lets see pictures of your bots!

[tverdin]

Hey Guys, I have been a shopbotter for going on ten years now. The company I work for had one that was barely being used when I started and they didnt really understand much about it. I took it over and have come a long way thanks to you guys and shopbot tech support. I am getting ready to personally purchase a 5x10 alpha with an indexer that will be the centerpiece of my new business. I am interested in seeing pictures of everyones set up. The rooms they have their Bot in, how they have the electric ran, how the computer is set up (is it in a cabinet or what) or anything else your interested in sharing. Pictures are a great way to help me lay everything out and decide what I like and dont like. Thanks for the help!

[chuckster]

Tommy!!!!!

[EricSchimel]

Here's a video of my bot, 4x8 PRS "High Voltage".

I've done a bunch of upgrades to it... 8 zone vacuum system, LED warning lights in the gantry, fixed and loose zero plates, and just in the past few weeks I've done huge upgrade to the control system. I've got one of Gary Campbells Rezurection boxes (with some of his special modifications) This machine is incredible now. Check out the video:

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMGGxUfSjS-EBtILzsZ9sw5KuELyadFYvTbcRN9LBgcRjqO7H4pvzscVb53-xYo1Q/photo/AF1QipPymIXWR8EvK2rAw5zHUzhqODuRl5pmS1JhjzFb?key=Y kRROWxTRHpWQWtCREdLNzRFM2dNcnFIbUJHX1p3

If you want detailed shots of the control system check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSR0YYE44jQ

Here is it cutting at 7.5 IPS. I cranked it up to 10 IPS and I was able knock out these butt prints really fast:

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipORCqO5Zhr5JmCGP6iaK6o_Dkp1DZegdxGaykt1

[jTr]

Eric,
Cannot get your last link to work, but do have some questions:
- What are the benefits of going to belt drive?
- Is it the control system and belt drives that enable you to scream about the table at that speed?

I run 3-5 IPS most of the time and find any faster you'll compromise quality of cut do to inherent limitations. Are there physical adjustments/additions to your machine's frame?

Thanks,
jeff

[jTr]

Eric,
Got the first video to work, but only by hitting back arrow and arriving at a small screen version. Also - is it supposed to be silent? looks like you're gesturing with your hands to explain, but no audio...

Jeff

[EricSchimel]

Hey guys sorry about the bad links, I was trying to get all fancy and it didn't work out so well. Here's the link to the first video:

https://goo.gl/photos/SBgppSLC9yGGSNdK9

And here's the link to the video of me cutting at 7 IPS:

https://goo.gl/photos/fPnJfnER7Z3Jx35x9

And then here's the guts of my control system:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSR0YYE44jQ

Jeff that's a great question. So here's the deal with my setup:

My old V4G system worked great. It was very accurate and smooth but the speed was where I was losing time. When I started back up on my production work I figured I'd keep all my speeds and feeds the same (go with what you know) and start bumbping things up slowly. I started out with the jog speed. Before I was jogging at a max of 5 IPS, usually more like 4. I was able to confidently bump that up to 12. As you see the machine can easily (and repeatably) jog at 23, so 12 seemed pretty reasonable. Just that change alone saved a ton of time in my jobs. You don't realize how much time is spent jogging around, at least on some of the work that I do. Drilling is a lot better now too. I an use an upspiral bit and drill really fast in one peck, instead of lightly peck drilling. That saves a lot of time on certain work too.

Those super high jog speeds work on my machine because it's a modern PRS.

Now you make a really good point about sacrificing cut quality by cranking up the speed, and you're totally right. Where I've saved a lot of time is this:

Before I was operating at or near the limits of my motors and control system. This means I was getting into situations where I would lose steps, or sometimes just have to be cautious with a new material or job. Will I ever cut full depth through plywood at 12 IPS? Likely never for a variety of reasons (cut quality, hold down, machine flex, bits snapping, etc) However, I did just cut a job at 6 IPS in plywood (light passes). I worked my way up to that because I know I have the power on tap and I'm not worried about losing any steps.

The butt print job I did with a 3/4" ball nose cutter. I did that in light passes. (.04 stepovers). On my old setup I wouldn't have gone past 3.5 IPS. I was doing those 10 IPS and I probably could have gone faster. THAT saved me a ton of time. I did each butt print in 9 minutes. On my old VG4 it would have taken at least double.

I do foam work to. Foam stuff you can fly through if your machine can handle essenetially air cutting at high speed. Again, before I wouldn't go above 4-5 IPS, with this setup I did some foam tests and I was doing them at 12 IPS.

So, while it's cool to see how fast something will go the main reason I did the upgrade with these massive steppers and drivers was to get reliability. Even if I never bump up any speed or feed I'm using this setup at so under the limit that it's going to be super reliable. My production work has already seen a 30% speed increase. Then when I get weird foam jobs or stuff like the butt prints, instead of being limited by the slower tool motion I can really open it up and take advantage of the speed. All around it's a net gain.

