AndyUK's Build - 1.2x1.0m Gantry

[fer662]

Ok sounds good - let me see what I can do about the CAD model to help you out.



Looking back over the photos in my thread, I can see why you thought it was just bolted. As it was my first time welding, I wasn't at all happy with how the process was going - I thought the welds were coming out pretty ugly and I had a number of "retries" grinding out bits that felt crappy and weak and doing them over again. As a result, I just didn't take many photos of the build during this stage, I was quite disheartened with it. It wasn't until I had something I was happy with (after lots of grinding, welding, regrinding, smoothing with some filler, sanding, then finally painting that I started taking photos of the frame again.

Lets start back here - October 2018, all the frame steels (bar one!) were cleaned up, tapped, bolted together into an assembly I was happy with.



I then turned the frame over, and started welding the caps on the bottom of the square tubing for the feet. I'd drilled and tapped these prior - but in hindsight I'd have welded a nut on the inside first to give more thickness to the thread. It was at this point I set my crotch on fire. ;)



By the end of the day I was quite happy with how it was sitting on its new feet. I'd also started preparing the steels for the adjustable height bed.



Then I started to tack weld the joints together all the way around, being sure to do one tack, then move around the machine to try and reduce distortion. Once that was done, I came back to each one in turn and gave it a full bead. Rinse and repeat.

I was so unhappy with it I literally don't have a picture of the frame until it was painted.... and even then I wasn't happy with the brush marks in the first coat, so that took a while to sort out!

These are going to be really useful. I appreciated it! I'll post my table on my own thread whenever I have time to start it.

[Kitwn]

Andy,
That's a very informative and encouraging set of photographs. And a dire warning re starting fires in awkward places! I'll be reassembling my own machine in it's new home before long and a new welded base is going to be a major upgrade.

If I can produce something that looks that good (even with brush marks in the paint) I'll be well pleased.

Kit

[AndyUK]

If I can produce something that looks that good (even with brush marks in the paint) I'll be well pleased.

Thing is, now I'm using it, I've scratched and chipped the paintwork a number of times. I think I've given up trying to be precious! Still functional after all.... ;)

[JAZZCNC]

Thing is, now I'm using it, I've scratched and chipped the paintwork a number of times. I think I've given up trying to be precious! Still functional after all.... ;)

With the machines I build looks plays a small part, mostly to help with the appeal to new users who tend to buy on looks rather than functionality. then I can educate them on what's required for good machine.
On my own personal machines I have absolutely zero interest on how they look, infact, they look SOOOOO bad with wires and crap hanging off them from product testing or failed tests or just plain lazyness regards cleaning, (No lets be honest I've never cleaned it, occasional blow job if it;s lucky.) I wouldn't dream of ever showing them to anyone because if I did no one would ever buy a machine off me again...

[Kitwn]

With the machines I build looks plays a small part, mostly to help with the appeal to new users who tend to buy on looks rather than functionality. then I can educate them on what's required for good machine.
On my own personal machines I have absolutely zero interest on how they look, infact, they look SOOOOO bad with wires and crap hanging off them from product testing or failed tests or just plain lazyness regards cleaning, (No lets be honest I've never cleaned it, occasional blow job if it;s lucky.) I wouldn't dream of ever showing them to anyone because if I did no one would ever buy a machine off me again...

It's interesting to see how much effort different people put into making the parts of their machines look good. There's even one in the archive with beautiful red anodised parts that I would have just filed the sharp edges off and left at that.

For a professionally made product there is always the element of customer confidence. If the surface finish is poor how much care and attention did the manufacturer take over the bits that DO matter?

[fer662]

It's interesting to see how much effort different people put into making the parts of their machines look good. There's even one in the archive with beautiful red anodised parts that I would have just filed the sharp edges off and left at that.

For a professionally made product there is always the element of customer confidence. If the surface finish is poor how much care and attention did the manufacturer take over the bits that DO matter?

I mean... Most of us end up spending way more than it'd have cost to just buy the machine done... It's a matter of pride in what you build at some point, and for some people aesthetics is a part of that.

[Neale]

One of the most interesting things to do is have a look round someone else's workshop. One of the most embarrassing things is to show someone round your own...

As for paint - wossat? They don't have to look pretty to do a useful job.

[AndyUK]

Notice how the garage started off relatively empty, but quickly gets fuller and messier throughout the photos? Its only gotten worse.....

[fer662]

I've been hard at work with the CAD! Could I bother you for some measurements? Could you tell me how far apart you have the linear bearings for the same rail on each of the axis... Say.. Measuring from the outside of the blocks? (and if you're happy with the resulting rigidity)? It's the one area where I don't want to simply overdo it since you lose work area.

[AndyUK]

I've been hard at work with the CAD! Could I bother you for some measurements? Could you tell me how far apart you have the linear bearings for the same rail on each of the axis... Say.. Measuring from the outside of the blocks? (and if you're happy with the resulting rigidity)? It's the one area where I don't want to simply overdo it since you lose work area.

X-Axis (dual, longest dimension, probably should be referred to as Y but I've long ago given up with that), ~280mm between the near edge of the first carriage to the far edge of the second (i.e the maximum possible dimension!). That was designed so that the spindle fell between the two.

Y-Axis (along the gantry) ~ 170mm. This mostly came out of wanting a 15cm wide Z axis plate and then having 1cm side plates.

Z-Axis ~205mm. This coincides with the height of the aluminium gantry profile, and the Y rails and carriages. The bottom one is placed as low as it can be without blocking the bolts on the lower Y carriage assembly plate, the top one is placed as far up before fouling the bolts on the upper one.

Totally appreciate the work area concern. Its one of the things that slightly frustrates me with this design is the work area is substantially smaller than the footprint - but hey. I'd recommend extending the rails at one (or both) ends if you can - If you extend rearward you can cut on the entirety of the bed, a slight forward extension would allow vertical clamping and working.