New build with recycled parts on a ridiculous budget 120cm*60cm work area

[Clive S]

Thanks for the reply, when it comes to the spindle (I have a 2.2kw) should I use 2.5mm SY cable?

I use 1.5mm 4 core CY again just ground the screen at the vfd end

[Desertboy]

I use 1.5mm 4 core CY again just ground the screen at the vfd end

The screen is the protective metal sleeve? Do I simply run it to the ground for the power in to the VFD?

[Clive S]

The screen is the protective metal sleeve? Do I simply run it to the ground for the power in to the VFD?

Connect the screen to the mains earth connection in the vfd

[Desertboy]

Firm I was working with has gone bankrupt :( so I now no longer have a need for the router BUT of course I'm going to finish it and then work out what the hell I will do with it lol. Since I learnt to cad having a router has been on my bucket list so not upset about building it but gutted on losing the work for it.

Frame has finally gone to be cut and drilled should get back tomorrow and can start building up and start fitting the HIWIN's.

[Zeeflyboy]

Shame, but there will always be other opportunities in the future if you keep your eyes open I'm sure.

[Desertboy]

Shame, but there will always be other opportunities in the future if you keep your eyes open I'm sure.

I already have 1 job for it but unfortunately unpaid lol, making an arcade table ('80's style) for my best mates Bday as a surprise he wrote a famous(ish) game and is 40 this year so we're making him a cabinet with graphics done in the style of the game he wrote. I guarantee most of you have played this game at least a little bit ;)

Unfortunately that will cost me money not make it lol but will be interesting project, making considerable mods to the standard table design so it will have a built in projector as well as a 23" LCD screen and 4 joystick inputs. I have till Mid October to finish the cabinet, will be MDF and Vinyl wrapped. Luckily his GF and his mum are putting 1/3 into the cost as it's going to cost over £500 to build lol. I will measure a real 1980's Pacman table and do my own design based on the measurements.

If I built a decent positive pressure vacuum former (Next project) I can keep the machine busy for a small scale prototyping firm a friend runs but I need to make sure the quality is there. Luckily the molds are MDF normally so the stresses are less.

[Desertboy]

Found a decent arcade table model on grabcad based on a pacman table will use it a reference to redraw my table ;)

I'm going to add another 2 joysticks so there is 4.


Sent my frame to be cut & drilled and got T nuts for fittings the Hiwin cost £100, can't wait to get it back now and see how it all goes together.

[Ger21]

This will set me back another week but after extensive talk to someone in the know I've decided to pour epoxy resin inside my aluminium extrusion (Gantry only for now).

Probably this stuff
http://www.mbfg.co.uk/epoxy-resins/p...ble-resin.html

Mixed at this sort of ratio
50% aluminium filler powder
35% Epoxy
15% Carbon fibre powder

Fill these cavities
Attachment 21895

I've found out that epoxy resin generates heat in curing which would cause problems but I will bolt the gantry mount on one end fill the extrusion up leaving another space to bolt the top plate on tight. Then I will put the whole thing in a water bath for overnight to cure evenly.

From discussions with the fibreglass guy it'll be stronger than aluminium but weaker than steel for ~4kg's of weight added to the gantry should make it much more rigid.

Will make the gantry mounts with 25mm ecocast to reflect this, I'm going to have a rectangle milled the size of the extrusion so it's embedded 5mm into the mounting plate when bolted in.

Also getting the aluminium drilled next week so it will bolt together with 10mm A2's and will add in the centre struts.
Attachment 21894

Not sure if you've done this yet, but it won't make you're extrusion more rigid, or stronger, unless you try to crush it.

[Desertboy]

Not sure if you've done this yet, but it won't make you're extrusion more rigid, or stronger, unless you try to crush it.

Hi Ger21, I'm the same person who posted on cnczone I remember your comments, since then I changed the design to use 3 pieces of extrusion 2 4545 and 1 4590 profile bolted in a straight vertical line they are all the heavy duty profiles and I am embedding the extrusion 5mm into the gantry mounts both sides (Plates are 20mm thick).

I won't epoxy the gantry but I might fill the 4590 extrusion cavity (This is a large one 4l's in volume) with sand on advice from some crazy Germans ;) Who claim it can have a big effect on reducing vibrations.

[MartinS]

On the topic of filling the extruded section with resin, reinforced or otherwise, has anyone got views or experience of lining extrusions with carbon fibre?

Obviously this could not apply to the sections above but I am thinking of say RH Al or Fe 120x60x3, 100x50x3 being used for the Y gantry.

I understand the logic of adding weight to kill vibration but this weight has to be accelerated and decelerated.

With a layer or two of carbon/kevlar fibre cloth and resin applied to the internal surface of the RH and cured, could this provide an element of vibration reduction whilst reducing the tendency of the Y gantry to deflect under the torsional load caused by heavy cutting in X?

Just a thought!!