Steel Gantry Machine 1500x750x200

**toomast** · 20-03-2015

My spindle arrived and its bigger than I imagined :)

I hope to find time this weekend to work with CAD so I can order rails and other stuff from Fred next week.
I will delay other electronics purchase as long as mechanical assembly is finished. Also I have ordered 12mm proximity switches.

**toomast** · 25-03-2015

Hi guys! So what do you think about my bed idea?
I would have the big steel sheet laser cut and holes tapped. Then welded to the square tube frame. Then replaceable aluminium bars on top. I want to have it separated from main frame - for easier transport. That been said... CAD calculates 204 kg for the bed weight

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Overkill?

**njhussey** · 25-03-2015

If you make the 10mm steel base a bit bigger than the strips you can put sides on it and then a drain in one corner and if you use coolant then you can drain it.....if you're not going to use coolant then ignore this

**toomast** · 26-03-2015

Originally Posted by njhussey

If you make the 10mm steel base a bit bigger than the strips you can put sides on it and then a drain in one corner and if you use coolant then you can drain it.....if you're not going to use coolant then ignore this

Thank you sir! I will do it.

**toomast** · 01-04-2015

Things are moving slow...but at least they are moving forward.
I wanted to do all steel Z-axis but as I had something thrown together in CAD I changed my mind. Main reason is weight. Steel Z will be at least 7-10kg heavier. As my hole gantry is at the edge of using servos I will go with aluminium Z design.
I'm not quite finished alu design but it will be from 25 mm thick material.
Here is a picture of my alu design (left) and steel design (right side).

**Boyan Silyavski** · 01-04-2015

I did all from steel cause i was doing the machine on the cheap and did not have somebody to machine it for me at that moment. Time wise is better to do all from aluminum. cause steel needs straightening, adjusting, first hand primer, second hand paint,...

**Sven** · 06-04-2015

I can't follow the reasoning for not using steel, except for silyavski reasoning. If the gantry is steel, 7-10 kilo'sfor the z-axis will not make things that much different. Except for stiffness!

If the machine is for wood and this big, acceleration is less of an issue than top speed and for top speed stiffness is paramount. And all is designed to be stiff, except for this z-axis....

Besides, you can get 20 Nm steppers of the shelf....