sliding gantry or sliding Base ?

[Ricardoco]

Thanks for your answer Jonathan,
i'd rather spend a little more money for a sturdy machine, than being dissapointed afterwards, so that wont be a problem for me to justify a little more money.

I am not sure about the steel box section, i could only bolt them together, because I dont think I can weld good enough so that it wont distort and warp in every direction :)

Whats your opinion on that ?


Regards
Clemens

If i could i would like to comment on the welding question.

If you look in my gallery you will see i am using box section in my latest build, Like you i was worried about warp, a friend of mine who has been welding for years (surgical instruments) helped me, i made up a Jig with angle iron and used a single tack on all joint faces and from there i built up the joints gradually on each side untill i was finished, there was no measurable warpage. as long as the two pieces to be welded are held clamped in the Jig and you are in no hurry i dont see it as a problem.. and it taught me how to get some great mig welds as well...

Rick

[D.C.]

Have you considered epoxy?

I can weld decently enough, I studied it at college and my cousin is a crazily skilled welder with 25 years experience but I'm still going to use a mix of bolts and epoxy when I build my machine because I think it is a better fit for the task. 3M's DP range of epoxies are used to hold airplane wings on and by BMW/Lotus for car chassis and a well done epoxy join will outperform a poorly done weld.

DP-420 3M EPOXY overlap shear test by Doctorbass PART 1 - YouTube

[Ricardoco]

Have you considered epoxy?

I can weld decently enough, I studied it at college and my cousin is a crazily skilled welder with 25 years experience but I'm still going to use a mix of bolts and epoxy when I build my machine because I think it is a better fit for the task. 3M's DP range of epoxies are used to hold airplane wings on and by BMW/Lotus for car chassis and a well done epoxy join will outperform a poorly done weld.

DP-420 3M EPOXY overlap shear test by Doctorbass PART 1 - YouTube

Ive no experience with epoxy being used in this manner, but we do live in modern times and welding does even seem a little primal when you think about it LOL


Rick

[Ricardoco]

Im Just a mirror my friend, i was just trying to clarify what you knew as you have few posts and as we get machinists from expert to never touched a spanner, the answer to your question is this, i decided to keep with the moving gantry design, even though there may be a requirement for larger motors, and more complex design, the effective working area and space needed sold it for me(7'X4'). But then with a design as small as yours i may have been tempted to go for the moving work area as The mass being moved would mean faster machining speeds, the chap to ask is jonathan as he has experience of both small and large machines alike although im not sure about the moving X in his case..


Rick

[Robin Hewitt]

Back to the fixed/moving gantry question for a mo'...

If you have something solid to bolt the machine down to I would suggest fix the gantry.

If the machine simply rests on something solid I don't think there is much advantage either way.