Advise Before I Begin My Build

LowRider CNC Advice
1

I am finally getting started on my build, after having a kit sitting here for months and being inundated with work. I just want to verify a few small details before sourcing the final parts, so I don’t waste more time. Can some of the more experienced among you please help with a little advise? I would greatly appreciate it.

  1. Cut Dimensions - I bought this to truly upsize my capabilities, from my existing small Chinese CNC, which can only cut around the size of a sheet of paper. At the risk of being a bit greedy, I want to swing for the fences and go for full sheet (4 x 8) and as tall as I can reasonably achieve on the Z axis. I have seen people in the community with full sheet and 3", 3.5" or even 4" Z dimensions. If I intend to cut mostly wood and maybe some aluminum eventually (although my smaller machine can still handle that). I would like to go for 4" and if I knew it wouldn't blow my rigidity/quality, would love to go as high as 5" or 6". Based on experience, is this a bad idea? What is the practical maximum for the Z axis, while still achieving reasonable accuracy and speed?
  2. Steel Tubing Wall Thickness - I am trying to get my hands on the recommended .049 wall thickness tubing, but have found .065 so far nearby. If I use the appropriate printed parts (which I understand change with the thicker walls?) will the thicker walls be a good thing and possible allow me to achieve my Z axis goals? Or just unnecessary weight and complexity? I've seen mixed opinions on the forum, so hoping for Ryan or senior members to weigh in on this.
  3. Steel Tubing Section Dimensions - If I use the calculator provided on this website and provide my desired dimensions, can I have my tubing cut to those EXACT dimensions (which I have to do out of house)? Or is some wiggle room normally necessary? Same for the belts? Can I trust the dimensions if my numbers end up being close to the max I have in the kit?
  4. Cut Parts - What are the MAX dimensions required for the wooden/cut parts (largest part)? Again, I have about a sheet of paper size of cut area and want to know if I need to find other options.
  5. Printed Parts - What are the MAX dimensions required for the 3D printed parts (largest part)? I have a pretty big 3D printer so this should be less of an issue.
  6. Firmware / Setup - I bought the kit from Ryan with the mini Rambo, which I believe comes preloaded with the firmware? If I combine it with the LCD kit (also from Ryan), will any other parts or software be needed to run the electronics (aside from what is provided in the kit)? Or can I simply follow the directions and it's relatively plug and play?
  7. Overhead Storage - What is the best implementation (please provide a link) that you have seen where someone was able to store the LCNC on the ceiling (perhaps with a winch)? Hoping to do this in my garage to save space.
Sorry for the barrage of questions. Just trying to hit the ground running and finally get this done. I am so excited to have a machine this size, so any help on my questions will be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks for your help in advance,

 

Tony

 

 

2

1- Why the tall Z, there are no 1/8"x3" endmills? Make the table adjustable and don’t sacrifice rigidity.

2-Thicker is fine if it is cheaper.

3-The calc is right, plus a little extra.

4-Last FAQ has a DXF viewer with the ability to measure accurately if you do not have a CAD program already.

5-The XZ main is the largest part. all my parts fit very easily on a standard 200mm printer.

6-SD card, the rest is plug and play.

7-

3

Adding:

  1. The Z gets longer as it goes higher on the LR, so all you have to do to have a 9" Z is never cut the excess off. This has the benefit of having the rigidity of a 1" machine when cutting plywood, and a 9" Z if you’re cutting foam sculpture. Don’t expect great results in wood at that height though.

  2. I thought the suggested thickness for the LR was 0.065?

  3. There are some flip Low Riders in the forums (sorry, not in the mood to find the links now). There was also a youtube video and post a looong time ago of a winch that lifted an MPCNC. But I haven’t seen a winched LR.

4

Awesome! Thanks guys! Just the two people I hoped to hear from. I really appreciate your prompt replies.

My interest in the higher Z is that I have been doing only 2D and 2.5D work with my current setup and was hoping to dive into some larger 3D carving work and try it out. But 4" is probably ample. I’m just trying to test the limits a bit I guess.

#7 ) Ryan, you added the number 7 but I don’t see your suggestion or links. Was that a mistake?

  1. I never considered leaving slack and making it adjustable. This seems like a perfect solution because I can start short and inch it up as I experiment or as my needs change. Awesome suggestion!
  2. Ok, great! I'll give the .065 a try and go for rigidity. I'll double check the models I have. Maybe they are for .065 but I thought they weren't.
  3. Perfect, thanks!
  4. Oh, ok. Will do.
  5. Ok, I should have plenty of room then.
  6. Perfect! Thanks!
I am so excited to get this thing built! Thank you both! I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Tony

5

The tubing is measured by outside diameter. So if you got 25.4mm tubing with 0.065" thickness, the 25.4mm models will work, but the inside diameter will be smakler than the 0.049" stuff.

The 25mm tubing is common outside the US. The thickness doesn’t matter as long as the OD matches your models.

6

Ok. Thanks!