LaserUser.com Forum (formerly RDWorksLab)

Gene Uselman wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 I love alum extrusions for building 'stuff'

I do too, and I try to keep a good supply on hand at all times.
PM sent
Thanks

Thanks Gene. Now I have something to build when I get the laser going.

Got one idler done for the Y. I was working on both sides, but I messed the other side up. I got redo it from scratch. Still need to trim the shaft up before I call it done.

I've been thinking about changing the stepper motors. I ran across this video while looking at Automation Technology's hybird steppers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNjPo0wq8xI

It really shows how much torque is lost a high RPM's in stepper motors. Moving up the the hybird stepper is going to add about $200 to $300 (depending on where I get them) to my build and will have to wait about a month or two before I can get them. I have a nema 17 on the X right now and hope if I change, I won't run into problems with the length of the hybird motor.



Looking at one of these two for the Y


https://www.amazon.com/RTELLIGENT-Stepp ... 1VBW&psc=1



https://www.automationtechnologiesinc.c ... e-kl-5080h



There is a big price difference between to two, but the bottom one has a 1/4" shaft and I have the pulleys for it already. It's also uses a plugin cable for the encoder. BTW, this is the only one I've found that has the 1/4" shaft.
The upper one has 8mm shaft and will need to buy a pulley for it. Have to wire the encoder to the driver.


Trying to deiced between a 17 or 23 on the X. Really don't need power cause all it's driving is the weight of the bearing block and head. Which one would you go with??? Will I have signal interference running the cable with limit switches wiring in the drag chain???


Thanks

Did get a little more done.

I got the Z axis bearing plates and the Z nuts made. I need to wait till I get the bed and frame made before I cut the 3/8" Amce rods to length and turn the ends down. The bearings are 8mm ID and the rods end will get turned to fit. The tops of the rods will get drilled and threaded M4 so I can get a small amount of pre-load on the bearings with a M4 bolt.

I really question your idea on hybrid stepper motors- I am sure they are better but our motors do not run very fast and, aside from the Z axis on a large bed, there is not a lot of load on them. That is only my opinion, I have been wrong in the last 75 years.

Gene Uselman wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 I really question your idea on hybrid stepper motors- I am sure they are better but our motors do not run very fast and, aside from the Z axis on a large bed, there is not a lot of load on them. That is only my opinion, I have been wrong in the last 75 years.

Thanks Gene,

I'm going to stay with the steppers that I have for now. I was just wondering how much more accurate the hibirds are and the advantage of never loosing steps.

When I installed the honeycomb bed in my K40, I made so it was a down draft fume extraction as I mostly only cut with it. It uses a 12V 360 CFM inline blower that is controlled with a 10amp, 16 volt model railroad transformer to make it variable speed. Most of the time when just cutting, I have the speed controller set about 20 to 25%. Once I have the stock for cutting in place on the table, I cover all exposed parts of the honeycomb with paper. Another advantage is the vacuum holds the stock in place and any thin warped wood gets sucks flat. It works so well, I sometimes forget to turn the air on and even then, I don't see or smell any smoke at all. When I do engraving, I just leave small amount of the bed exposed close to the stock and turn the speed of the blower up to about 60%. I'll be trying this type of fume extraction on this build.


Making some progress

Table frame is put together.








With 1" honeycomb setting on it (I found this it in the trash several years ago). I need to go to the aluminum getting place in Kansas City tomorrow to get a sheet for the bottom and some pieces for the sides.










Starting on the framework.

Getting there slowly.

I ordered the Cloudray Ruida RDC6445G controller and should be here by the end of the week. I will need some help from someone when I get ready to set it up to the spec's of this machine.



Still waiting on pulleys for the Y axis drive and reduction box. The case as I had drawn up was only 49" long and I added 4" to it so I can use the RECI W2 tube I have, instead of the 60 watt.

I printed up some leveling feet and this will also give me a little clearance I needed for the Z axis pulleys. I drilled and tapped a M5 hole on 4 corner braces for them.