CNC Plasma Table project..

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Been building on a plasma table in my spare time... I finished up my Y axis skates tonight, still need the mounting holes for the gantry mounts and also the motor mounts, but i'm going to do some assembly first so I can look at clearances and offsets and such... designed and machined them myself. cost material was $0, bearings were $30 for 60 bearings.. bolts were free.  I thought they turned out pretty good.. Attached Imagestackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:some more pics Attached Imagestackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:and both skates.. mirrored Attached Imagestackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:some pictures of the frame, assembled and the side rails.. the rails are not machined yet, I'll set them up and take a light pass on them to square them up with the extrusion frame.. Attached Imagestackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:some more Attached Imagestackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:more pictures Attached Imagestackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:Doing the same on a plsama cutting table, Completly different aproach, I am both futher and farther behind in construction. I am waiting on some parts and need to to get a tad further, but I will post some pics once I am a bit further along.
Reply:As it stands right now, I have around $500 invested in it so far, thats including the 4axis 425oz electronics package.  I still need the rack gears and pinion gears for x and y axis. I have a small ballscrew setup for z axis already that a friend salvaged off an old machine at work.. I'm shooting for $750 total investment.. software and hardware, I'll be running a dual boot setup with linux emc2/winxp w/mach3 on an old allen bradley 2ghz computer with 2gig of memory I rebuilt from salvage parts, computer has been on and ran consistent for a month after i built it, so it should be good and stable. cost $0Last edited by brucer; 01-10-2012 at 10:49 PM.tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:4 axis import electronics kit,  four 425oz steppers, 4 axis tb6560 driver board and 24v/14.8a power supply from hubbard cnc.. When I ordered the kit he only had 2 motors, so I just ordered the 2 he had on the shelf so I wouldnt have any money on motors I wouldnt have in hand, still need to order the other two motors... total cost will be $350 Attached ImagesLast edited by brucer; 01-10-2012 at 11:12 PM.tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:Sick!JoeMiller 140 Autoset (2010)Miller Syncrowave 250 (1996)
Reply:I'm really interested too.  I've been wanting to build a plasma table for a couple years now.  Keep up with the detailed pictures.  You are inspiring others!www.lindgrensupercars.comMiller Dynasty 350Miller Dynasty 200DX - retiredMiller Millermatic 210Miller Spectrum 3080Miller "Power of Blue" stool  Miller Syncrowave 180SD - retired
Reply:Very cool stuff!Make sure to locktite all of  those Item bolts!I once got to see a $3M solar panel machine eat itself alive built with that stuff!  It was Pissah!Buy American, or don't whine when you end up on the bread line.
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldingMachineVery cool stuff!Make sure to locktite all of  those Item bolts!I once got to see a $3M solar panel machine eat itself alive built with that stuff!  It was Pissah!
Reply:made some bearing blocks this am.they measure 1.9x1.25x.3125 thick..have an Idea floating around in my head, and went ahead and pushed the go button on it...I ordered 10 .375 i.d./.875 o.d. flange bearings ($20 free shipping).. These will be for the drive on my y axis.. I will use .375 D-shaft with spur gear and belt and pulleys.. It should be pretty simple, the large gears are a little expensive at $19 each but should be maintenance free for the long haul..I sawed material for the bearing blocks, squared the stock, drill bolt holes, drilled and reamed dowel pin holes on the opposite side for locating, and I also drilled and rough bored the bearing hole to .855. I'll bore the bearing bore to .874/.8745 (press fit for .875 bearing) and also counterbore one side to capture the bearing in the housing after the bearings come in the mail.. sorry for the blurry pictures, my blackberry sucks sometimes, either that or too much coffee. Attached Imagestackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:dug an old enclosure out of a junk pile, had to cut all the relays and switches out of it it was rusted up that bad.. I cleaned the enclosure up, brush painted it, added a switch, couple receptacles, added 60mm filter panel, added a transformer and exhaust fan and tossed out the stock fan on the board and replaced it with two 12vdc fans to improve cooling or the drivers. Attached Imagestackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:Brucer,Your on the same quest I am, and making more progress, I am rethinking mine.Mine is cutting though, but I am not happy.Were those cam follower bearings you used?
Reply:Originally Posted by fredschromBrucer,Your on the same quest I am, and making more progress, I am rethinking mine.Mine is cutting though, but I am not happy.Were those cam follower bearings you used?
Reply:I buy bearings from VXB good outfit to deal with, they work direct and through Amazon BTW.Thanks.
Reply:another update, finished up machining the belt drive gear reduction..  added way more holes than needed for that old drilled I-beam look.. Attached Imagestackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:I hope you plan on using a water table setup.   Cuts down on the amount of plasma dust a ton.   Also look into adding a torch hieght control to your setup.  I purchased the whole electronics kit from Tom at Cadcnc.com but he does sell the torch height seperately.   If you have any questions when designing the table I can provide some help now that I have my 5'x5' table built and running.Just stay away from import plasma's and probably thermodynamics cutters.  I had nothing but issues with my cutmaster when hooked to the table.Keep posting more pictures.Enough rambling for me tonight.
