GoodB0Y wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2025 12:16 pm
Ok great thanks!
I think I'll design it so there is some adjustability if I can... Maybe add an 1/8th before the hard stop.
And just thought I'd share a tip that I came up with.
I have a vinyl cutter... A cricut. I use it mostly for my powder coating projects like stencils and masking. It's great to make circles or exact shapes for masking. But what it's really good at it designs with.01 mm accuracy! This allowed me to take the engineering drawings and measurements I took to make drill guides for bearing blocks! With the sticker perfectly square and at the dimensions I designed... Along with 2mm holes at the proper spacing it helped a lot in drilling holes on my drill press for the mounting plates.
If you have a vinyl cutter it can also be a drill guide
Using the Cricut to make stencils is a great idea! I purchased a Cricut a few years ago, but have not yet really done much with it. I was originally going to use it to make some labels to apply to some 3D printed parts - perhaps it is time for me to revisit that project.
I was to cheap to buy a Cricut so pulled out the old 3-D printer and developed a work around for my CNC table.
If somebody wants to print their own I will give you the files, or here is another design somebody else printed.
another super simple one
DIY 4X4 Plasma/Router Table
Hypertherm PM65 Machine Torch
Drag Knife and Scribe
Miller Mig welder
13" metal lathe
Small Mill
Everlast PowerTig 255 EXT
acourtjester wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2025 8:48 pm
no sure I follow "what do you do if you need to print on vinyl" ?? Do you mean marking on a vinyl material??
Tom,
Direct printing to substrates (vinyl or otherwise) is common in the commercial sign industry. it allows you to print and cut various shape logos. This is popular on the big illuminated signs as the canvas substrate is lightweight and tough.
acourtjester wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2025 9:01 pm
I have not printed on vinyl just cut sign vinyl for etching aluminum.
OK. I replied to your previous post with some clarification as to what I was asking, but I don't know what happened to my post. Maybe I forgot to actually post it. But yes - you have answered my question.
I did buy some vinyl sheets (peel off) for my HP printer to use with my Cricut, but now I don't really remember if I ever tried printing on it yet. It is an HP inkjet printer.
acourtjester wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2025 8:12 pm
I was to cheap to buy a Cricut so pulled out the old 3-D printer and developed a work around for my CNC table.
Oh Lordy!
That's so cool!
I'd love a 3d printer but my little brain can only hold so much information and right now it's full haha
This shows the miter cut option on 3/4" plate - I had about 8 ft of it to do:
Miter Cut.jpg
That is truly brilliant!
Funny how the break away has been something I've been thinking about... How to hold the torch in a firm and repeatable way and alow the break away function!
I know what it is but haven't really looked into it yet. I was thinking plastic zap straps or something haha. The ball bearings and magnets is perfect!
Thanks for sharing I'm pretty sure that's exactly how I want to do it.
The sbr (supported rails are really nice and slide smooth.
My cheap hgr rails are a little tight. Not rough but tight. I did a quick wipe down of the shipping grease and sprayed the bearing blocks liberally with wd40 ( I know not the best) they freed up alot but still feel a tiny bit tight. I've read it's pretty normal but idk...
Using the Cricut to make stencils is a great idea! I purchased a Cricut a few years ago, but have not yet really done much with it. I was originally going to use it to make some labels to apply to some 3D printed parts - perhaps it is time for me to revisit that project.
David
Ya stencils for painting or something works great. I really like the cricut as I can pretty quickly design something on my phone and quickly cut it out.
I use it in powder coating. Coat one colour place stencil coat another color pull stencil and you have coloured letters and grafix.
You can also powder coat over orical 651 I think. Only certain colors work... I haven't tried yet but it's on my to do list
GoodB0Y wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2025 9:50 pm
So quick question...
The sbr (supported rails are really nice and slide smooth.
My cheap hgr rails are a little tight. Not rough but tight. I did a quick wipe down of the shipping grease and sprayed the bearing blocks liberally with wd40 ( I know not the best) they freed up alot but still feel a tiny bit tight. I've read it's pretty normal but idk...
Can you adjust the wipers or anything?
Just run them and keep the rails clean, one of Toms tricks is to use WD - 40 and a fine scotch bright pad. 8 yrs later mine still shine.
Cricut has gasket material as well, I think the video is on Y/T..
SegoMan DeSigns wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2025 10:13 pm
Just run them and keep the rails clean, one of Toms tricks is to use WD - 40 and a fine scotch bright pad. 8 yrs later mine still shine.
