In a message dated 99-05-09 02:13:59 EDT, you write:
<< On Sat, 8 May 1999 14:59:59 EDT, Jonty50@... wrote:
I'm currently constructing a 48" x 96" x 24" gantry style router.
>>
Neat, we should compare notes; BTW, I musta been dreamin when I posted
the bed dimensions on mine. It's 4' X 4' X 2' for me, NOT the enormous
8' Y that Jon is working toward. I just never even HOPED to have room
for such a monster, let alone find the parts necessary for it. But I
musta harbored Freudian desires for same, given my misstyping. B) So my
intro shoulda read 4' X 4' X 24".
<<
Yeah, the thing is outtahand. It takes up way too much space in the two car
garage that I have for a shop. I'm using a 6" x 6" x 1/4" wall rectangular
steel tube 6' long as the gantry. The gantry rides on two 2" x 4" x 1/4" wall
rectangular 6061-T6511 aluminum tubes that are 10' long each. The framework
that holds it all together is made from 4" x 4" x 1/4" square steel tube that
I salvaged from a dumpster. My NEMA 34 step motors are also salvaged from a
couple of mainframe printers.
The parts aren't really such a problem. The Bishop Wisecarver V wheels, wheel
mountings and track were around $600 for the lot. I have a little over $1000
in it with around another $600 to spend on the driver board and miscellaneous
items. Add in a bit more for a "fudge factor" and I figure an all up price of
around $2000 - $2500 all told. Not bad for such a heavy duty machine.
>I've found that Bishop Wisecarver makes the least expensive quality
>linear motion components.
I like their "V" stuff, but never went for pricing. Give us an example
of "least expensive quality" if can think of a simple one, eh? Tanx.
<<
The V bearings run around $20 each, it basically takes 4 per axis. I've found
that the B-W track is not necessary, the wheels do very nicely riding on 1/4"
diameter hardened steel rod ( I use music wire) that can be just pressed into
a 1/8" deep slot milled in an aluminum bar or rectangular tube. Very smooth
motion, even smoother than the B-W track.
Jonathan
jonty50@...
