New build - Steel - 3 Axis initially then conversion to 4 axis.

[Slixxor]

Z Axis finally fitted and relatively smooth with motion (No racking), Some filler welds will be done in the coming days and the wiring should be done shortly. :) I'm finally starting to see it all come together. I wasn't really sure if my Z design would work, but it seems extremely rigid. Although I've lost 100mm of travel on the Y axis I've maintained a good center of gravity on the Z axis and increased the X axis work area.

Hopefully cutting in January!

[Tom J]

Nice concept of Z axis, only problem is that doesn't allow for any adjustment other than shims. How smooth it travels up and down?
Asking as I machined similar stuff on chinese mill and wasn't parallel.
Same thing for entire machine - you are mounting rails directly to profiles - no machined base, no epoxy for leveling (parallel, squareness?)
I do not criticize you - just wander if you aim for accuracy in your machine.

[Slixxor]

Nice concept of Z axis, only problem is that doesn't allow for any adjustment other than shims. How smooth it travels up and down?
Asking as I machined similar stuff on chinese mill and wasn't parallel.
Same thing for entire machine - you are mounting rails directly to profiles - no machined base, no epoxy for leveling (parallel, squareness?)
I do not criticize you - just wander if you aim for accuracy in your machine.

Pretty smoothly. I do have a video of it turning by hand..

https://youtu.be/lEZzJ3c4UJA

I think the reason for the success in motion is the heating of various sections during the fabrication process.

I like working with steel because it warps and moves when heated.

When designing the Z most of the welding occured on Job with clamps. As the steel heats and warps it smoothly contours around its pressure points. I.e: the fasteners on the bearing blocks and the tension applied by the SBR25 rail.

Not to mention meticulous time spent hammering the fudge out of it at times :) the outer walls were hardest. They have a slight warp in the 6mm and needed lots of bashing and even driving the car over it.

Cutting a square for the ballscrew bracket was the best idea. As it allowed me to drill it then weld it back in with just the tension of the ballscrew to warp to.

There really was no other way though. Accessing the correct drill points would have been almost impossible to get right as it was completely blind.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

[Tom J]

Pretty smoothly. I do have a video of it turning by hand..

https://youtu.be/lEZzJ3c4UJA

I think the reason for the success in motion is the heating of various sections during the fabrication process.

I like working with steel because it warps and moves when heated.

When designing the Z most of the welding occured on Job with clamps. As the steel heats and warps it smoothly contours around its pressure points. I.e: the fasteners on the bearing blocks and the tension applied by the SBR25 rail.

Not to mention meticulous time spent hammering the fudge out of it at times :) the outer walls were hardest. They have a slight warp in the 6mm and needed lots of bashing and even driving the car over it.

Cutting a square for the ballscrew bracket was the best idea. As it allowed me to drill it then weld it back in with just the tension of the ballscrew to warp to.

There really was no other way though. Accessing the correct drill points would have been almost impossible to get right as it was completely blind.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

My first bed was ok till I weld those flat bars 8mm thick - it warp badly in the middle

[Slixxor]

My first bed was ok till I weld those flat bars 8mm thick - it warp badly in the middle

Looking goid mate! Tack welds are the way to go. And lots of clamping. I would have got a piece of say 35x70mm box tube and clamped it in several places to the flat bar piece you were working on. Then going from the outsides in to the middle as your box frame will also slightly warp from the welds. Tack everything first then repeat the clamping process all over again with your filler welds.

It's hard with long runs like that. Partly the reason bojan S uses C channel for his bed. Although I find welding much easier, drilling and bolting would have given a better result.

Whats the link for your thread?

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

[JAZZCNC]

Good job your using round rails because wouldn't get away with rough work like this if using Profiled linear rails.!!

Tom is correct your level of accuracy will be low or will require lot of shimming and tweaking. How much will only come to light when finished and being used at which point you'll wished you'd took little more care when building.

[Slixxor]

Good job your using round rails because wouldn't get away with rough work like this if using Profiled linear rails.!!

Tom is correct your level of accuracy will be low or will require lot of shimming and tweaking. How much will only come to light when finished and being used at which point you'll wished you'd took little more care when building.

Haha savage feedback. Thanks Jazzy, time will tell.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

[Tom J]

Looking goid mate! Tack welds are the way to go. And lots of clamping. I would have got a piece of say 35x70mm box tube and clamped it in several places to the flat bar piece you were working on. Then going from the outsides in to the middle as your box frame will also slightly warp from the welds. Tack everything first then repeat the clamping process all over again with your filler welds.

It's hard with long runs like that. Partly the reason bojan S uses C channel for his bed. Although I find welding much easier, drilling and bolting would have given a better result.

Whats the link for your thread?

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

Here is my latest build
http://www.mycncuk.com/threads/9073-...-router-3-axis
Small work area but was aiming for accuracy. Box 100x100 end up with ~0.07mm that is why i build again fixed gantry one, link:
http://www.mycncuk.com/threads/10459...teel-frame-MK2
Boyan is master in precision fallow him - he gets 0.02mm wich is more than my chinese mill

[JAZZCNC]

Boyan is master in precision fallow him - he gets 0.02mm wich is more than my chinese mill

Ye and I'm father Xmas.!!

[Tom J]

Looking goid mate! Tack welds are the way to go. And lots of clamping. I would have got a piece of say 35x70mm box tube and clamped it in several places to the flat bar piece you were working on. Then going from the outsides in to the middle as your box frame will also slightly warp from the welds. Tack everything first then repeat the clamping process all over again with your filler welds.

It's hard with long runs like that. Partly the reason bojan S uses C channel for his bed. Although I find welding much easier, drilling and bolting would have given a better result.

Whats the link for your thread?

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

My frame was not more than 1mm warp as I tack it everything and weld one bead at the time, cool down and opposite side and so on. I have to admit that I broke my rule and did not let to cool enough (firstly was warp corners down than after cool opposite) - £100+ waste on steel and gas, lesson learnt. I bit it with sledge hammer, driven by the car and finally filled down, so my 8mm bars became 4mm in places:)
Now I use Tig just to see if I can do better