Reply:yes I'm planning on a water table.. I'm thinking quick connect fittings and a small fountain pump to fill it, with a filtered recovery tank..  This way I can remove the water table fairly quick when I need to..tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:I've ordered a Plasma Bot Kit, but I'm still looking at the electronics part.  I've emailed with Hubbard CNC a little.  Looked at Kellings, and Probotics kits as well, but I'm still not sure.  How do you wire the plasma torch?
Reply:Originally Posted by SeanMurphy265I've ordered a Plasma Bot Kit, but I'm still looking at the electronics part.  I've emailed with Hubbard CNC a little.  Looked at Kellings, and Probotics kits as well, but I'm still not sure.  How do you wire the plasma torch?
Reply:Originally Posted by brucerI've seen the plasmabot stuff, nice clean design..  thought about ordering one but I decided to build my own.. I ordered my electronics package from hubbard, he was easy to deal with, I will order from him again in the future..  to add: I think he sells the same stuff as Keling.. I haven't got that far to even think about wiring in my plasma cutter yet..  I would think one of the outputs on the driver board but i'm not certain..
Reply:I will upgrade my electronics at a later date.. I bought the tb6560 4 axis board as an entry level setup... I will eventually upgrade to the individual drivers and breakout board..   I was also told I would see an improvement in performance by just changing to the better drivers and breakout board opposed to the tb6560 board.. I would think it would be better to have a system with the individual drivers and breakout board simply from the maintenance standpoint.. Its easier to replace a single driver instead of a 4 axis board, also easier to trouble shoot.    The tb6560 I bought is maxed out at 3 amps, I would like to get drivers that range from around 2.8 amps to 6 amps that way I have the option of running larger steppers in the future...tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/Originally Posted by SeanMurphy265I'm trying to figure out the benefits of each motor drive system.  If they all run on mach 3 I would think they have the same functions/capabilities.  I realize there is a difference between the power/holding torch of the motors, but as far as the driver boards are concerned what makes the Gecko better than the Toshiba.I realize the CandCNC stuff is premium because it comes pre-wired and all you have to do is plug it into your motors.  Your paying for the wiring/box/ and that you know it will work, but it's still 1300 for the basic kit!  Hubbard is around $300, and you could add THC and still be under $700.Probotix seems to have some nice kits, and for $150.00 they will wire it up for you.  Which is not bad because they are priced about the same as Hubbard CNC.  I'm subscribed, I hope post every detail!  I got a million questions!
Reply:update,Got the mounting holes drilled and tapped on the skates and decided to add roll pins to locate the gantry mounting plates...  should be strong enough.. Attached Imagestackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:also got the gantry mounting plates pretty much finished up..  Still need to tap the holes but thats no big deal.. left and right plates pictured.. Attached Imagestackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:The slots in the side plates that the gantry beam sits in are machined with about .003 press fit, I can take a hammer handle and gently tap it in place.. Attached Imagestackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:How much does the gantry with all the plates weigh?
Reply:I'm not sure yet, still have to add quite a bit more to it..   I will get a current weight in the near future for reference.. I do know it moves pretty easy, better than I thought it would. I can push it with one finger very easy..tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:What's the thickest material you expect to be cutting?  I know the aluminum pieces on the table are strong, I'm wondering how much weight they will hold?  The table looks nice!
Reply:I'm mainly building it for miscellaneous brackets and such, probably 1/4" maybe 3/8 max..  The aluminum is extrusion, its very strong..The aluminum cross beams have 1 1/2"x1/4" angle under all of them.. the aluminum frame is bolted to a frame made of 1 1/2"x1/4" angle I milled all the aluminum to length to make sure it was square, bolted the frame together then used it as a fixture to build the steel frame.. here are some popups of the profile of the center struts/beams http://www.8020.net/40-4001-Pop-Up.htmthis is the profile of the side rails and gantry beam http://www.8020.net/40-4080-Lt-Pop-Up.htmLast edited by brucer; 02-29-2012 at 08:47 AM.tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:Take note that many people have had issues with the TB6560 drivers, particularly that you must apply chip power before you apply motor power or they can burn up.Welding/Fab Pics: www.UtahWeld.com
Reply:Originally Posted by MikeGyverTake note that many people have had issues with the TB6560 drivers, particularly that you must apply chip power before you apply motor power or they can burn up.
