It's new to me

[ddmckee54]

This time I remembered to export the new CNC assembly as a JPG file.

The magenta colored bits are the parts that will be 3D printed.  I added all the spacers to the 3D model that will be used to bolt the main frame to the base, and the spacers that will turn the two Y extrusions into a sort of truss.  Coincidently, all those spacers also got printed today, and the center-points for the holes in the base got laid out.  I've got to get the holes drilled in the X and Y rails so I can verify that the locations are correct before I drill the base.

[ddmckee54]

Well...  It's one step forward and two steps back time again.  I got the machine mostly disassembled, the Y rail extrusions have been removed, marked, drilled, and bolted back together into a single truss.  (Had to run out and get some longer bolts, the bolts I had were too short, or too long.)  I also added the grease zerks to the Y axis linear bearings, two straight zerks on the two top bearing blocks, and two 90 degree zerks on the bottom blocks to make greasing them easier. 

I had taken one of the X axis rails off and as long as I has the kit of zerks fittings out I figured that I'd add the zerks to those bearing blocks as well.  All of the set screws in the Y axis bearing blocks were black oxide, the set screws in the X axis blocks were SS.   I didn't pay too much attention to that at the time.  Not, until I discovered that the Allen wrench that fit the black oxide screws would not fit the SS screws - too big.  That's when I discovered that the black oxide screws were M6 - which I knew, but the SS screws were M5.  I ain't got no stinkin' M5 grease zerks, M6, M8, M10, 1/8" BSP, and 1/4" BSP I've got - but no M5's.  They are now on order.  The X rail that is out has been marked and drilled, tomorrow I'll remove the other rail and get it marked and drilled too.  I center punched the mounting hole location that was closest to the edge of the base, when I used a transfer punch to mark the other mounting hole in that rail it was about 10mm off from my layout.  I remember that when I added the mounting holes to the base, one of the mounting holes at the RH end of the machine was 10mm off - so I corrected it on the base.  I then made the 2D drawing of the base that I used to lay out the mounting hole locations on the base.  I think I moved the wrong hole in the model, so that's why the RH mounting hole locations were wrong.  Good thing I decided to do a sanity check before drilling the holes in the base.

[ddmckee54]

Picture time...


This is what things look like now, doesn't look a whole lot different than this one does it?


If you answered no to that question you'd be absolutely right.  But there is one MAJOR difference, the frame is now bolted to the base and living in its' new, and permanent, home.

Next step?  Get the bed mounting brackets designed/fabricated, and get the bed mounted to the X axis bearing blocks.  If you look closely at the base below the second mounting bolt for the X axis linear rail on the far side you'll see the access hole for greasing the X axis bearing blocks. (There's a similar access hole on the near side that's hidden in the view.)  Once the bed is mounted I can get to work on the X axis lead-nut mount.  I really need to find mt ToDo list and get it updated, this should check off at least a couple more items.