wdwerker Posted July 23, 2016 Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 Good luck with fixing that pump ! I use a 40+ year old Gast vane pump to hold parts in my shop. It's noisy and spits oil but it's simple and reliable. Adding a foot valve really helped my work flow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difalkner Posted July 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 10 hours ago, micks said: You'll want to use dedicated gasket fixtures with that pump. It's a high pressure pump and should be fine for the table size you have. The fact that it's quiet is a (no politics involved here) HUGE bonus. I'm really anxious to see how this thing performs. BTW, software? CorelDRAW X8, SketchUp, Fusion 360, Mach 4 (although I have yet to buy the license for Mach 4 - considering Mach 3, as well). I've been using CorelDRAW since version 2 and have bought several upgrades through the years so I am very comfortable with beginning my drawings in that and exporting svg into Fusion 360. A couple of years ago I spent a lot of time in SketchUp but haven't used it in a while. I'm on the fence with controller software. I well understand that 10's of thousands of folks use Mach 3 and that Mach 4 may not be quite ready for every task but I just have an issue buying something that's EOL and stuck in the previous decade. I'm using ESS or I would get UCCNC software. I just wish all this stuff talked to each other on a standard open source platform and not all be so proprietary. 9 hours ago, wdwerker said: Good luck with fixing that pump ! I use a 40+ year old Gast vane pump to hold parts in my shop. It's noisy and spits oil but it's simple and reliable. Adding a foot valve really helped my work flow. Gotta' say I was a little surprised and perplexed when I put the kit in, fired it up, and had virtually no vacuum. That was a bit disappointing. I made a vacuum fixture for gluing braces on an acoustic guitar back/top and then realized my vacuum pump didn't do its part in the process so I set it aside. Now it's time to get back into it and see what I can do to make it work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted July 23, 2016 Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 It looks like something you will find in any of the Labs in the Science Building at Goddard with all the 80/20 parts, and blue powder coated frame, although theirs are specific setups for science experiments, and not a CNC machine. I don't remember seeing many 2x4's there though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difalkner Posted July 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 3 hours ago, Tom King said: It looks like something you will find in any of the Labs in the Science Building at Goddard with all the 80/20 parts, and blue powder coated frame, although theirs are specific setups for science experiments, and not a CNC machine. I don't remember seeing many 2x4's there though. Yep, it's probably identical to those in the Labs. Which is where it came from - Falkner Labs in Bossier City. But alas, they never changed the oil or cleaned it and some of the uses for it were in a corrosive environment so the innards were ugly as could be and stunk to high heavens! It cleaned up nicely and the kit went in smoothly so I'm a bit bummed by it not working properly. But I plan to try it again soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difalkner Posted July 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2016 Quick question - I see VFD's mounted inside panels/enclosures and others mounted away from the machine on a wall or column; which is better? Do they need to be on a wall or column away from the machine for heat and vibration reasons, quick access to the control panel, etc., or is it just personal preference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick S Posted July 27, 2016 Report Share Posted July 27, 2016 7 minutes ago, difalkner said: Quick question - I see VFD's mounted inside panels/enclosures and others mounted away from the machine on a wall or column; which is better? Do they need to be on a wall or column away from the machine for heat and vibration reasons, quick access to the control panel, etc., or is it just personal preference? It really doesn't matter as long as they're not too close to the cutting action. I think it makes sense to mount them to a stationary frame member as opposed to a moving gantry, etc. That said, plenty of industrial CNC routers have them in a cabinet on the back of the gantry. To me, convenience is key. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difalkner Posted July 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2016 The spindle mount just arrived. I'm now 5 minutes closer to finishing - LOL! That's all it took to mount this, so while I can't run without it I figure I've only gained 5 minutes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difalkner Posted July 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2016 The screw caps also came in with the spindle mount and I had time tonight after church to put those on - 72 of them! That took a lot longer than mounting the spindle, for sure. But it will keep dust out of the screw holes and help lengthen the life of the bearings. After I put them in I dressed each one down to make sure nothing was sticking up proud of the surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted July 29, 2016 Report Share Posted July 29, 2016 That is quite the machine there. I look forward to seeing what you make with it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difalkner Posted July 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2016 Well, bummer... I am all set to wire the enclosure this weekend and my box arrived on time from Amazon, as usual. However, for the first time in a long time they sent the wrong item. I ordered a 16x16x8 enclosure and they sent a 20x24x8 box. That would be ok if it would fit but it is way too large and I'm gonna have to send it back. I'd have to modify the stand or mount it somewhere off the machine for this to work for me and I don't wish to do either of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difalkner Posted July 