About to order once back in stock. I see people building tilting tables to get it out of the way when not in use. Is it safe to assume that’s because simply rolling it off the end would cause issues with calibration?
No issues with calibration. But the gantry is 3 parts. Two Y plates and the part that moves up and down. If you rolled it off the end, you’d need to keep them together. They also don’t really have a good way to sit, except on the wheels. So I’m not sure how you would want to set it down. Certainly not on the leadscrews or on one end (that would be a huge torque to keep it upright).
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I just park it down at one end of the table. This leaves all but 12" or so of the table clear.
The other issue with removing the gantry from the table is the Y axis belts. By design they are screwed to the table edge, and threaded through the Y plates / steppers. I’m sure some kind of removable mount could be devised, but I haven’t seen one yet.
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Great, thanks. It sounds like I should plan for it to be hooked up most of the time. I’m OK with that and will plan on it. Thank you!
I took my belt holder parts and used threaded inserts so I could remove the holding screws, this way it allows the belt to slack and un-hook from the stepper motor - if desired - and then remove the Y-Plates for storage.
I do like the idea of parking the machine behind the table - Next set of rails, I might extend them past the table a bit so open up the whole table area. My rails are currently above the main table top to give room for the spoiler board without sacrificing Z height from the start.
good ideas, I plan on using them. Thanks!
Does anyone know if a rack and pinion type Y drive on each side of the table has been looked into? This would allow the LowRider to be slid off one end of the table without having to remove belt holders. This would also get rid of having to tension the belts. It sure would make storing the LowRider when not in use much easier (and my wife a lot happier).
IIRC, the issues with R&P are cost, difficulty in getting parallel tracks on that length, and exposure to debris. Belts are a lot more forgiving to real-world environments. R&P works fine for large, cast-iron machinery and industrial-scale work.
Not that it’s an unworkable idea, just unwieldy and a little outside the design envelope. Now, all that being said, if you have the gumption to give it a go, it’s your machine. Just let us know how it goes, and share pics! @dkj4linux even has a thread around here somewhere with some printed R&P pieces he made for an MPCNC (or similar) he was tinkering with. But he had the tracks on the underside of the rails (no debris), and I believe he was using it for a laser (even less debris).
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I need to get my LowRider completed as designed before attempting to make changes! To the point of wiring and simply making mental notes as I go along. Being able to easily store the machine when not in use is a definite plus and depending on how much extra cost is added, could be worth it.
The LowRider is by far the best design I’ve seen thus far. The price is right. The kit I purchased has gone together without a hitch. Hope I’ll be able to say that after this next phase of assembly!
Thanks for the valuable input and prompt response.
New shop, new table, so comes a new idea to store the LR2 out of the way. I’m beginning to develop a plan that will raise the LR2 up into the tall ceilings of my garage. You know that bike lift/crane pulley system? I was going to use one of those. My router can be removed prior to storage and decrease the weight significantly. My though is to create a belt/saddle strap with grommets that would allow the Z-tubes to slide through, cuddle against the Y-Plate and come together with a type of triangle style hangar where S-Hooks can hold the saddle strap to the lifting wire. The Y-Belts now are mounted to a removable block and can be placed in a bag or better yet, be attached to the Y-Plate for storage (sorry, making sausage while I write) then wind the belt OCD style to keep from kinks or exposure to elements while stored. Then it can be hoisted up out of the way.
Alright, that’s the sausage recipe as it stands - thoughts?
Should be alright. I’d make some kind of physical mount up on the ceiling to hold it. Wouldn’t rely only on the lift cables to hold it.
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Yeah, as this is just a rental until we have found an ideal property to have a suitable final spot - most everything I make today is quasi-portable. So I’ll mount the cables and blocking to a board or stable mount that I can take with me. Thanks.
You could always add eye bolts to the 4 corners and use dog snaps or carabiner to hook chains to the pulley system. Better than a sling touching the critical parts.
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I wonder how this turned out ???