welding steel base or just getting aluminium extrusion

[reefy86]

wouldn't that make it awkward for adjusting though?

[reefy86]

ordered all my steel and paid for my new workshop unit ready to move in on the 5th of january so i am looking forward to sharing with you guys the progression especially from someone who knows naff all lol

[Desertboy]

wouldn't that make it awkward for adjusting though?

I can't adjust anything on my router lol, I'm relying on the quality of KJN aluminium (Extrusion) cutting and drilling and the quality of the plates my machine is made with. Also the straightness of aluminium extrusion.

Anything you can adjust is a potential failure point it's fine for you guys with better build quality than myself but for me if I can adjust it I can break it lol.

It's not quite true because I can home my Y axis independently to square the gantry.

[reefy86]

This is how i was thinking until Dean mentioned that its all good in a cad program but in real world it does not work that way. i was making my machine as tight and solid as possible in solidworks and had in mind that i will order these parts the same dimensions as solidworks and all will be ok, kjn have a tolerance of +/- 0.5mm now my gantry will have 2x 80x160mm in a l shape but how much of a problem will i have if one of those extrusions was - 0.5mm and the other was + 0.5mm.

edit.. more then likely i am way overthinking lol but thats my mind being ocd and following how lovely and neat my cad drawing is :)

[Desertboy]

This is how i was thinking until Dean mentioned that its all good in a cad program but in real world it does not work that way. i was making my machine as tight and solid as possible in solidworks and had in mind that i will order these parts the same dimensions as solidworks and all will be ok, kjn have a tolerance of +/- 0.5mm now my gantry will have 2x 80x160mm in a l shape but how much of a problem will i have if one of those extrusions was - 0.5mm and the other was + 0.5mm.

edit.. more then likely i am way overthinking lol but thats my mind being ocd and following how lovely and neat my cad drawing is :)

This is very important! If using KJN aluminium to cut your extrusions you must have the pieces cut on the same day at the same time. They can offer a very high degree of repeatability but not if they have to reset the machine.

How accurate are KJN cuts I just had cut my MDF bed cut to 135.1cm *100cm based on my cad models and it dropped into place perfectly so I'd say at least for me there cuts were very accurate. I also had them cnc drill holes in my frame so I could assemble it with m12's instead of corners.

[spluppit]

I did say to myself i would stay away from this thread.

That said, I do not like to see people getting quotes like you have for your plates. I have not read all the new posts ive only glanced over them. Plus i have no looked at those quotes in detail but its not right. I know roughly what you require as i have made parts for several forum members router builds in the past.

As mentioned they simply do not want to do the job or your drawings are asking for a lot and thats reflected in the price. Small jobs like this are agro for most company's and they charge you for that agro. Your drawing and the details on them will have a large bearing influencing the price. Some of the comments people have raised, i have said and others have said before and they are totally valid. I think its something most new people do not appreciate and it only sinks in with experience.

As the guys have said, you can do your plates long hand and of course has worked for many on here, in the same breath many choose to get them done outside.

I do this kind of works for people at a fair rate because i know the problem you can encounter with pricing. I like to see people doing these projects because it keeps Engineering alive and the knowledge base alive, if you guys cant do these projects, it dies.

If you want me to look at your plates please send me the drawings in either basic 2d dxf or dwg of if 3d in stp/step format. Be prepared to have your drawings scrutinised and alterations asked to be made. But please remember Anything i have said in this thread to you is for your benefit, even though you may see it as criticism, thats probably true for many other that have made comments also. Just to be clear I do not need the work, I have more work than i know what to do with at the moment, so work like this is done when my normal workload is reduced, so you have to wait until i have the time, but this means you get a professional job by someone who has been in the engineering sector (hand on) for over 35 years.

The offer is there. I'm not an ogre and i do not bite, but realise Engineering is a very straight talking trade. It has to be or we would never get anything done.

[reefy86]

I did say to myself i would stay away from this thread.

That said, I do not like to see people getting quotes like you have for your plates. I have not read all the new posts ive only glanced over them. Plus i have no looked at those quotes in detail but its not right. I know roughly what you require as i have made parts for several forum members router builds in the past.

As mentioned they simply do not want to do the job or your drawings are asking for a lot and thats reflected in the price. Small jobs like this are agro for most company's and they charge you for that agro. Your drawing and the details on them will have a large bearing influencing the price. Some of the comments people have raised, i have said and others have said before and they are totally valid. I think its something most new people do not appreciate and it only sinks in with experience.

As the guys have said, you can do your plates long hand and of course has worked for many on here, in the same breath many choose to get them done outside.

I do this kind of works for people at a fair rate because i know the problem you can encounter with pricing. I like to see people doing these projects because it keeps Engineering alive and the knowledge base alive, if you guys cant do these projects, it dies.

If you want me to look at your plates please send me the drawings in either basic 2d dxf or dwg of if 3d in stp/step format. Be prepared to have your drawings scrutinised and alterations asked to be made. But please remember Anything i have said in this thread to you is for your benefit, even though you may see it as criticism, thats probably true for many other that have made comments also. Just to be clear I do not need the work, I have more work than i know what to do with at the moment, so work like this is done when my normal workload is reduced, so you have to wait until i have the time, but this means you get a professional job by someone who has been in the engineering sector (hand on) for over 35 years.

The offer is there. I'm not an ogre and i do not bite, but realise Engineering is a very straight talking trade. It has to be or we would never get anything done.

Thats kind of you mate and you were never in the wrong in the first place or did i ever discourage any of your advice i was just simply trying to avoid welding and go with aluminium but that soon changed lol. I have a few alterations of my own yet so ill sort those out and send you the files if thats ok with you.

[reefy86]

Been thinking about how i am going to square the gantry up and thought of an idea using the method used below (watch from 2:20)

i know that method won't work on mild steel box section but what if i used epoxy resin on the side and wait for that to fully cure which will then give the side of the steel box section a really flat surface and then do the method in the video? i would need to do this before welding the top rail beam to the frame off course.

what do you think is it over the top?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOVHtjXi07Q