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2016 Well, the 16x16x8 enclosure came in today from Amazon and it appears God was watching out for me via Amazon shipping the 24x20x8 enclosure on Friday. I typically plan to the last little detail but on the enclosure choice I never laid out all the components, just assumed 16x16x8 would be sufficient. Man, was I wrong!! So I'm keeping the larger (wrong) one sent on Friday and shipping back the smaller one. I loosely laid out the components on the back plate and there's no way this would have ever fit on the smaller one - 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post difalkner Posted August 2, 2016 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted August 2, 2016 The spacer for the Z axis motor came in today along with the correct 14mm flex mount so now that's complete (except wiring) - This measurement doesn't mean anything but for scale it is 31" from the top of the motor to the bottom of the spindle nut - 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elroy Skimms Posted August 5, 2016 Report Share Posted August 5, 2016 That machine looks fantastic. I built a 5'x10' kit from https://www.buildyourcnc.com/ last year in my garage. I run into rigidity issues in the frame, so my accuracy is only within a 1/16" if I cut thicker than 1/2" material. But I'm finding it's great for cutting MDF templates for furniture parts. It also does a great job on acrylic but I need to add a vacuum table if I want to do more of that. Now if only I could fit my wife's minivan back in the garage, I'd be all set. -E 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difalkner Posted August 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2016 17 minutes ago, Elroy Skimms said: That machine looks fantastic. I built a 5'x10' kit from https://www.buildyourcnc.com/ last year in my garage. I run into rigidity issues in the frame, so my accuracy is only within a 1/16" if I cut thicker than 1/2" material. But I'm finding it's great for cutting MDF templates for furniture parts. It also does a great job on acrylic but I need to add a vacuum table if I want to do more of that. Now if only I could fit my wife's minivan back in the garage, I'd be all set. -E Thanks, Elroy! It is a nice machine and the main reason I chose this one is for rigidity and repeatability. Both are suppose to be in the range of 0.001" to 0.002" and as rigid as it is I have to believe it's going to be very tight. Btw, no car has been in our garage in over 6 years and there's no way one would fit now. It would be nice to have an actual shop and use the garage for cars, though, but I am definitely glad I don't have to move things around to make room for cars every night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difalkner Posted August 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2016 More of the electronic components came in today but I am waiting on a 12V power supply (just ordered today due to a change in plans from the way I originally intended one component), a terminal strip, and a few connectors. I'll likely make a little platform for the 5V and place the 12V PSU under it to save some back plate space. I'll be sure to give it enough space for all to remain cool but there's no reason not to stack these. The pushbutton switches are both momentary with the green start button being NO and the red mushroom button being NC. The circuit I have designed will close the relays and start the power supplies and fans with the green button but nothing else will run until directed by the controller software. If I install a manual jog then that would work, though. The red button is not an emergency stop though it would have the same effect. It will cause the relays to open and there would be no power at all to the components. These pushbuttons will be at the opposite end of what I would call the 'front' of the machine so even though the red button is accessible I'll have other real e-stop switches located in better places for immediate use. The relays in the bottom right corner will be for 120VAC and 240VAC. Only one of the contactors will be used on the 120V unless I decide to split the load and use both. The 240V relay will only be used for the VFD/Spindle. Both will open in the event of a power loss and that ensures the system won't restart on its own when power is restored. I'm also allowing enough room for one more stepper driver for a future A axis installation. I'll go ahead and drill/tap the holes for it but will get the driver later. There will be a second and smaller fan to the right of the VFD and it will blow out. The bottom fan will blow in across the stepper drivers and power supplies. So this is what it looks like in my initial layout, which is of course subject to change - 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difalkner Posted August 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 We've been out of town moving my daughter to New Orleans and I'm still waiting on a couple of things before I start wiring, but I did manage to build the little platform mount for the 5V power supply. I'll get the holes drilled and tapped in the aluminum angle so I can mount the power supply but have to wait before committing to placement on the panel until the other things come in. Also, I'm starting a project with some beautiful Curly Maple and Walnut so I'll be bouncing back and forth between getting this wired up and doing some woodworking. