wickedinhere
I got my 4x4 gantry kit ordered and a hypertherm pm 45 with machine torch. i will post pics on the build and progress, wish me luck.:blob2:
Went and picked up my metal for my table and water tray.I will pick up slat material next round gotta let my wallet cool off. LOL
3-24 foot 3x3x1/8 sq tubing
1-24 foot 2x2x1/8 sq tubing
1-20 foot 3x3x3/16 angle iron
1-4x8x1/8 sheet
[img]http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b235/wickedinhere/photo90.jpg[/img]
Mav68erick
I get my steel hopefully saturday If my cousin has free time since he gets a discount. Im gonna frame my water table with angle and drop the sheet it weld it from the bottom and then seal it. dunno if im gonna do 3" angle, if they have 2 3/4 angle If I go 3" Ill just lower the table supports on the legs. and If I weld say 16gauge sheet on top of the angle inside the frame and do the 1/8 on top to allow water to flow under thats 3/16 closer to the top.
2.5" tall slats + 3/16 leaves me 5/16 to the top of the angle for water, so some stuff might be able to be havlf submerged or touching the bottom. Kinda hard to plan the water table I heard I was getting slat holders, Kinda wanna know what they look like dont wanna buy stuff I dont need atm, even though I can use it for other stuff anyways.
wickedinhere
YEah that steel isnt cheap, the 3x3 sq tubing is pricy i paid 89.00 per 24 foot joint. I hope to get started on my table tomorrow i am gonna try to get all my steel cut i got the 4x8 sheet cut in half today.
wickedinhere
Started on the table finally, couple more mornings and it should be finished if work would quit interfering with my hobbies.
[IMG]http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b235/wickedinhere/photo92.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b235/wickedinhere/photo91.jpg[/IMG]
wickedinhere
I got a call saying my pm45 will ship out today.
Mav68erick
cool now we just wait til our gantrys and stuff come, mines going to a depot because who knows If Id be home or not to help unload it.
wickedinhere
Yeah i am picking mine up at the dock also it makes it easy.
wickedinhere
Well got some more work done i got the table all tacked together gonna finish welding it up tomorrow and get the castors on. I am gonna do the top rails last incase i get any warping while welding it all up. I am also going to ad some leveling legs and they will also act as stops so the table wont move during cutting.
[IMG]http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b235/wickedinhere/photo94.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b235/wickedinhere/photo93.jpg[/IMG]
Mav68erick
Good idea on the rails. I got mine tacked together - the two 44" rails that the water table sits on. Both rails that the rail bolts to are level and square. Expect the tubing has variances in it and if I lay the level on what would be the Y-axis its 0.0* or in one spot .4* Now I dont know If Im over thinking this, but Id imagine both rails need to be pefectly flush and the connecting gantry be perpindicualr and 90* to the supporting rails to not cause issues. Now this isnt something I can really fix, and the only thing to do If it is an issue is shim the spots, which wouldnt be much. I was gonna leave my main rails on and tack some extra tubing I have in between them to detour the possibility of warping, or do a weld cool it off with the air gun and then do another. I built a car jig that was 12' long out of 1/8 2 x 3 and only got .1* off at one corner doing it that way and I clamped and ratchet strapped 2 more 12' pieces on top of them to stop it from twisting.
I keep wanting to call and ask because its hard to explain, But im not gonna fully weld anything until I get my kit, I was thinking i was gonna get the gantry this week and the electronics would come next week, just waiting I guess.
wickedinhere
YEah the rails being level and square are whats gonna need to be done right. I have one leg that has grown 3/16 of an inch taller than the other 3 i will have to cut that one to get the rails level. I am gonna wait like you till i get the kit before i do the final welding on the rails.
Mav68erick
I almost wanna drill tap the rails prior to putting them back on the rest of the table, bolt the gantry rails to it, and then tack weld a bar across the front and back, kinda of like there portable table they sell, then put one in the center, make sure the gantry moves smooth and then set it on the legs tack it, check it again, stitch weld tack, and rinse and repeat. that seems like the most sure fire way. I knew in my mind the rails are the hardest part, should just bought the dam thing complete, even though im happy atm of how sqaure and level iam thus far, its the drawing in and out after final weld that makes or breaks you, who cares if the legs arent straight all it is, is a table, the top has to be level and true, and the water table x distance from the top, if those arent correct then its worthless.
Either way cant really think about it til the kit comes, planning 3 steps ahead without knowing what the next step and step 2 are is pointless.
jeepsr4ever
You guys have greats starts on your tables! We just got cable carrier back in stock so youll have your gantry kits soon and their is a drill jig that comes with the kit so that will help tremendously.
wickedinhere
i am glad to hear about a drill jig i was not looking forward to measuring all those holes plus the slat holders will make finishing the table alot easier.
jeepsr4ever
Dont be too hung up on the table top either the DTHC will take care of any hieght issues you will have. Once your all together and look in restrospect you will see how easy it could have been and that your worries were over blown. :D :)
Mav68erick
I was gonna use the rails to transfer the holes. Due to how much I hate tapping, and having to do 28? per side and worry about getting the straight, im gonna make a tap jig If I were to do it on the table.
Weld a nut to a plate with a hole in it Line it up clamp the plate down on both side and voila! perpinduclar to the rail every time. The fact nuts are usually a littleoversized should leave enough play for the tap, and if using a machine tap all the shavings should get pushed down anyways. Plus 3/16 isnt very far to go, so shouldnt need to clear the tap very many times.
Matt is it possible to get our software? I downloaded a demo of Mach3, kinda pointless really unless It gets set up as a sim, and you have sheetcam to generate the g code just to test it. It looks different then what most people have as far as background goes with the plasma profile opened, I think I seen a tutorial on how you can edit it for your own personal needs, not that I need or want to.
wickedinhere
Have you seen the drill bit that has a tap built into it? i wonder how well they work if it did work it would save alot of time.
[url]http://img0.fastenal.com/productimages/3123327_hr4c.jpg[/url]
jeepsr4ever
Drilling with a tap thread cutter is a bad idea by hand with a 2x2 tube it can lead to a broken drill and a loss of a mounting hole. Sure we can get software out right away. I think we were waiting on a huge order of CAD to show up. I know its in transit and should be here tomorrow.
wickedinhere
Look what UPS just delivered!
[IMG]http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b235/wickedinhere/photo95.jpg[/IMG]
Mav68erick
nice, ill get a machine torch later down the road, so I can use the hand seperate.
Matt, im not concerned about the height of the water to the top rails, its the flatness of the two that the machine rails bolt to Ill draw a picture of what Im talking about.
wickedinhere
Well since its raining here and kinda cool in the shop i got some more work done this morning. I am gonna go ahead and get my leveling legs built because where the table is gonna sit the concrete is not level go figure. LOL I got the table all welded up and got the castors on, that was more welds than it looked like.
[IMG]http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b235/wickedinhere/photo96.jpg[/IMG]
