pointed out that moving them towards the bottom does put the "fixing" point closer to the work which would reduce the lever arm and increase rigidity. I will probably slide them down a bit and slide the tram plate up to match.

I'm using fusion 360 for everything these days, the built in cam is awesome.

[routercnc]

For raised X axis I mean something like these where the gantry is mounted directly on top of the X rails, which are themselves raised well above the level of the bed. The raised X axis can then be reinforced and made as stiff as you want. Often they are steel box section, which is x3 stiff as aluminium (like-for-like sizes). This avoids having the long drop down gantry side plates which will not be as stiff.

It is very difficult to overcome offsets by beefing up/reinforcing the connecting structure. Much better not to have the offset in the first place.



or



The example you choose still had gantry sides and the X axis rails were level with the bed so no real advantage and not what I would call raised X axis design.

Z axis swapped around looks good. I'm adding a pair of tram plates to my new machine so good to see it used on yours.

[njhussey]

Hi!

I can recommend the high (X or Y axis depending on what you call it!!) rail approach (my machine is the bottom photo) to give stiffness. My machine munches aluminium and I've even cut (I'll say tickled really) 6mm steel plate. I presume you're the same person who frequents (or possibly did as I've not been on there for a few years now) RcHeliAddict forum, I think the last time I was on there you were just testing your small FPV Quad you designed?

[Clive S]

(my machine is the bottom photo)

And mine is the top one. I to was recommended to go down that route

[Zeeflyboy]

Both very nice machines! No size envy here....

Were the frames DIY?

Yeah that was me - it was the vortex race drone that I was designing back then.

[njhussey]

Both very nice machines! No size envy here....

Were the frames DIY?

Yeah that was me - it was the vortex race drone that I was designing back then.

Ahh thought it was, I remember your fpv Eurofighter too...fantastic plane.

Yes, both were welded from scratch. Mine's now vertically mounted (well 85° to be precise) on another frame I welded up...

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

[Zeeflyboy]

I should learn to weld one day...


Cheers chaps - I'm off to scratch my head and think what I can do with the bed/frame design.