Giant hot wire cutter

[mike os]

I think if you really want 2/4 axis in the future you either need to part build it now (ie base etc but with only 1 axis, rest to be added later) or build a cheap machine to do what you want now and start again later

[charlieuk]

Thinking about it yes 4 axis will probably mean a lot larger machine as each side would need to have two indipendant axis so that may be out for the moment two axis cnc would still be nice. What I was thinking was if it was a gantry type build then I build each side with two rails a horizontal and vertical and then ether drive the with desperate motors or connect them via a shaft and pulleys. The horizontal cut is the most important but I would probably use a open loop belt to drive all axis

[Boyan Silyavski]

2 separate rails on the floor. The type they use below the sliding metal garage doors. Leveled and squared locally, then between them the floor leveled with mortar.





Then something similar like a DIY horizontal Band saw mill structure, only the gantry






How to lift the blade/wire/




Then some contraption with 2 end stops, motor, wire pulleys and steel wire cable, this to auto feed and stop at end.

[charlieuk]

Thanks that has given me more ideas to think about. I will have to look into those rails and rollers and see what they cost. The other idea from this is perhaps using a T section on its side for the side of the bed and have the rollers running on that top and bottom perhaps.

[Boyan Silyavski]

Another idea. Google search for diy dolly track from pipe and rollers. You can hammer some round iron in the floor , say every 60cm, level it and solder the pipe, then cement below the pipe and form the flat bed at the same time. talking about 2-3cm of cement.





look how the motor moves it, its not necessary to be in the middle of it.





https://www.google.es/search?q=dolly...track&imgdii=_


It seems even they sell ready wheels at aliexpress

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/new-W...779726021.html

So it seems from some pipes and fitting you could do the whole thing for a day, without soldering, i mean also the gantry.

[charlieuk]

the only thing with that is im not keen on just relying on gravity to hold it to the rail so I wound want a 3rd wheel at least but it would make a the long axis quite simple to do. The other thing as the base of the shed is timber boards so not reliable for direct fixing to much as it will probably move a little with temperature and climate

many thanks for all the idea