CNC machines

[Hood]

that’s the only fault I can find with the xtreme table. Mine are due for renewal so I’m tempted to put some curved ones on there and see how that works

Curved works good although it is amazing how much you still get the arc running along for a bit. The spiked ones I made for the current table work well but there is a downside to them as well, that being there is not so much friction between the material and table so it is much easier to knock out of place if the torch tickles a tip up. I have only had that happen a couple of times and all on small bits of material but it is something I am mindful of now and occasionally, spare material permitting, I will put a heavy lump of steel on it to weigh it down.

 

[Barking Mat]

that’s the only fault I can find with the xtreme table. Mine are due for renewal so I’m tempted to put some curved ones on there and see how that works

Things will roll off....

Coat, door.

 

[James1979]

Curved works good although it is amazing how much you still get the arc running along for a bit. The spiked ones I made for the current table work well but there is a downside to them as well, that being there is not so much friction between the material and table so it is much easier to knock out of place if the torch tickles a tip up. I have only had that happen a couple of times and all on small bits of material but it is something I am mindful of now and occasionally, spare material permitting, I will put a heavy lump of steel on it to weigh it down.

The xtreme ones are spiked, kind of, but it’s sort of 6 and two 3’s really. The material does slip a bit on them, but once there is a bit of build up they’re redundant anyway.

I have several chunks of 1” plate about 6x6 which I use as weights. Some **** on an American plasma forum was marketing something similar as ‘gravity clamps’ which made me chuckle

Reason I went for 1” is that the torch travel height is 30mm default so it’s max weight for height

 

[Hood]

If I recall the Xtreme are tiny wee spikes, I was going to go down that route at first but then decided to make a triangular pattern.

 

[Hood]

Cut them out a sheet of 3mm but spaced them as below.

That meant I had the scrap as more and all I had to do was zip through with the angle grinder..

 

[Barking Mat]

If I recall the Xtreme are tiny wee spikes, I was going to go down that route at first but then decided to make a triangular pattern.

View attachment 313121

The fact they're not all aligned would drive my OCD nuts.

But, I'm too slack to suffer from OCD...

 

[mtt.tr]

I would be wearing a mask as well, once had the galvie flu bad and definitely don't want it again.

Yeah I gave it a crap TripAdvisor review as well.

 

[James1979]

Not aligned is good in the cnc plasma world!

 

[ned]

so the galv, 2 things;

I can't cut anything at the mo... I would like to cut slats but I can't, LOL. The open grid flooring will allow me to cut proper slats, so it will do for the mo

2. The fumes from the galv, I am going to be cutting underwater to I reckon it will negate some of the fumes, but again, its a way to get started so I figure 'go with that for now'.

Hood about the small parts, there are two panels for each section, so I can remove a panel easy enough.

@Barking Mat yes the wood is just to roughly get the height, before I weld in angle iron to take the weight of the open grid flooring.

@MattH cheers bud

The guys whos idea it was on youtube, is Rob Broomfield, just to give him credit.

 

[Hood]

Looking at that guys video it seems his flooring is not galvanised and also he has angled it which should make it get cut less. Setting at an angle of 45 degrees would likely have been as bad as straight so he has obviously thought about that and set it at a shallower angle.
Regarding removing, I find it a PITA to have to remove a slat never mind a whole panel but time will tell whether that becomes and issue for you, I much prefer just being able to get my hand in and pick things out without removing anything.

Will be interested to see how the submerged cutting goes, it is one thing I have been wanting to try out but not done yet and was the main reason I bought the spare quick change torch. Mine is blowback ignition and it might get gunged up through time so a quick change head seemed a good idea but sadly it didn't work out but at least I should still have a spare torch head if I need it.

 

[Ned__]

did not notice the angle, will have a look again.

The torch I'm using is a Hypertherm T45M, according to Jim Colt I can immerse the brass cap but that's all, so maybe 10mm of water above the sheet, should remove a lot of the fumes, I hope. Will be fun finding out.
He wrote also that the earth cable for the table (he calls it a 'work' cable) should be out of the water to avoid capillary action along the torch cable.

I havnt a notion, I'll do as he says and hope it doesnt blow up. Apparently it can explode in some fashion.

 

[Hood]

I use water at maybe 5mm to 10mm or so below the material and it removes most of the fumes. If I was doing submerged I likely wouldn't be much above the material and really only for stainless to eradicate the final 0.5mm or so oxidisation I still get at the top.
To do that I need to add a bit at the back of the table so that I can fill further, whether I will ever get round to it or not is another matter

 

[Hood]

A screenshot from his vid showing the angle he has made it at. Too much angle may be just as bad as straight so I think he has probably got it about right.

 

[ned]

So we found a house in Tipperary and I am trying to mobilise all the large things I made in this house, to load them on a large rigid truck.

I have a question - I'm making these wheel brackets for the CNC machine, if I douse the brackets in water after welding, does it make the steel stronger or more brittle?

 

[Onoff]

So we found a house in Tipperary and I am trying to mobilise all the large things I made in this house, to load them on a large rigid truck.

I have a question - I'm making these wheel brackets for the CNC machine, if I douse the brackets in water after welding, does it make the steel stronger or more brittle?

View attachment 316275

Both I think, doesn't quenching both harden the steel and reduce it's ductility thus making it more brittle?

Clever people will be along shortly.

 

[ned]

lol cheers thats what I thiought also.

I didn't dip these, I did melt the heart and soul out of them, I reckon they will be fine.

 

[ned]

It worked, the axles seem to be taking the weight

There is absolutely no steering on it though so im having to jack it up, push it to the side,

repeat, repeat, repeat

 

[Onoff]

Mate has a couple of little Chinese CNC routers. He's having issues with one and just wrote to me:

"Are you on any cnc forums this chinees cnc of mine every now and then while cutting will change the Y axis direction then correct itself but that puts the rest of the project Y reference out by a mm or 2"

Any ideas?

 

[Hood]

Mate has a couple of little Chinese CNC routers. He's having issues with one and just wrote to me:

"Are you on any cnc forums this chinees cnc of mine every now and then while cutting will change the Y axis direction then correct itself but that puts the rest of the project Y reference out by a mm or 2"

Any ideas?

Is it Mach3 it uses? If so it is likely a pirate licence supplied with it and axis reversal happens.

 

[Onoff]

Is it Mach3 it uses? If so it is likely a pirate licence supplied with it and axis reversal happens.

He's just said it is indeed a cracked copy. Why would it only happen now though?