Been absent for quite a while, perhaps two years.
I made all my own printed parts, and made my machine using EMT. I made a BIG bed, where I could work on a 4’ x 4’ piece of lumber.
Well, I never was successful. It seems the machine was binding, and dual end stops did not help. It seems to me, now, that the machine was twisted. The corners were perfectly square, so that was not the problem.
I am wondering, now that there is a ‘Primo’ version, could this help me?
I think I will order the parts already made, and use stainless 1" OD tubing instead, and, then, make the bed quite a bit smaller. The motors, belts, and electronics all seem to be fine.
Do you guys think this will help me be successful?
Take care,
GlenB
A lot of people build Primo machines with no issues, so I have no doubt that you can be successful with a Primo using a smaller working area. A machine 4’ on a side is really big by Burly or Primo standards, and it is recommended that you build a LowRider if you want to be cutting material of that size.
But before you do that, maybe you could run an experiment with your current machine. Take the outer legs and move them inward so you have a cutting size of say 24" x 24". You don’t even have to trim the tubes, just support the hanging ends with a scrap wood. You will need to adjust the belt size down. If you built using tall legs, shorten them.
With this new configuration, try some jobs. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. And if you still have problems with this smaller size, I’m betting that the people active on this forum can help you sort them out quickly. This is not to discourage you from building a Primo, just for you to see how building smaller impacts performance at zero cost and very little work. The Burly is a capable machine that you should be able to get working satisfactorily.
Shrinking it down to play a bit is a good idea. A 24"x24"x3" work area is a good starter machine, and it should be able to cut things out of 1/2" plywood no problem with the estlcam basics settings. If that is causing some problems, then post some info, and we can help you figure it out.
But to your original question, the primo is a big step up in rigidity, and it uses 10mm belts, and the zip ties are gone, it uses all metric hardware and 1" tubing (DOM or stainless) are all going to be big improvements. If you also shrink it to the recommended size (24"x24"x3"), then yes, it should be a much more fun experience.