If he knows of anybody with a nice table saw or calibrated miter saw this would be the best way, just take the parts there and have them trimmed. You can use any reasonable carbide saw blade to make the cuts and it can be a half mm at a time.. Or buy a 10" $20 blade off amazon for aluminum cutting. The key is holding the aluminum well (with fasteners or clamps) so it doesn't drift off the cut line which it will try to do. Can even be done on a large belt or disk sander. Gary
I friend of mine says he has the tools to do it. Thanks so much Gary (and others above) for the aluminum cutting tips. Much appreciated.
A friend of mine (retired engineer) had a nice miter saw with a nice metal cutting blade. He made a custom jig to a length a little less than the beams sent and sliced straight through the all of the ends. Worked well. Yes, knowing the need for this ahead of time would've saved me a day. Also, build slowly, as the video I watched 1/2 year ago does not tell you where to put all of the m5 tee nuts and angle connectors. I actually missed a couple in one place and added a couple of angle connectors in another place...causing me to take the machine apart a couple of times (and also ordering more parts because I didn't want to continue taking it apart the third time). I'll try to take a photo later today and post it and point out a couple of the discrepancies. We're (the engineer and I) done building it for the most part, and now need to add a couple of sensors and learn how to use it. I really haven't had time to mess with it until this week.
Keep us (me) posted. I've got the tools to do all the work, just nice to know what to expect. Still pricing and specing out my build.
There are quite a few things you'll want to do to finish your build. After I finished the assembly of my workbee, I have added: locktite to every single screw that doesn't have a nylon nut. In other words, every single screw that is bolted to aluminum or inserted nut. The vibration of the router will loosen your screws limit switches x-pro box fans for the the x-pro drag chains spoil board surface your spoil board t-nuts for the spoil board dust shoe (in progress) IP camera The great thing is that you can use your working workbee to help you build some of the stuff you need. The x-pro box can be built from 1/4 mdf or ply, the spoil board can be (and should be) surfaced, t-nut holes, and dust shoe. They are great projects that pay-off big-specially the dust shoe. I didn't have one when I surfaced my spoil board and boy oh boy, I made so much dust in my garage, it was everywhere. A camera is also a great addition. After you begin to trust your skills and familiarity with your CNC, you'll want to let it do its thing while you take care of other things. My spoil board took 4 hours to do. I kept an eye on it all the time while I watched some TV and in a dust free air-conditioned room. It is a bit scary at first, but eventually, you'll have to do it. While watching your CNC mill projects is fun at first, the fact is that you'll want to multitask at some point.
Thanks Isisyodin, You're right, there are a number of things that one will need to add to their base order of the Workbee. Great idea about the locktite, which we haven't done (yet). Limit switches, fans, the control system, spoil board, etc. all need to be included. We're going to 3D print a dust shoe, and the IP camera I'd like to do at some point. Below are some photos of our build. Note the extra tee nut that was abandoned due to my "jumping to conclusions" when trying to follow the video. This wasn't the only one. The video is pretty good overall; just take it slow. Squaring the frame is a must before anything.
Nice build. I remember when mine looked that clean. I also 3D printed my dust shoe, but I like ooznest’s clear acrylic design better. Being able to take a peek without taking the dust shoe off is great. I bought a piece of 1/2” acrylic, so I just need to mill it. BTW. I like your clamps. Where did you get them?
Thanks Hector for the dust shoe recommendation. Will do. A friend of mine (the other builder on this machine) recommended the low profile clamps from Lee Valley Tools, Veritas® Surface Dogs, 3/4" Post - Lee Valley Tools, and Veritas® Quick-Release Wonder Dog® - Lee Valley Tools They're nice and will be worth the money.
