Yeah the motor wiring certainly seems to be the bear in the room but at least your aware of this now...there is more than enough spare crimps for you to practice with lol...And if push comes to shove the customer service at Ooznest is second to none.
Yeah, they have been pretty good. Some of the Grub Screws where missing from the Lead Screw Lock Collars, so they stuck them in the post and I had them the next day. Shouldn't happen in the first place, but they reacted well.
I would advise based on my findings to take each wire out of the white connector for each motor. Thus is easily done with an electrical screwdriver... I just cut the white connectors off and re-wired new connectors by soldering each metal tab to the wires. Piece of mind.
@hobdayd. Will do, Cheers. Out of interest, how long did you spend on your build all in? I'm probably about 10 hours in, and nearing completion of the mechanical assembly. I imagine the electronics side/setup is going to take me a whole lot longer...
Same...about 10 hours. All went very well. The kit I think is very well manufactured. (Although as a automotive engineer I could see eliminating dozens of screws from the kit). I already have a Duet on a 3d delta printer I built 2 years ago so the config and firmware updating was not a problem. (Although I did have help from Alex on the Fusion 360 post process). I do think it would be beneficial if someone took the time to write out updating firmware for those not familiar with the process. It can be daunting...especially connecting to WiFi and config g settings. B&Q are great for cutting the MDF spoil board. I then used the Workbee to drill holes and recesses to bolt it down to the supports using the drop in T nuts. I was lucky and noticed the stepper motor cable issue. I prefer soldered connections anyway! I used a water cooled spindle...this took some research but I found a 65mm 1.5kW ER11 motor that works well. I had to design and make a motor holder to fit the Z axis. Thank you Delta printer. I think the biggest issue is starting using simple Duet compatible g code commands to undrrstand how to move the machine around followed by really deciding in a CAD/CAM package. Understanding g code allows you to view a post process and understand what the CAM is telling the machine to do. I settled on Fusion 360...the CAM side has taken some. Understanding work coordinate system is the key here... I have to say overall I am very impressed. Don PS...where is everyone? I am down by Dover UK
@hobdayd. Thanks for the info. I am based in central Scotland, a town called Bathgate. I am a Mechanical Engineer by day, and have also been questioning some of the assembly methods/machining of the plates. I have made some notes in the instructions that I may feed back to Ooznest for their consideration. I went with their Dewalt router option to get me up and running. There is a guy I follow on Instagram that is trialling the use of Festool and Fein spindles on his Workbee CNC. He 3D printed the mounts he needed, and it looks promising from what I've seen. I too plan on going the Fusion 360 route. Initially as it is free, and the fact I use similar CAD packages on a daily basis. I am not averse to paying for Vectric software if it looks more suitable going forward. Definitely to most challenging aspect of the build will be the whole Duet/setup side of things as I have no background in anything like this. Others on this site look to have got through it all unscathed, so I'm hoping for similar! Also looking to build a soundproofing enclosure in the not to distant future. I want to keep the neighbours sweet... Cheers, Graeme
Hi guys, - a couple of points: It's not a good idea to solder wires to crimp connectors (or to "tin" wires in screw connectors) - the wire/solder combination is hard and relatively brittle and the solder can "flow" under pressure resulting in a loose connection. I suspect that the Duet web control does have a setting for "allow moves without homing" and that it comes AFTER config.g and will therefore override it. Settings/user interface - you might need to scroll down to find it depends on your screen. Alex.
Alex, not sure what you mean by "It's not a good idea to solder wires to crimp connectors (or to "tin" wires in screw connectors) - the wire/solder combination is hard and relatively brittle and the solder can "flow" under pressure resulting in a loose connection"...Not an issue with the crimp tag on this connector. Soldered literally 1,000's of these. (I used to be an instrumentation and control engineer). You only solder in the crimp area. Much more reliable than a crimp. Graeme, with the water cooled spindle it is very quiet. Ryan suggested keeping the spindle weight under 3kg. Mine is a Chinese spindle at 3.2kg. Coupled with a Chinese water chiller...my biggest problem is a noisy vacuum cleaner! 1.5KW WATER COOLED SPINDLE MOTOR HIGH SPEED ENGRAVING NUMERICAL WHOLESALE 283961323337 | eBay 220V CW-3000DG Thermolysis Industrial Water Chiller for 60 / 80W CO2 Glass Tube 607885251666 | eBay 1.5KW 220V VFD 2HP 7A HuanYang VSD VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVE INVERTER 682698195277 | eBay Don
I'll be really interested as to how that Chiller works out. I've been thinking about getting one, but not many people feel the need.
Interesting with the spindle... I'd seem them in use on video, but never actually looked too closely at them myself. Didn't realise they are far quieter than the router. That'll be something for much further down the line. Looks a bit of an outlay, all that extra kit!
The chiller worked out more than a radiator, pump, reservoir but it is all self contained and makes lufe simple.
@G-Wizard There has been an issue with the crimping on some machines. If you have an issue, email us, and we can ship a whole new set out to you right away on a next day service. Apologies for any trouble it has caused you.
