Joe's 1000x600x200 steel and aluminium router started

[devmonkey]

I've only used Aluminium warehouse for tubes in the past, couldn't complain about them, product came well packaged, but I've read on this forum their cast plate is sometimes delivered damaged? I guess the plate you received was ok?

I've reconfigured the gantry end plates and extended the gantry. I wanted to keep the nut holder fixing on the outside so that I can fit simple angle over the screw to keep debris off it. With this configuration I would recess the X bearing plate and the gantry extrusion into the gantry end plate a couple of mm to keep the gantry vertical to the X rails.It also provides enough space outside the X rail to bolt up through the X bearing plate into the extrusion.

The (red) ball nut holder assembly will be adjustable up and down and if I make the gantry a few mm wider it will allow me to shim the ball screw supports off the steel frame to get the screws properly aligned, making the absolute length of the gantry beam non-critical.On my last machine I didn't have enough adjustment to align the X ball screws properly and it was a bit of headache to sort.

[devmonkey]

Made some more progress, capped box sections ends:


I'm now waiting on the ballscrews to get here (next week) so that I can weld patches for attaching the support blocks and steppers.

I've chosen EM806 drivers. Yesterday I was about to order from AliExpress, thought I'd check Zapp first and Gary has a Black Friday deal on, managed to score 4xEM806 for £340 inc vat and delivery and rather unbelievably they turned up this morning 17hrs after ordering! What an amazing service and at the same or better price than China after duties without the wait.

Steppers are ordered from OMC-stepperonline coming from UK warehouse, should be here in the next few days.

Given the drivers arrived and I already had an enclosure to hand I've started to build up the electronics, PSU parts are from Rapid:


I also ordered the tooling plate from Smiths, rather good price, 16x3000x355mm 'offcut' for £274. Loads more than I need for this machine but it is useful stuff to have around. It should arrive tomorrow so I can get to milling the plates.

I'm now trying to decide what to do about the epoxy pour given it really needs a nice constant 20 degrees. The frame is in my un-insulated garage, do I build some sort of insulated box around it and bung a heater in there or do I bring it into the house. Temperature wise the house makes sense, however the frame is very heavy and it is more likely to get disturbed indoors by the kids/dog.

[AndyUK]

Rapid progress! No messing around here! You're making me look like a snail though ;)

For the epoxy I'm in the same situation re uninsulated garage. I waited until summer looking for a week of predicted lows over 10 degrees. I remember something about an 8 degree minimum... When I tried the first time I heated the garage to around 28 - but the reaction is exothermic and excess heat sets it off faster which is very counter productive. The second time I didn't bother and it was much better but probably for other reasons.

[devmonkey]

I've actually burnt myself with epoxy before using the normal hardener not the super slow 209. I was building a fibreglass mold and mixed up about half a pint of epoxy, spent about 5 mins stirring it in a container that was far too tall and narrow and it exothermed, spat on my hand which burnt the skin and I threw it outside, the container completely melted and the epoxy was smoking. Only happened once and I've done this many times, I always mix it in a large shallow container now (like a takeaway rice container), never happened since. Trick is to maximise the surface area when mixing.

Anyway I now have a plan:

I picked up a 40w tubular heater today from Toolstation for £14. It has a thermostat. I will get some sheets of polystyrene floor insulation and build an oven around the machine on the garage floor, then pour epoxy and 'slow cook' at 20 degrees for a week. Wont be until next week as I'm still waiting on the ballscrews before I can finish the frame.

One other thing, I'm wasn't planning to put any levelling feet on this machine, it will be mostly sat on a table/bench so I'll just put some self adhesive rubber pads on the bottom. What do you think? For the epoxy pour I will level it with shims off the concrete floor.