Reply:Brucer:Many thanks for posting and sharing for all to see.  You're making me think hard about building a CNC table for myself.  Questions for you on the build.  How did you 'make' the L shaped angle iron rails that the skates ride on?  Is that a piece of hot rolled angle iron, machined down to a more precise size and shape?  How do you make that?  (vertical mill with really, really long table travel?)   It would cost big $$ if you had to purchase a premade precision rail.  What's the trick?I also saw that you were planning on using geared belt with pulley driver.  Where are the two idler shafts to get you the right belt wrap on the drive pulley?  Again, many thanks for sharing.--zipLast edited by zipzit; 03-02-2012 at 11:51 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by zipzitBrucer:Many thanks for posting and sharing for all to see.  You're making me think hard about building a CNC table for myself.    How did you 'make' the L shaped angle iron rails that the skates ride on?  Is that a piece of hot rolled angle iron, machined down to a more precise size and shape?  How do you make that?  (vertical mill with really, really long table travel?)   It would cost big $$ if you had to purchase a premade precision rail.  What's the trick?I also saw that you were planning on using geared belt with pulley driver.  Where are the two idler shafts to get you the right belt wrap on the drive pulley?  Again, many thanks for sharing.--zip
Reply:small update.. I got the gear racks cut to length,drilled and timed.. I also got the rack mounts made and assembled and installed on the machine..  I also put the turnbuckles and springs on for the tension mounts for the 2 motors.. Attached ImagesLast edited by brucer; 03-17-2012 at 09:03 PM.tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:a little update...I couldnt stand it anymore, had to wire up the y axis and see how it was going to work... Initial testing went well, no racking at all, I was actually able to turn it up faster than what i thought, i'll probably have to slow it down some after i get the x and z axis added because of the added weight..tuned the motors at half step and full step, 75% power and 100%..the video is taken with the motors set to full step, at 900ipm 25 acceleration.. if my figuring is correct a little over .0008 resolution..  at half step i could get 800ipm, hair over 0004 resolution..so far so good.. sorry the video isnt the best quality. someone told me youtube works on the coding or something to smooth video so maybe that will help..tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:Brucer... Awesome great job.  I thought you were originally going to use rubber toothed drive belts.  Metal racks can get VERY expensive.  Did you mill your own gear rack, or did you buy the rack somewhere?  If purchased, can I ask where?Edit...  Are you driving gear racks on both left and right sides of the Y direction gantry, or just from one side?Again, very nice!Last edited by zipzit; 03-25-2012 at 04:27 PM.
Reply:Brucer, Nice Job. I just got my homemade machine cutting. I'm hooked. Zipzit- I'm not sure where Brucer bought his gear rack but here is where I bought mine.http://www.mcmaster.com/#gear-racks/=gto6aa
Reply:Originally Posted by zipzitBrucer... Awesome great job.  I thought you were originally going to use rubber toothed drive belts.  Metal racks can get VERY expensive.  Did you mill your own gear rack, or did you buy the rack somewhere?  If purchased, can I ask where?Edit...  Are you driving gear racks on both left and right sides of the Y direction gantry, or just from one side?Again, very nice!
Reply:I have another small update..  I'm a big UK basketball fan, so I'm doing a little here and there while I'm watching the UK Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals.. There has been some awesome games this year that's for sure.. I added some 1 1/2" angle to mount the enclosure and also the cable carrier trough,for the trough I used some 3" long pieces of extrusion and a piece of 3"alum. channel i had in the pile.. Its mounted with 5/16-18 button head bolts.. Attached Imagestackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:Originally Posted by brucerThe tb6560 I bought is maxed out at 3 amps, I would like to get drivers that range from around 2.8 amps to 6 amps that way I have the option of running larger steppers in the future...
Reply:Originally Posted by MikeGyverwhy?Plasma tables have no contact the work like a router so there is no resistance, the gantry is also very light weight. 425oz/in motors with a 4:1 reduction on 3 amps, a couple people could literally ride on that, your X axis probably has 200 pounds of 'push' on it's smooth ball bearing skates. The only possible benefit would be possibly faster rapids, which really isn't a big deal unless your table is slooow, which is isn't.It looks really good. What was the hardest part of the build in your opinion?
Reply:Originally Posted by brucerread the post above first, I forgot to quote you...  been a long day.. Gecko has a very good reputation...  I wouldnt be scared of the import stuff either, both hubbard and keling both warranty their better driver and breakout board kits..
Reply:Originally Posted by brucerI would possibly like to be able to cut aluminum if the bearings will allow it.. I'll probably try some routing like it is just to see how it does. if it works I'll leave it alone..   I think the toughest part was probably designing and building the skates and figuring a way to make the rails inexpensively, but it wasn't difficult, just more time consuming than anything..   just a lot of thinking and rethinking..
Reply:Brucer, very impressive.  Keep the pics and videos coming please.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Originally Posted by BlauSchuhhey, just saw your video... nice fast rapids. Is that your video with the 5000w heater ? Looking at a similar option for my garage for the winter. How did that work out?
Reply:Originally Posted by brucerI would possibly like to be able to cut aluminum if the bearings will allow it.. I'll probably try some routing like it is just to see how it does.