Oh, and lets not forget that it has cool LED lights. Everything should have cool LED lights. :)

[Gary Campbell]

Thanks Eric...
Now that the new is off and you are not hot rodding it, what are your relaible daily cutting and rapid speeds?

[Austin Shafer]

29756

Got two bots and three computers. PC's are not in any sort of enclosure, have air compressors to clean everything as we go. Electric drops in from the ceiling in the back by the two dust collectors. These are used for strict production work just making playground equipment. We do some sign-like stuff that makes it fun but mostly repetitive work. No vacuum hold down yet due to running out of available electricity....

[frank134]

That a very nice setup. Gary really know his stuff. But I was wondering what did it cost if I may ask?

[EricSchimel]

Shoot me an email and I'll give you the breakdown. What Gary did for me was custom.... Originally when I got in contact with him he thought I had an older PRT. I had only sent him pictures of my V4G system. I have a rare PRS that was an early model that came with the V4G control system, not the RBK system that most have.

What we ended up deciding is that because I had a V4G control system that's eligible for upgrade, but newer metal (PRS) that we could hot rot it. What Gary ended up building was something that has an RBK controller coupled to massive stepper drivers and motors.

Email me and I'll give you the price breakdown, I hesitate to post it here because it's a custom system and not what people who have V4G's on PRTs will actually get. Those folks will spend less than I did because of their machine configuration.

PS here's a cut I did the other day, I'm slowly ramping up the speed: https://goo.gl/photos/7bSHq9cE8YKhtt9B9

[ByronConnDesign]

Hi All,
I Just moved studios so I've been too busy to post things, but always enjoy reading posts. This upgrade has been a long time coming, here's my machine mostly dialed in. Last year I added the hardened caps to the X and Y rails and the 90 degree outboard table. Once moved in here I replaced all V bearings/wheels and pinions, added a PVC vacuum table to replace all of my removable vacuum plenums, increased my 4 zones to 12, and added t-tracks. So far the PVC with 12 zones has been AMAZING! The front row of 4 zones are smaller then the middle and back row, letting me use smaller fixtures and parts with vacuum. Next I need to design an index system to use with the t slots and add pop-up stops. Off to cut the dovetail pins.

29899
29900

Cheers,
Byron

[wwaldner]

Interesting vac setup. Did you say the PVC plenums are removeable? If so, how are they fastened down? Do you throw a piece of MDF on top for a bleeder?

[ByronConnDesign]

No the PVC is glued down. I use different sized bleeder boards, fixtures, and direct to the gasket depending on the part. In the past I had a flat MDF table with removable plenums that would screw down.

[tlempicke]

I have two bots. One at my home in South Carolina and the other at my condo in Florida. This is the desktop in Florida. Since it is in a condo noise is an issue as is dust. The enclosure keeps it so quiet that you can hardly tell it is running even when you are in the same room with it. The lid is spring loaded with two gas cylinders and rises on it's own if you unlatch ithttp://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=29910&stc=1http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=29911&stc=1http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=29913&stc=1http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=29914&stc=1

[tlempicke]

I tried to rotate the images and it will not let me. I went out and rotated the images on the originals and it just rotated them right back to what it thinks is right. What gives?

[dlcw]

I've got a 2009 PRS Alpha 96x60. My jog speed has been 15IPS for several years now. I cut several hundred sheets of plywood from 3/4" to 1/4" every year. I cut 3/4" in 2 passes. The first one is a climb cut leaving a 1/32" skin at 6IPS, my conventional cut thru the board is at 6IPS. I drill using a boring bit at 6K RPM one shot in and out. All my plywood cutting is a climb cut then a conventional cut. Has been working well for years. I've thought about bumping to 7IPS to see what would happen but I don't have time right now to interrupt production.

I have a 2.2HP spindle (probably going to need to replace in a year or two). 7 zone vacuum hold down system. I use 1/8" thick sacrificial boards on top of the spoil board. I surface the spoil board just before the start of each cutting job to make sure it's perfectly flat. The sacrificial sheets take all the thru cutting abuse. The spoil board has no tooling marks whatsoever on it. This is a great way to increases your hold down capability, especially with smaller parts. You can put a new sacrificial sheet on and have really good vacuum seal around each part as it's cut. I do a thorough maintenance job on it between each cutting job as each job is between 75 and 100 sheets of plywood. Has been working very well.

[gundog]

That is a very nice enclosure you made tlempicke. Where did you get your table clamps?
Mike

[tlempicke]

That is a very nice enclosure you made tlempicke. Where did you get your table clamps?
Mike
Rockler has them and I have also seen them at Woodcrafters. Overpriced but they do work well.