Hey folks. I think the Sphinx 55 design would work for my needs, but how do i make it waterproof? Not water resistant, water proof. I am building a waterjet cutter, so there will be lots of water and sand. Anyone know of an "extreme conditions" build? Thanks! J.
Best suggestion would be to build it upside down to where the jet is shooting away from machine rather than into the middle of it. And what I mean by upside down is hang the X-axis below from the Y-axis rails and then point the Z-axis down from there. Push the z-axis down through a bellows that keeps the moisture from coming up. It'll take some thinking but it's doable. You'll still probably want to put the electronics in a watertight enclosure in which case you'll also have to think about cooling. (A mini-fridge might work nicely.) If humidity is going to be a problem you may need to invest in ceramic bearings. What are the dimensions of the workable area?
Thanks. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. This would certainly do a better job of keeping water and abrasive out of the gantry. J.
First pass at the main structure. It is roughly the same size as your typical stove. BOM: 16x 1000mm 2x2 2x 1500mm 2x2 1x 500mm 2x2 Since there will be over 150 pounds of water in the catch tank, I may need to beef up the main structure to handle the weight. Maybe 2x4 would be a better option in some locations. For reference, it's about the same size as an average stove. More soon! J.