Hi @Alex Chambers. I noticed in your build post that you originally set your machine up with the 3x 2080 VSlot for the spoiler board supports. I'm guessing the spacing for the 3x 2080 is one in the centre of the machine, and then the other two centred either side of that? The manual that come with mine only accounts for 2x 2080 VSlot for the spoiler board supports, so just wanted to check before tightening it all up. It also means I have to use some of the Drop-In Tee Nuts for the 3rd 2080, as the instructions only made allowances for the two supports. Thanks.
Hi @G-Wizard, page 35 of the assembly manual for the screw driven Workbee from Ooznest gives the spacing for both 750 and 1000 mm wide machines. For 1000 mm X axis it says the spacing for the outer two should be 219 mm from the inside edge of the corner bracket - I just put them where they would support the edge of my spoiler board. (it does also tell you how many t-nuts for different X axis lengths, but drop in t-nuts will work fine). Alex.
Hi @Alex Chambers, thanks for clarifying. I must have completely glossed over those instructions in my haste... I will re-read the manual later, I can't seem to get access to the electronic version on the @Ooznest site at the moment. It's some size of a machine once it's all built up... It didn't look this big when I was looking at the sizes on paper!
I didn't agree with the spacing in the manual anyway - I'm using mdf for my spoiler board and it will sag if unsupported. I had some mdf 610 mm wide so I put the outer supports close to the edge. When I get around to getting some wider mdf for a new spoiler board I will move the outer supports. I am also trying to think of a way to fix the spoiler board that will make changing it easier - I am using T nuts in the top groove of the supports at the moment and it is a real pain getting everything to line up. Some people fix the spoiler board to the bench under the machine, but I have yet to make a table I want to fix the machine frame to. (I want to make a torsion bench when I find/make a perfectly flat surface to make it on) Alex.
I use a piece of 18mm marine ply under my machine (Same size as the machine) and bolt through the spoil board to the ply underneath . This will keep the spoil board secured where needed and will not bend due to the alu supports of the machine (and save messing the table surface up) The other advantage is that it adds weight to the machine while still making it 'moveable' if needed. I also have my machine / ply sandwich sat on foam matting (The jigsaw floor mats you can get from the local DIY place - about 10mm thick and quite dense) to absorb vibrations.
I'm using drop in t-nuts. Install them on the board. Make sure they are snug an parallel to the slots. Drop the board onto the supports. Loosen the screws so the tnuts drop into the slot, then retighten. It makes it really simple. I've had mine off and on several times without issue.
Thats actually a cool idea, dampening...I like that. As for my Bee...well let's just say she's fastened down lol
You were correct @Alex Chambers, not that it was ever in any doubt! I completely missed the number of Tee-Nuts for my size of machine. Lesson learned - read more, and don't just look at the pictures. On to the electronics next... I may not have read far enough ahead in the manuals, but does the power cable for the Router end up getting fed through the Drag Chains as well?
ABSOLUTELY NOT @G-Wizard! Keep power cables away from stepper motor and limit switch wiring or you may find your machine behaving in rather odd ways. Alex.
Hi All, Just thought I'd share where I'm at... I've mounted all the drag chains, and fed through all of the wires/cables. Wasn't anything too traumatic. Had to search the Ooznest site for the relevant instructions, as the electronic "full manual" wasn't very clear on what stepper motor wires go where. The "individual" electronic manuals had the information I was looking for. Good shout from @Alex Chambers on the location of the wire for the Z-Axis limit switch. As noted a few replies back, best to tie the limit switch wire on to the side of the machined plate, as it will inevitably rub against the X-Axis drag chain when this gets mounted. On to the PSU configuration next... Cheers, Graeme
Glad to see you've come up for air there @G-Wizard Good to see you're progressing well....keep us up to date Regards C
Thanks @Colin Mccourt . Progress is slow due to the time I can devote (dam day job... ), but progress is being made! Got the PSU wired up tonight, and mounted the X and Y limit switches. Z limit switch was assembled previously after advice from the forum. I'll leave all the connections to the stepper motors etc until tomorrow. Didn't want to get so far along, then forget where I left off. Pleased to see your getting along with your machine now, and producing stuff.
Hi Folks, Just thought I'd provide another update.... I'm up and running! Got the machine moving anyway, after running through the test setup. Had a couple of issues with the stepper motor cables when I connected them to the Duet Controller, 15 of the 6 wires all broke out the connector in some way, shape or form! I decided to cut them all, and re-terminate them with some solder. Saved writing a few days off having to wait on new cables from Ooznest. I know this had been mentioned previously, but I mustn't have checked them well enough at the time. Problem solved anyway... I had to adjust some of the limit switches as well, but that was no big deal. My biggest bugbear so far is losing connection between my laptop and the Duet controller. Seem to have a more stable connection when I use my tablet for some reason. Might put a wi-fi range extender in the garage and connect through that to see if it makes any difference. Next step is to get some material for a spoiler board. Thanks to all for the advice provided in helping me get to this point. Cheers, Graeme
There is a video on Ooznest's U Tube channel on how to set up the duet as an access point which might help - on my phone at the moment so I'll try to post the link later (it is in @Colin Mccourt's thread if you can't find it). Alex.
Thanks @Alex Chambers, that worked a treat. I had only recently watched that video as well... The connection between the laptop and WorkBee is spot on now. Am I right in thinking that the "hot-spot" is purely a networked connection between the WorkBee and my laptop, i.e. there should be no access to the internet via this connection? Cheers, Graeme
