Ryan (et al),
We are planning to meet at the Hive tonight to work on the big CNC.
I'm flying back now but it looks like I might not be there until 6:30... Sorry.
I will be there.
Julien
I’ll be there as well; please RSVP and I’ll cook or bring/order dinner.
Please excuse any misspellings, bad (or incorrect) grammar, or terse language, as I have fat guy fingers and my iPhone has little buttons.
Ian
(606) 416-7177
Ha… Julien is the only one who can truly RSVP! The rest of us should just say we are coming! Like me!
Bill
Sorry,
After all, i can’t be at the hive tonight. I hope I could be there for the next steps of the big CNC building.
Julien
Any luck with welding the levelers on?
Some. All of the leg caps have been tapped and ground clean. Three of six plates have been tacked in place, with no noticeable warping of the threaded holes. I then discovered a new way to flash myself while throwing the final tack, and decided to err on the side of caution by calling a halt to the evening’s festivities. Protip.. don’t stand such that the workpiece casts a shadow on your welding helmet’s light sensor.
Helmets still filter IR/UV whether they’ve gone dark or not. I’m not experiencing even minor discomfort this morning, so no harm done. I should be able to weld the remaining caps on over the weekend, and at least make a start on cross-bracing and flattening the work table.
Onward and downward!
I've tacked the remaining footplates to the CNC table. We now need to tip it back onto its feet and weld the plates in place.
The welder really can't handle material this thick on 110V though, so I'd like to build or buy an extension cable sufficient to run from the welding room into the center of the space. 25 feet will work, though 30 or more would be even better. It looks from my brief research that 10/3 SOOW cable with a NEMA 6-50 plug and connector should be sufficient to carry the load over distances up to 50 feet. This puts us at around $100 for an extension cable.
Consider this a request for comments. Are there better or more future-proof solutions we should consider? If not, I'd like to purchase something this week. It will probably prove useful for more than just the CNC project.
Investigate longer. I’d get at least 50 if not 75-100’. We might need to weld on a tank on the back dock or something.
-D
Does anyone have a laser level or two they could bring to the hive sometime next week? I’m targeting Thursday for resuming welding on the table. Such levels would be incredibly useful for getting the table into plane.
If not, I’ll pick a couple up. But it’s kind of an expensive tool for one-shot use.
Thanks
- Ry
CNC Crew -
The footplates have been welded to the table legs, and the cross members have been reconnected to the center legs where they were previously cut. Next up, we’ll diagonally brace the table to flatten the top rails. This should clear the way for mounting the aluminum extrusion and the remaining mechanical components.
Jon -
The adjustable foot which caught on the main aisle floor plating is badly bent. This explains why the entire table was oscillating around the foot. I bought seven, so there should be an extra somewhere on the shelves with the CNC bits. I’ll look for it the next time I’m at the hive, but feel free to hunt for it if you’re down there before I am.
- Ry
Whoops! I’ll try to dig up the extra foot from when everything got moved. I guess making sure they are all of the way up is something to keep note of!