Yeah... I wasn't trying to sell you on it. I was faced with these same decisions when I built my large machine but I knew I was going to be using it pretty heavy so that's why I bit the bullet and went with what I did, honestly I probably have close to 1500-1800 just in the electronics and NEMA 34 motors... The Gecko 540 from what I gather is a good dependable driver and pretty easy to configure, you should be fine with it, plus it's easy on the wallet ...

 

01/10/2015

OK in the home stretch now. Finished cutting and assembling the racks, made new drive plates out of 6061, calibrated all axis. New z slide fits the bill perfectly !!

Thanks to Chris Laidlaw again for coming through on a new router mount backplate to fit the new slide !!

Ran it through a break - in / shake down of 200 reps tonight, everything working great !! I'll be installing the plywood base and a MDF spoilboard tomorrow and trying out a few test cuts. I've ran this rack system as high as 1000ipm and besides being slightly noisy ran fine. I have the rapids dialed back to 300ipm now. I'll run a few 3D files tomorrow at varying feeds and speeds to see what it can handle. Here are a few photos of the nearly completed machine and a video of it running through a 50 cycle breakin..

BTW, I changed the name of the machine, I have horses and Clydesdale just doesn't fit this machine any more, it's much sleeker and fast then a draft horse, this machine was in need of a much cooler name!

 

Thanks !!

And yes they're DB9 cables from CNCRouterparts, came with the electronics kit, motors from there come with those connectors by default.... Gotta be rated pretty high to carry the amps because my Nema 34 motors came with the same plugs.

 

Putting the spoilboard on now and a drag chain on the side to tidy up those messy cables then doing a nice 3D sign as a test cut. If all goes well i'll cut some .25 6061 tonight to see how it handles that...

 

Thanks !! LOL , been alot going on !!

 

Thanks Neil !!

I have used R&P for about 2 years now on my other machine (1/2 x 1/2 rack rather than 1/4 x 1/4 on the small machine), no issues whatsoever. Part of it is the racks face downward, so any debris that might fall on them doesn't effect tooth engagement. I use Nema 34 R&P Pro Drives from CNCRouterparts for that machine, the tension is supplied to the rack through a spring system so it keeps constant tension between the pinion gear and the rack itself. I used that same method on the little one, just went with direct drive instead of a belt reduction system. ShopBot used this same drive system (direct with spring loaded tensioners) on their large PRS CNC's successfully for along time, figured if it was good enough for a 6x12 machine it'll work on a little one...

Here is a link to a fellow who with a R&P Z slide...

http://www.themakersguide.com/home/products/warp-drive-project

He has since redid it all out of 3/4 6061 I believe but he uses it quite a bit.. Not sure how he keeps the chips out but I think it uses the same spring loaded tensioner system so it might just ride over them... I'm not a fan of R&P on the Z myself, rather do acme or ballscrews, easier to keep clean...

 

LOL that's right... I just took what was proven to work with other machines and apply those ideas to mine, I like to try reinventing the wheel, but it's alot of work.. I do like acme screws but over a long distance like a long Y axis thats 6 feet long, they tend to want to whip and bow at high speeds. My other machine is 9 feet long, getting ready to be extended to 11 feet, rack is the only affordable drive that makes sense for that length...

 

This build is almost wrapped up, just need to tackle the vacuum jigs/pucks and put together a good vacuum pump system and we're done. As for the machine it's exceeded my expectations !!! I can run feeds and speeds cutting signs as fast as my big machine. Everything went together perfectly, we only had one tiny problem, the spur gear on the gantry carriage drive was poorly machined, while running 120ipm doing some 3D cuts it skipped a couple teeth. We tore down that drive unit and replaced the spur gear with one we got in from Misumi and installed a slightly stiffer spring on the tensioner. Works perfectly now, we've been cutting signs all day..

Our online store is about ready to go live, Area 51 CNC Parts , you will be able to order complete with electronics kits for both the Ox and the F-117 CNC, frame and hardware kits, upgrade gantry kits for the Ox, plates kits for the Ox and F-117, plus a whole bunch of other bits and pieces you may need !!

The plates kits will include all three stepper drive plates for Nema 23/17 motors, 2 Y plates, 2 X plates and the cross braces that go in the X carriage to "box" it. These will be initially offered in your choice of green G10, black xx Phenolic, and of course 6061 aluminum. The stepper drive plates for all kits will be machined from 6061 and come with the bushing pressed and a matching shoulder bolt.

We are are now a Openbuilds Distributor and will be offering up all the great products you see here shipping from the deep south!! (Florida )In addition to the line of Openbuilds products we will also be supplying a wide variety of electronics, motors, hardware, CNC bits for wood as well as aluminum, vacuum pucks and vac parts.

I would like to personally thank Mark Carew and the folks behind Openbuilds for creating the Ox and providing such great products !!

Here are some of the latest videos and photo we shot yesterday while the F-177 was doing it's thing... Enjoy !!

btw... might want to turn your sound down a bit, I have both machines running, dust collector and a air compressor kicking on from time to time...

 

Hmmm not sure whats happening with the site, the coming soon page is the only page up.... Can you let me know via private conversation what error you received?

If anyone else runs into problems with the site please let me know so I can correct them ASAP. Thanks !!

As for offering the plates for 4080 yes we will as well a 5010 version..

 

Not just yet, we were having some issues with the rack clamps on the Misumi extrusion interfering with pinion engagement on the gantry drive, we don't have the issue on the v-slot extrusions, so we have the gantry apart sorting that out first. While we have just a bit of down time, I cut out plates for the gantry out of 6061.. I'll post some photos as soon as we get them cleaned up and the gantry carriage back together.

As soon as I cut a piece of 6061 with it i'll be posting a vid and some photos !!

 

Here we are finally complete and working great !!! Removed the clamps holding the rack on the gantry and had a local welder TIG weld the rack to a 1/8 mild steel backer in which I drilled holes to mount to the 4080 Misumi extrusion. Also got a chance to cut a new back gantry plate and braces out of 3/8" 6061, really stiffened up the gantry carriage, can't wait to cut and install the front and two Y axis ones. Works like a champ now, cut out about 6 signs, 2 of which were complete 3D and took 4 hours a piece to cut. Took it for a spin cutting 1/4" 6061 Aluminum plate tonight, worked perfectly. Cut out a few more stepper drive plates, no issues... I'm posting 1 video tonight and a couple photos, i'll update tommarow with a few more showing more of it cutting 6061 and a couple 3D signs...