Machine

[ned]

Hi all


so I've started assembling this thing. Wont be much more progress tonight but i anticipate there will be tomo. Was going to put it in the arc welding forum but, it should live here, and, i think ive figured out how to avoid the steel pulling out of square when I weld it. ...... for the most part.

big old plasma table ) with Ballscrews all round ) Was chatting with GerryMoore and he has been using a ballscrew on the Y axis for years with no issues, so that was enough assurance for me. Plus I just like them, I think they are pretty cool.

Was running though other options, but i have everything here, i figure why complicate things.

So first pics, currently measuring and marking, getting the distance right between the gantry and the frame. Will mark it all up tonight and start cutting in the morning.

as always, I'd appreciate people pointing out things I'm doing wrong or could do better, also to waffle away, im not one for staying on topic.

 

[AdrianH]

Hi ned, this is the same table is it not? if yes then good? But! Can I ask you a question or two about it, have you had it running as it is how fast can you prin the motors and how many steps per mm do you have and how fast can your travel.
So 3 questions for you there.

Next set of questions, what is your plasma cutter, you probably have said, just memory and all that.
What do you think you will be cutting the most. thick metal 5 plus mm for fabrication work of this stuff or possibly more around 2 to 3 mm stuff for arty work?

Adrian

 

[ned]

Adrian appreciate you chiming in, your a man who knows stuff and thats, well its great.
I feel like a disappointment though cos if this were an exam im failing, I havnt a notion bout the steps, nor the speed.

how fast can it travel..... this is the fastest I could make it move before something gave and the machine cut out -

I can tell you the motors i have though ...... hold on that info is on my work laptop, ill get it when I head in.


What will i be cutting: 8mm for large sale art stuff. Like the sculpture they have on motorways and roundabouts. Large things.
....Parts for my truck, brackets, bumpers, smallest maybe 3mm. 4x4 parts, I want to make diff guards, more 8mm.
Mainly beteen 6mm and 8mm i reckon.

I know travel speed will be an issue for lighter stuff. Cest la vie.

I have a Hypertherm powermax 45.



I dont have several things -

a machine torch, but ill get to that, in the meantime ill trigger it manually somehow, even if i have to do it by hand.

a suitable controller, but Hood was kind enough to point me to a CSMIO/IP-A

A TCH, im going to use yours, but have yet to build it.

Any notion about sheetcam, but I have a plan, or at least a notion, how to begin that process.

So basically im diving in without knowing all the facts. But I'll get there.

 

[Hood]

If you are using steppers then likely the stepper drives will be Step/Dir control rather than +/- 10v Analogue.
If that is the case then you do not want to get a CSMIO/IP-A, you should instead look at the CSMIO/IP-S.
Both the the IP-A and IP-S have a THC option in them (not tried it myself) so if you can supply the correct voltage from your plasma then you shouldn't really need a stand alone controller. I think Hyperthem have that capability but maybe it is only certain models?

 

[AdrianH]

Well to me that is probably around 6 metres per minute, so a good speed in my book. From playing steppers seem to loose it after 800 rpm, but there are so many variables.

Sheetcam I have enough information to get by and I am trying to pick up as I go along. many of the plasma videos I see are just about what they can do with a machine not how to get there, hence why I do mine for the beginners like me.

I have found, bookmarked and may be of interest for you are a set of tutorials on sheetcam done by one of the plasma manufacturers, starting here.

The Hypertherm will cut a lot faster than my machine but I would like to bet your table will cope well.


Adrian

 

[ned]

cheers guys ) had to call it a night - i had everything marked out, took hours, and then 10 mins ago I twigged that i forgot to run the square on the frigging front and end beams before marking.... thats what you get for operating when you are too tired. I'll pick it up again in the morning, it shouldnt take too long to make right.
Hoping to at least make a start on the welding tomo.

Going to have a browse at those vids but I wont be able to absorb it right now.

I'm thinking, what I might do is get an existing design and then mess with it. Ive used lots of drawing programs before, illustrator, photoshop, I was in graphic design college so i should pick it up easily enough, I hope. I my current job I work with scripts so hopefully I'll do okay with that stuff too.

Hood thats good bout the THC, one less piece in the puzzle, though it did look like fun setting up Adrians one. Gadgets. I like gadgets.

 

[AdrianH]

Should start a club called The Gadgeteers (Gadgetiers?) Think there would be quite a few members.

Adrian

 

[ned]

got this far then got drunk.

 

[Hood]

Is the box frame so that you can make a tray/water table?

 

[ned]

Hood im making a fan attached to that bast@87. mobile fan unit. black soot begone.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

then got drunk.

Step away from all the tools........

 

[ned]

i would love advice about welding this thing by the way. Any and all insight appreciated. I'm going to weld gussets onto the corners, 100mm or so up the corners, and then start at low amperage.

 

[ned]

I am maintaining a 40 foot distance from the workpieces.

 

[Hood]

Hood im making a fan attached to that bast@87. mobile fan unit. black soot begone.

Not really sure what you mean but I am sure you do
I presume you are keeping the cast frame intact and that is just an addition?

Regarding welding, depends what you have, I would likely tig it if I wanted it neat or just stick if I wasn't needing it extremely pretty.

 

[ned]

The cast frame underneath will not be used, I'm looking forward to getting removing it.


It will take me a few days to get to welding this I reckon. I'm going to use a lot of braces to keep the corners in shape, and then cut them off again when im finished.

I'll use arc and then grind the welds flush. Biggest problem is flipping it over, i dont think ill be capable of lifting this when its joined, might have to weld the underside in place... that should be fun, overhead.

 

[ned]

started tacking it together. I moved the beams around for two hours trying to make it happy, and then said i would have more control if i welded one end. Right now its looking pretty good.

I tacked one end together, and then used a ratchet strap to pull the other end together, and then tacked that.

Its pretty square, the near end is very good, need to look again at the other end tomo. The gantry is happy with an even gap down along the length of the table.

 

[ned]

day two and its still level, square and the gantry is happy so going well. reckon it'll takle me 4 days in all. I have these 1mm - ish gaps on all 4 corners, i reckon if i can maintain the gaps it will stay in shape.

So to add a bit of initial re-enforcement I welded in 4 braces.

I used 3.2mm rods and 125 amps on the braces, but tacked them first, and then welded between the tacks without melting the tacks. This is the same strategy I'm using for the main beams also.

I put some heat in either end, and on the lower side of the beam, and when those welds are good and cold ill weld the middle of the gap together.

Is this the correct way? its the best i could come up with. I need to put heat into it, as its heavy enough steel. the main lengths are 5mm wall, and the crossbeam hear the door is 6.5mm.

But I dont want to put so much heat into it as to pull it out of shape. So I'll take my time.

 

[ned]

some more progress. Weldded in more braces closer to the corner and then taked it lightly along the seam to maintain the gap when i applied heat. taked it at 70 amps, small rod, then a bigger run with a 3.2mm rod at 130 amps. The ones below are the last two i did, i think they look alright, im happy with them.

so i got it flipped over, lol, got the whjole family involved in that one. and then i welded the underside. So next up is legs.

 

[cocker]

Looking good .
Nice lid as well .

 

[ned]

cheers ) im looking forward to seeing this thing. working on the legs now. reckon it will be next tuesday maybe though, have other commitments over the weekend.