Cricut has gasket material as well, I think the video is on Y/T..
Thanks... I'll be sure to keep em clean
Gasket material???
Omg that could be so handy! Totally going to look into that!
That's another great idea! I wonder how thick of material it can cut? One of the reasons I bought my Ikier laser cutter was to be able to cut gaskets from thicker material. I haven't cut any yet - but perhaps Tom has with his Ikier.
the Ikier laser will cut gasket material I have cut card board with it no problems.
Here are 2 blade cutters I developed for my table to cut card board material and other types.
Utility knife blade cutter
x-acto knife blade cutter
DIY 4X4 Plasma/Router Table
Hypertherm PM65 Machine Torch
Drag Knife and Scribe
Miller Mig welder
13" metal lathe
Small Mill
Everlast PowerTig 255 EXT
acourtjester wrote: Wed Jan 29, 2025 9:46 am
the Ikier laser will cut gasket material I have cut card board with it no problems.
Here are 2 blade cutters I developed for my table to cut card board material and other types.
Hey Tom, is that a laser your referring to mounted to your plasma table, or was it a stand alone laser machine?
Last edited by 05Duramax on Thu Jan 30, 2025 10:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
I have 2 stand alone lasers, one low power and one 70 Watt, both are diode. I also have attached a low watt diode laser to my CNC table using a laser module I bought by itself. It is not a big deal as long as the controller has a variable voltage output, like used for a router speed control. I had mine hooked up with on/off full power for testing. There are vendors who sell kits for laser options for attaching to CNC tables, to high a price for me.
DIY 4X4 Plasma/Router Table
Hypertherm PM65 Machine Torch
Drag Knife and Scribe
Miller Mig welder
13" metal lathe
Small Mill
Everlast PowerTig 255 EXT
There are a few companies that sell just the laser modules. With anything the more powerful the more expensive. They use 2 signals one to power on and the laser and the other is the power output. For cutting you would set a percent of power out from 0 to 100% this would be dependent of the thickness of what you are cutting and weather you want to cut with one pass or multi passes. With multi passes you can also vary the Z slightly via the G-code to keep the focal point going deeper for each additional cut or not. When I cut 3 mm plywood I do not change the Z height and make 3 passes.
For etching like images the power output would vary as to the darkness changes in the image. There are test patterns you run to get the different power and speed setting for the G-code for cutting and etching. The motorcycle is on a white tile etching.
DSCN5151.JPG
DSCN5195.JPG
You currently do not have access to download this file. To gain download access for DXF, SVG & other files Click Here
DIY 4X4 Plasma/Router Table
Hypertherm PM65 Machine Torch
Drag Knife and Scribe
Miller Mig welder
13" metal lathe
Small Mill
Everlast PowerTig 255 EXT
Do I need/want the limit switches with the led light?
I'm all for fancy flashing bling stuff... But that'll add a ton of wiring. There's like what 7 limit switches? 2 for the x, 2 for the y, 3 on the z if I add collision...
Pretty sure I'm going with linuxcnc and I believe it has indicators for the limits on the dashboard...could be wrong but I think I saw it.
acourtjester wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 3:47 pm
The motorcycle is on a white tile etching.
DSCN5195.JPG
Nice Triumph Tom! Looks like a 1964 TR6S/C 650 Competition Sports model with the lights and mufflers removed. I'm surprised they didn't also remove the parcel grid from the top of the tank. I happen to have a very similar model - mine is a TR6S/R (road model).
David
TR6SR mine 1.jpg
TR6SR mine.jpg
TR6SR.jpg
You currently do not have access to download this file. To gain download access for DXF, SVG & other files Click Here
GoodB0Y wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 12:23 am
I have to start thinking about limit switches...
Do I need/want the limit switches with the led light?
I'm all for fancy flashing bling stuff... But that'll add a ton of wiring. There's like what 7 limit switches? 2 for the x, 2 for the y, 3 on the z if I add collision...
Pretty sure I'm going with linuxcnc and I believe it has indicators for the limits on the dashboard...could be wrong but I think I saw it.
Thoughts?
I'm not sure why you would need (or want) limit switches with integrated lights. But I suppose it wouldn't hurt anything, and maybe fun to look at if/when you trip one of them. I don't know anything about linuxcnc - but I think that is what Tom is using with his diy table.
