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

**Zeeflyboy** · 11-07-2017

So, first things first - big delivery of eco-cast plate! Enough to keep me going for a couple of months I'm sure.

Managed to have the big bugger (the bed tool plate) fall over on my foot as I was moving the packages around. That hurt...

I also finished off a couple more shoulder screws for the X-axis slider plate, full set now... just waiting for a 1.5mm end mill to arrive to machine the slots in the top.

And I've designed this little setup for stop/limit switch on the Y-axis using hall effect proximity switches. The brass dial is threaded m6x1 to give 1mm movement fore-aft per rotation for simplicity's sake when setting up, and has a small magnet embedded in the face for the hall effect sensor. Small spring provides tension on the thread.

The mounts themselves will be 3d printed.

And they just tuck in behind the rail mount plates here (both front and back, only the back one shown).

**JoeHarris** · 11-07-2017

Originally Posted by Zeeflyboy

So, first things first - big delivery of eco-cast plate! Enough to keep me going for a couple of months I'm sure.

Managed to have the big bugger (the bed tool plate) fall over on my foot as I was moving the packages around. That hurt...

I also finished off a couple more shoulder screws for the X-axis slider plate, full set now... just waiting for a 1.5mm end mill to arrive to machine the slots in the top.

And I've designed this little setup for stop/limit switch on the Y-axis using hall effect proximity switches. The brass dial is threaded m6x1 to give 1mm movement fore-aft per rotation for simplicity's sake when setting up, and has a small magnet embedded in the face for the hall effect sensor. Small spring provides tension on the thread.

The mounts themselves will be 3d printed.

And they just tuck in behind the rail mount plates here (both front and back, only the back one shown).

Good to see you're spreading into the house!! Like your sensor setup - how will you lock them in place once set?

**Zeeflyboy** · 12-07-2017

Originally Posted by JoeHarris

Good to see you're spreading into the house!! Like your sensor setup - how will you lock them in place once set?

Haha, while the wife's away.... thankfully she doesn't browse mycncuk! (I'm a poet?!).

The main blocks are screwed into place, the adjustment for setting home precisely comes from the knurled brass dial. The spring will provide tension on the threads which will stop the dial from moving with vibration, so there shouldn't be any need to lock it further, although I could add a small grub screw that tightens perpendicular to the thread perhaps for an extra locking mechanism.

Mike/Chaz - very kind, but honestly I'm nothing special at fusion. I just poke around like the amateur that I am and if I want to do something that I don't know how to I go and find a youtube tutorial (e.g., like physically modelling that knurling on the dial - found a great tutorial here and just took the general idea of how he did it... I did the chamfering slightly differently https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnz1s35vmyg&t=303s).

Slowly as you pick up more techniques through your various projects you become a bit more skilled at figuring out how to make what you want. I certainly find fusion easier to use than e.g. solidworks that I have used in the past.

**Desertboy** · 12-07-2017

I do like Fusion's renders they look lovely, when you downloaded the Hiwin models were they coloured already?

If you can make a working CNC machine in Fusion I'd say you must be better than average at Fusion ;) Anyone can place models but making them align properly is a different matter.

**Chaz** · 12-07-2017

Originally Posted by Desertboy

I do like Fusion's renders they look lovely, when you downloaded the Hiwin models were they coloured already?

If you can make a working CNC machine in Fusion I'd say you must be better than average at Fusion ;) Anyone can place models but making them align properly is a different matter.

Ye, its fairly hard, I managed to get Thor moving on axis by rotating ballscrews on the Y. Once you understand it, its not too bad however I found it complex dealing with all the assets and knowing how to manage them across different drawings and which become 'grounded' and which not. Watch some vids on joints for Fusion.

**Desertboy** · 12-07-2017

I don't use Fusion will check it out when I upgrade but will probably stick with turbocad platinum with cam and furniture maker plugin.

I build everything as blocks in turbocad and blocks within blocks it's the only way to build this sort of thing in turbocad without going crazy lol. The main drawing is then made of blocks and you normally edit the blocks not the main drawing.

There's is no mechanical/animation capacity so everything is static in Turbocad.

**Zeeflyboy** · 12-07-2017

desertboy - I think I ended up adding the colour, but I'm not entirely sure.

Small bit of progress today.

First up the main bed needed trimming down a couple of mm in width... decided easiest way was to use a hand router and guide rail. I finished by just popping a 1.5mm chamfer on all sides and giving it all a little tickle with some 240 grit on the orbital.

And 3d printed the Y-axis sensor mounts

Also designed and now printing a drill jig for the bed plate corners. I'll make the brass drill bushing on the lathe.