How I move around my heavy DIY CNC

[Andrewg]

Hi, thanks for sharing this experience and your solution. My first reaction was that it was rather an over engineered solution, as I am rather more used to small workshop solutions like these or these. However a quick check on eBay suggests those actuators are only around £30 each and work for machines in the 200-500 kg range. Plus as you say simple switches and power supply is all you need. Now I have definitely stored this idea away should I need to move my machine regularly for pass through jobs. The satisfaction each time you flip the switch rather than lie on the floor winding up machine castors like these would hasten the pay back!

[A_Camera]

Hi, thanks for sharing this experience and your solution. My first reaction was that it was rather an over engineered solution, as I am rather more used to small workshop solutions like these or these. However a quick check on eBay suggests those actuators are only around £30 each and work for machines in the 200-500 kg range. Plus as you say simple switches and power supply is all you need. Now I have definitely stored this idea away should I need to move my machine regularly for pass through jobs. The satisfaction each time you flip the switch rather than lie on the floor winding up machine castors like these would hasten the pay back!

Thank you for the comments and the additional ideas of how to move machines.

I will have to keep this idea:



which I think is very good for lighter machines, but lifting a 100kg + machine is something else. I may make one for my table saw, which I also need to move in and out whenever I want to use it. Right now, I can lift it, as it weights only about 40kg, but it is not a comfortable lift because it is fixed to a stand, so to move it, I have to stretch my arms and lift it. As I am getting older, things do feel heavier...

[A_Camera]

BTW, yes, my control box is definitely over-engineered, but as I said, I had no switch for the high current and I like to use what I have when it is possible, so I had to use relays. In fact, I am using four relays, two for one side two for the other, because the relays I have can't handle all that current (around 12A) so I use two relays for one side and two for the other. The 12A is just a guess, but my PSU to the acuators is a 12V 8A PSU which is OK for now, but if I stop the motion half way in the lifting process then the PSU stalls and the actuators won't continue the pushing. The rated current is 3A for each, but I haven't measured what is the current needed to start with load. Anyway, on my to do list is the replacement of the PSU with a 12V 82A version. Yes, eighty two amps. Once again, it is over-engineering, but I have many PSUs like these:



So I will use one of them.

[Doddy]

rather than lie on the floor winding up machine castors like these would hasten the pay back!

Ah, I've been there - brilliant machine feet, but a complete bugger when you've got a bench & mill weighing in at over 200kg and you're trying to get to the foot at the back. We need someone to design a wrench for the cog for these - my thumbs ain't what they used to be.

A_Camera - like your idea, but over complicated. Why not build a multi-purpose jack-plate (basically what you have... but you can place it under any machine to lift it)

[A_Camera]

Ah, I've been there - brilliant machine feet, but a complete bugger when you've got a bench & mill weighing in at over 200kg and you're trying to get to the foot at the back. We need someone to design a wrench for the cog for these - my thumbs ain't what they used to be.

Exactly what I got tired of, crawling on the floor, reaching the rear two was never an easy task with my previous solution. Doable in case I had to do it, but was not very comfortable and took some time to lift all four corners and pull out the machine. Now I do it with the flip of the switch, standing on my feet, and the machine is moved out in less than a minute.

A_Camera - like your idea, but over complicated. Why not build a multi-purpose jack-plate (basically what you have... but you can place it under any machine to lift it)

Thank you. Yes, it might look complicated, but I think actually that to build a multi purpose jack plate is worse and would take as muck time as this one. Once I figured out how to do it, it took only about one day (8-10 hours of work) to complete the work, from start to complete installation. Not included the time it took to make the control box, that was a few hours extra. Now to make a jack plate would have been more complicated, especially since I don't have a welder or any material which could be used for that. I also wanted a permanent installation, not something I have to store elsewhere. I think it is better this way, it is always available and ready for use. As I said before, using a simple two pole ON - OFF - ON switch would make it a lot simpler, but in my case, it was a choice I made to use things I had at home readily available.

It's a hobby for me, so the extra time is no big deal and the complexity thing is really nothing for me. But yes, definitely over-engineered for one who wants to keep it simple. As it is a hobby, I don't have to think about failure, or that some solutions take more time than others.