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted August 18, 2016 Report Share Posted August 18, 2016 Do you think wood dust is going to infiltrate your switch box ? Filters on the intake & exhaust openings ? Are you under threat of flooding ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difalkner Posted August 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2016 12 minutes ago, wdwerker said: Do you think wood dust is going to infiltrate your switch box ? Filters on the intake & exhaust openings ? Are you under threat of flooding ? Hey Steve - no sir, I don't think I'll get much dust in the enclosure. It is sealed and the only entry for air will be the fan with filter on the bottom of the cabinet. This will put the fan about 6" off the floor. The exit fan will have a grill but no filter and I may put a shroud over it so no dust or chips can fall into the opening. We had to evacuate in March of this year due to flooding in the Shreveport/Bossier City area but thankfully no water reached our house. We know several people in the south part of the state, in and around Baton Rouge and Lafayette, that have flooding in their houses, some likely beyond repair. Sad, truly sad. It's been raining here for about 10 days straight but not heavy enough to flood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FineLineAutomation Posted August 18, 2016 Report Share Posted August 18, 2016 Do you think wood dust is going to infiltrate your switch box ? Filters on the intake & exhaust openings ? Are you under threat of flooding ? Your typical NEMA enclosure is going to have filtered intakes that should be good enough to keep most of the dust out. A good dust shoe on the spindle should pick up 90-95% of the dust. You will want one because these machines can really throw sawdust everywhere when you get them going. Nate Fine Line Automation www.finelineautomation.com 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difalkner Posted August 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2016 I may actually have all the components I need now to wire this up but in the meantime I decided to test my submersible water pump. It seemed fitting to do a little video so that's what I did and you may find it lightly entertaining, at my expense of course... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elroy Skimms Posted August 18, 2016 Report Share Posted August 18, 2016 I was expecting to see it blast you in the face. I can neither confirm nor deny that I hosed myself with my spindle cooling pump. I don't know what you have planned for your cooling system, but I highly recommend something like this: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/water-cooling-Flow-Indicator-r-with-digital-thermometer/782091973.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.140.APXvwY It provides a visual indicator that the water is moving (I had the tube disconnect inside my tank and had no flow) and it also provides a thermometer so you can keep an eye on the temperature. I also took a note from water-cooled computer systems and added some silver to the system to keep stuff from growing in the water. -E 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difalkner Posted August 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2016 46 minutes ago, Elroy Skimms said: I was expecting to see it blast you in the face. I can neither confirm nor deny that I hosed myself with my spindle cooling pump. I don't know what you have planned for your cooling system, but I highly recommend something like this: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/water-cooling-Flow-Indicator-r-with-digital-thermometer/782091973.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.140.APXvwY It provides a visual indicator that the water is moving (I had the tube disconnect inside my tank and had no flow) and it also provides a thermometer so you can keep an eye on the temperature. I also took a note from water-cooled computer systems and added some silver to the system to keep stuff from growing in the water. -E This is actually the second test... the first one surprised me a bit more and I came close to spraying myself but the video wasn't very good. Therefore, it never happened! LOL! I actually looked at that very unit and figured I would add it at some point. Where did you get the silver you added to your system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted August 18, 2016 Report Share Posted August 18, 2016 A couple of pilot lights are useful too. I wired two to a circuit I made, a green one indicates there is power to the contactor and a red one indicates there is power running through the contactor. Just don't make the same mistake I made: even though I asked for 220v pilot lights (since the coil in my contactor was also 220v) I got 24v delivered instead. And since I didn't check them before wiring them to my circuit, they blew up... but I got to successfully test the thermal overload relay I also installed in my circuit LOL. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elroy Skimms Posted August 18, 2016 Report Share Posted August 18, 2016 1 hour ago, difalkner said: I actually looked at that very unit and figured I would add it at some point. Where did you get the silver you added to your system? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A66HMRC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The coil is a good size for going inside a hose/tube but large enough that it won't sneak through a coupler into the spindle. -E 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difalkner Posted August 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2016 2 hours ago, Immortan D said: A couple of pilot lights are useful too. I wired two to a circuit I made, a green one indicates there is power to the contactor and a red one indicates there is power running through the contactor. Just don't make the same mistake I made: even though I asked for 220v pilot lights (since the coil in my contactor was also 220v) I got 24v delivered instead. And since I didn't check them before wiring them to my circuit, they blew up... but I got to successfully test the thermal overload relay I also installed in my circuit LOL. I have been thinking about pilot lights but I won't see them much since the enclosure will be on the opposite end of where I'll typically operate the machine. My green power light is illuminated, though. 1 hour ago, Elroy Skimms said: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A66HMRC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The coil is a good size for going inside a hose/tube but large enough that it won't sneak through a coupler into the spindle. -E Wow, that's simple! Did you add any other additive to your water and did you use distilled water? I see a lot of systems with blue or red (pink) water... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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