How much did they quote you?
Hi Stevan. I’m a little slow answering your initial blog, and I see people have already answered some of your questions. More recent dialog is about locally sourced tube. I sourced my tube from Bunnings. Comes in 3m lengths form about $16 a piece. For a 1/4 sheet LR2, a single 3m length was sufficient. Product is Metal Mate 25.4 x 1.2 3m Galvanised Steel Round Tube (I/N 1130457). You can also get in 1m lengths for about $6 ea. If you measure the OD of this pipe it is 25.5mm - the extra is the galvanizing, but this difference doesn’t matter. Gal pipe is a little rough but you can sand the rough bits off easily, and this size pipe is stiff enough for the smaller tables.
When you say bits and pieces, I’m not sure what bits n pieces you are referring to. If you’re talking about the LR2 parts, you can 3D print these yourself, or purchase them from Ryan at V1. Printing is Ok if you have lots of time, and access to 3D printer with sufficient volume. The print files are available via the V1 site (make sure you select the right variation to match the tube. I chose to just buy all the parts from Ryan direct. Cost about $750 including shipping (6 months ago - exchange rate has changed since). It was real easy to order, Ryan did great job packing every thing into single box, and it took under a week to arrive here in Oz. Assembly was straight forward, but with a few ‘ratholes’ and restarts (which I can share with you so you can avoid). one thing I found was the 611 plate (for the deWalt 611 router) didn’t suit the router I was using (a cheapie Ozito Trim router), but it was easy to make up an alternate plate out of 6mm ply using the supplied plate as a template to get the bearing bracket mount holes in the right places.
I see no reason you can’t mount your LR2 table on top of your stand. However, your suggestion of just using a sheet of MDF overhanging your stand won’t work. You need to mount the belt stops on the edge of the table, which from memory needs table edge to be at least 25mm wide. So perhaps sheet 16mm MDF with an extra strip of 16mm MDF glued along the long edges. I think someone else mentioned your table needs to be bigger than 1/4 sheet. For 1200 x 600mm work piece, table needs to be approx. 1600 x 800mm. Exact sizes can be calculated using the calculator provided on the LR2 site. This give pipe and table sizes. X dimension of table and pipe is fairly critical, to ensure sufficient clearance for Y plate travel. Y dimension no so critical so long us you match your Y belt lengths to your table.
Last comment is about packing the LR2 up, as answered elsewhere the Y belts are attached to the table, and perhaps your power feed cable too. I packed up my LR2 by detaching the belt stops from the table edge, then packing entire gantry in a purpose built box with lid. My power feed for the PCB PSU and router were contained in the same cable tidy. I simply mounted a 3 pin GPO on my table so I can unplug the power feed.
hope this info helps. Martin
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Brilliant. Thanks Martin. I have my own 3D printer, so am comfortable with that part of it. I also already own a Makita RT0700c router, which is what I’d intend to use. I like the idea of packing the gantry into a purpose build box. Did you build the box yourself? I’m guessing out of wood?
OK - its a lot of 3D printing. I think I read somewhere, 90+ hours (but yr own time is cheap vs $750 buy).
Yeap - purpose built box - need something to protect it - its not built to just throw around the workshop like a circular saw etc. Was a simple box built out of some daggy old 12mm particle board I had stacked away. Looked a bit better with some old left over paint (from previous colour scheme in house) on it. External dimensions are (approx.) 1100 long x 410 deep x 420 high (all mm). I fitted some ‘stops’ inside on floor of box against the Z rails ( on which gantry sits) which keeps gantry from moving laterally. The depth (less 2 x 12 mm walls) was measured to neatly fit the outer ‘rim’ of wheels on the Y plates, so gantry is held in place in depth direction. (and gravity holds it down in box 
).
have fun building it.
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Yep, that’ll work.
$39 for a full length (6m) (They don’t sell any less), think this maybe + GST though.
This is for 1.6mm x 25.4mm, they don’t stock 2mm unfortunately.
One problem for me is trying to get out during the week to pick it up.
I’m wondering if 6m would do 2x low rider builds ? ( hint hint ) Think it would depend on the Z height required.
Yeah, I’m all for sharing. I’m only looking to build a 1/4 sheet machine. I’ll have to check the calculator to see how much I need but 6m between us might be ok. I might be able to figure out a weekday pickup. Either myself or I could cajole my wife into it.
Hi Stevan.
The calculator will also give you the Z lengths you need, based on your quote ‘usable height’. My Z’s are 306mm, and I get a little over 100mm Z travel. More than sufficient if you’re only CNC’ing sheet stock. I had no science in picking 100m Z travel, I just dimensioned the Z rails to whatever was left over of my 3m pipe after cutting X rails.
Comment above says ’ It’ll be easy enough to get another top that has some overhang. A bit of 3/4″ MDF or ply should be sufficient, I assume?’. Just remember, edge of table top at corners needs to be thick enough to mount the belt stops. From memory, I think the stops were about 30mm in height. Dimensions might be on the web site were the 3d print files are. You could just add corner pieces under the 3/4" top, to get sufficient thickness.
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Thanks Martin. Sounds reasonable. Yep, you’re spot on. I just did the exercise with the calculator. Looks like I’ll run with 3m of pipe then. @MikeDub, sharing that 6m bit of pipe would only work if you’re planning the same size LR2.
Damn @bigrizz, looks like you’re not active on the forums anymore. Just had to reply though, because I’m in Greenslopes too! You could probably hear me buzzing away all day today.
Hi @Pok. I started this thread nearly 2 years ago. I’m in Sydney and happy to offer advice if you are building? I built my LR2 then ‘parked’ it for multiple months waiting for my target project to come around. I’ve just completed this project, now so now well versed on using LR2. I use Fusion 360 for CAD and CAM. I added some custom Gcode to F360 CAM to help the Start up and finish up of an LR2 cut. My project was some simple router cutouts in a sheet of 12mm MDF. For dollhouse walls. I had some trouble with Y tracking and posted my solution at end in Lowrider V2 wandering to one side moving Y.
anyhow if you want any advice - ‘yell’? Martin the Aussie