A machine... in a month

[kingcreaky]

As the title says really, A friend asked me to build him a machine. Designed specifically for woodworking. The requirements were as follows

Same as my first machine, except
*Twin height beds.. Machine would never be used for one big sheet, Jigs would be made to machine several different parts that would be constant, so twin heights were required
*A little overhang and a vice was required at the front to route out letters in the side of cabinet doors
*A Third axis to mill out lettering in the side of fruit bowls
*Main bed must be solid ali
*Go ahead given on the the 15th July, delivery date 30th August.

The entire build in parts cost as follows

562 - Linear Gear
300 - Steal
201.16 - Steppers
139.20 - Power Supply and spindle cradle
131.00 - Rotary Table
112.74 - Belts and Pulleys
556.39 - Aluminium (330 of this was the bed plate and the 4th axis mount plate)
35.97 - Towing chain
188.00 - Stepper Drivers
218 - Spindle & VFD
104.99 - Computer
6.40 - Stab Controller
39.12 - CY signal cable
--------------------------------------
2594.97










leveling the bed on the old machine was a right pain, so I decided to add some m20 thread bar to help initially level the bed, but also the nuts could be locked off to provide extra support for the side bolts








and finally, delivered and installed




the machine was made (once parts arrived) in one month. (alongside a full time job). I used an
Arc Welder
an angle grinder
an alan key set
about 10 no.2 m6 taps
a cordless drill
a lathe (for boring the pulleys, could of been done with drill press)
a drill press


If I did another one would I make any changes?
*The thread bar under the bed was fantastic. The bed could be calibrated very accurately (especially for wood)
*There is still a lot of resonance in the design. Even though its extremely heavy (broke a tail lift trying to get it onto lorry) made out of very strong steel.... jog the gantry around and watch it jump around.
(for newbies imagine jogging the Y axis across the gantry, then changing direction... all that inertia is transferred into the frame and can be felt in the shoulders of the machine)

Triangulation would need to be added to the next machine


il upload a video of the 4th axis