Making room for the Indexer...

[bjwat@comcast.net]

Well...
After many months of the Indexer staring at me through it's crate, I finally took the plunge and started preparing the table for it. I was originally going to drop the table down 6" or so along the X and give up 12" in Y for the indexer to sit in...This would have worked with a 1 foot indexer area and 4X8 spoilboard.

However...after discussing what I wanted to do with another botter, he suggeted that I raise the rails up 2" and place the Indexer on the spoilboard. I did just that and it seems to work pretty well. I haven't worked out T-track for adusting the length between centers yet, but this way the indexer is totally floating and I can put it wherever I want. I am hoping one day...to adapt it to the plasma machine so that I can do tubing and pipe saddle cuts etc. Now THAT would be slick!

I also cleaned out the computer cabinet and made so updates. Now I have everything at my fingertips...

http://home.comcast.net/~bjwat/CabinetAnnotated.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~bjwat/NoticeAnythingDifferent.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~bjwat/RaisedCarriage.jpg

I'll post more when I get it hooked up.

-Brady

[harold_weber]

Brady, looking at your pictures, my machine was dirtier than that before I got it built and running. You must be doing very well to be able to afford a janitorial service that cleans the machines as well.......

[bjwat@comcast.net]

Ha!

Don't worry....that's the front side of the machine!

[edwardmc]

Brady, I like the idea of rasing the rails. I have setup my indexer along the x axes next to the spoilboard but could use more hight some times and thought I would need to drop the rails holding the spoilboard. Your Idea will save a lot of work. Here is a pic of my indexer setup I'm using c clamps so I can remove it quick when I need the full y axes.
\image {indexer setup }

[edwardmc]

try try again
505

[bjwat@comcast.net]

Looks good Ed. That was one option that I was looking at initially. If I place the indexer on the support rails (and eat up 3" of my spoilboard in the Y direction to get bit centered) I can get about 5.5" of Diameter. The raised rails are perfect for being able to contact the spoilboard, BUT I am looking into getting a longer Z axis because the Z doesn't go up as high as I'd like it to.

Still in the R&D part. I need the indexer to be versatile, adustable and give me 8" or more in diameter. I'll post more as things progress.

-Brady