Crane's Next Cnc, On to #2

Yea the username was InWonder or something like that. Doesn't peeve me too bad, but I can see how Ron would have a problem with that.

In all honesty, he probably improved it in a couple areas, but still you should credit where you got your base design.

I absolutely agree...

...stealing someones design straight off...without even crediting the originating author is just pure lame, man...I really frown upon people like that...

...oh well..that's the nature of internet, if you put it out there, anyone can grab it and claim it as their own. But personally I go by the "honor system". Honor means more to me than patents and money...

Thanks for clearing that typo up Alex I was very confused as to how it could be that cheap. I had guesstimated £10,000 which by today's currency convertor is $16,000 so I wasn't off by much.

I would like to contact Ron to ask his permission for a copy of his parts list and any information he would like to share concerning the machine he designed and built.

Therefore so that no one misunderstands who designed it I say this:

FOR THE RECORD; I intend to copy / reproduce Ron from Boise, Idaho's design for a MechMate inspired CNC machine.

Alex your in Boise; I have been trying to contact Ron via the Internet for a week would you please let him know I am trying to contact him? At some point I would happily give you my personal email address for you to pass on to him if he is willing.

Perhaps we should start a forum dedicated to his design of CNC machine like there is a forum dedicated to the MechMate......

How did your child like riding the gantry? a great demo of your gantry!!!

Thanks Alex

Regarding the weight issue I just bit the bullet in the end and piled all the steel for the new gantry onto the existing gantry and jogged it back and forth. It worked fine!! So when I rebuild it using all steel I don't think it will adversely effect the operation of the machine. I am using a chain drive system.

Thanks to everyone for their advice about the weight.

This post has been edited by ccrewz on May 08, 2012 12:56 am

I will talk to Ron before giving out his info. He might be a little reluctant to give out more info since someone ripped him off and wants to sell his design. (understandably)

Even so, we both understand that these ideas are nothing really too crazy special. It's one thing to see someones work, and wish to mimick it. That's what I did with Ron. We both have a desire to help others get going, and as long as your not looking to take our (mostly his) design and sell it we got no problem sharing. I would encourage you to start a new thread, and quote from your last few posts here to get the discussion going. I will be happy to help best I can. I can probably answer anything he can at this point, and he's not a member of this forum. He actually calls ME now when he has questions about electronics and software, LOL. I have made it my business for the last 2 years to learn everything about these I can.

I have started a new post here:

http://www.dutchforce.com/~eforum/index.ph...=ST&f=1&t=39241

concerning the EXCELLENT machine machine that RON designed and built.

Thanks everyone

Welded some gussets into my gantry this weekend. I was not sure how much it would help, but I was surpised to find it actually made a pretty big difference on the very quick and short rapids, like a 1 inch jog along the X. Needless to say I am happy. I might even bump up my acceleration a bit.

The new spindle is working out very well. Today I cut a guitar chamber with a 2 flute 1/2" bit carbide end mill at 180IPM taking 200thou passes. Cut thru mahogany like butter. :twisted:

Interesting table there in the last pic. Hard to tell but those must be t slots right? did you cut them into a solid chunk of wood or assemble them from several pieces?
Good to see your machine is getting some real use. Seems like a lot of machines don't see much use as the owner was more into making the machine than into making the parts the machine could make.

"Welded some gussets into my gantry this weekend. I was not sure how much it would help, but I was surprised to find it actually made a pretty big difference on the very quick and short rapids"


That sounds like vibration. I bet if you were to put your finger on the side, across the steel plate and the aluminum you would feel something.

A redesign would be to weld that 4 inch square steel to a 6 inch square plate, and then bolt the 6 inch square plate to the aluminum block with no less than 12 bolts. you would have to make the table 4 inches wider however.

http://youtu.be/GBr8q5kXAaQ

Video of it in action today. I'm running full speed at this point. Not sure if I will ever get around to painting it.