DavidR8's shop shenanigans

[Former Member]

Remind him that you run machinery that has low & high frequency transmissions that are transfer to the concrete floor.

So two solutions, rubber isolation leveling pads for each machine (likely the best solution but adds cost to each machine) or serios efforts to isolate the concrete slab from the foundation beyond what is required by code. I would also use a thicker and more reinforcement than spec'd as you will have higher than normal point loads and want to reduce floor flex which basically changes your floor into a floating slab foundation by itself (not likely to code, but a good engineer or builder should be able to accommodate this).

 

[DavidR8]

Colour me mad.
Went to use the CNC router today and the vfd has crapped the bed.
This is especially annoying because the spindle takes 110v 3-phase. Yup. And there is no such vfd from a name brand.
So I have to either replace both the vfd and the spindle or roll the dice with another cheap import 110v output vfd.

 

[PaulL]

Colour me mad.
Went to use the CNC router today and the vfd has crapped the bed.
This is especially annoying because the spindle takes 110v 3-phase. Yup. And there is no such vfd from a name brand.
So I have to either replace both the vfd and the spindle or roll the dice with another cheap import 110v output vfd.
View attachment 41853

Can you use the "torque compensation" settings to run it at only 110 at your wanted RPM?

 

[DavidR8]

Can you use the "torque compensation" settings to run it at only 110 at your wanted RPM?

Unfortunately it won't even start now

 

[DavidR8]

Just remembered that I do have a 220v VFD that I bought a few years back. So a new 220v spindle is all I need to replace at this point. I kinda knew this day would come with this VFD.

Before I throw money at the problem I'm going to check all the connections.

 

[DavidR8]

Success! I fixed it!
For some unknown reason the five second ramp up time previously negotiated was no longer acceptable to the staff of VFD Central.
Feeling cornered by market pressures and a wide open job market I felt I had to give management more time to engage all the hamsters. After some cryptic negotiations I conceded to allow the hamsters 15 seconds to come up to speed. A quick vote was held and the offer was accepted.
The Great Hamster Strike of 2023 was over in a few hours. Not even enough time to paint picket signs.

 

[DavidR8]

There’s two upsides to having fixed the router:
1) I don’t have to buy a new spindle.
2 I can use the $55 VFD I have squirreled away for the 3-phase conversion on the lathe.

 

[DavidR8]

I’ve been looking for a bigger press to replace my tiny 6 ton for a while.
Missed a 20 ton for $300 last week. Good thing I did as got this one for $200

 

[DavidR8]

Needed a collet rack for my Imperial collets.

 

[jcdammeyer]

Needed a collet rack for my Imperial collets.
View attachment 41896View attachment 41895

You realize it's faster to use your CNC router or drill press to cut holes in a piece of plywood and then just glue a frame under it. You've entered the dark side of 3D printing.

 

[DavidR8]

You realize it's faster to use your CNC router or drill press to cut holes in a piece of plywood and then just glue a frame under it. You've entered the dark side of 3D printing.

Oh yes. I might just CNC it tomorrow

 

[jcdammeyer]

Oh yes. I might just CNC it tomorrow

Just don't trip on the rabbit hole on the way to the CNC router.............

 

[Susquatch]

You realize it's faster to use your CNC router or drill press to cut holes in a piece of plywood and then just glue a frame under it. You've entered the dark side of 3D printing.

In some ways, a DRO is an entry window into CNC. By the time you program the CNC, I wonder if it wouldn't be just as fast to make that plate using a DRO's Array Mode.

 

[jcdammeyer]

In some ways, a DRO is an entry window into CNC. By the time you program the CNC, I wonder if it wouldn't be just as fast to make that plate using a DRO's Array Mode.

I used my Shumatech DRO for exactly that sort of thing all the time. Didn't have an array mode but just move until the next position. Now with the CNC router and MACH3 I had to create an array of holes. It ended up being a simple hand written G-Code program with a subroutine to move the drill bit down and up.

 

[DavidR8]

In some ways, a DRO is an entry window into CNC. By the time you program the CNC, I wonder if it wouldn't be just as fast to make that plate using a DRO's Array Mode.

Maybe but I don’t have my DRO installed yet.
In all honesty drawing the file would take about five minutes, fixturing on the router about another five minutes and cut time would probably be five minutes.

 

[Susquatch]

Maybe but I don’t have my DRO installed yet.
In all honesty drawing the file would take about five minutes, fixturing on the router about another five minutes and cut time would probably be five minutes.

I hope you didn't think I was knocking your CNC approach. I was just philosophizing about how I would do it using a DRO and then realized it was a lot more like CNC than one might think.

Besides, it would take me more than 15 minutes to find the parts for the job, then I'd have to stare at them for another 15 minutes wondering what I wanted them for in the first place.

 

[DavidR8]

I hope you didn't think I was knocking your CNC approach. I was just philosophizing about how I would do it using a DRO and then realized it was a lot more like CNC than one might think.

Besides, it would take me more than 15 minutes to find the parts for the job, then I'd have to stare at them for another 15 minutes wondering what I wanted them for in the first place.

Not at all John
And you are 100% correct, a DRO is kinda a gateway to CNC, the biggest difference being human stepper motors vs. electric ones
As I gain more confidence and experience with my router, more and more jobs look like router jobs.
It is still somewhat terrifying to me when it rapids over to a position at 10,000 mm/min.

 

[YotaBota]

Ref the new shop- will you have room for a 10' ceiling? Anything over 8' would be a bonus. I only thought of this because I was just swinging around 8' boards and it's so nice not to bang into the ceiling.

 

[DavidR8]

Ref the new shop- will you have room for a 10' ceiling? Anything over 8' would be a bonus. I only thought of this because I was just swinging around 8' boards and it's so nice not to bang into the ceiling.

Maybe?
We’re still in the design stage but one thing we are considering is dropping the driveway to match the lot to the left when you’re looking at the garage. That would give me another 12” in height.
Honestly anything over 8” would be nice as right now I only have 94” inside height.

 

[Bandit]

Watch you floor level! Make sure it is well above surrounding area. Nothing worse then water coming in, because of heavy rain events/snow melt etc. And think about getting water out if or when something does happen. Garage doors should have a slope away from door, starting perhaps under the door. Man doors that open out wards, should have pads/side walk 2inchs below door opening. As has been said before, "things move". And it is expensive and sometimes very, very difficult to fix after.