Double Rider?

I use the full sheet capacity of my lowriderV2 quite often. Furniture, kinetic sculptures, anything big that I can make smaller (and likely less useful) is tossed on and cut up… just not in a jiffy.

I’m curious if any of you have thought about mounting two lowriders on the same table and having them run at the same time. I realize crashes could occur if the tool paths make it so, but what I’m after is engineering constraints. For instance, would a separate Y-belt be necessary?

I’ve opened pandora’s box and am ready to be called a fool for doing so. Since I opened it though, you might as well chime in.

You fool! Both cutters working on the same big piece or cutting little pieces for increased production?

Might switch to rack and pinion on the y?

I’d envision it could be the same piece with the toolpath of each cutter ending at a specified location then have only one finish the remainder.

Yes, I’m thinking something like a rack and pinion would certainly do the job. I don’t think two machines exerting forces on the same belt would work. However, it would be cool if it could.

Then it seems to me that your biggest hurdle is programming and coordinating your tool paths. Are you aware of any CAM packages that can handle this?

Rack and pinion has backlash, and it’s hard to get it aligned over 9’ lengths. I am sure the belts would work just as well.

You could certainly do it with double the gear. If both of them had their own Marlin controller, then they wouldn’t care.

I am assuming you would only do things like two <4’ jobs at a time. So they wouldn’t have to “dance” to avoid each other.

Or a 6’ and a 2’.

I’m not sure about CAM platforms that could address two machines running simultaneously. Likely there are. However, I think all I would have to do is limit the workspace in Fusion 360 to three feet each on the Y-axis run the cuts on two separate cuts on independently operated lowriders then come back with one lowrider and finish up what I couldn’t safely do.

Would you add to the length of Y to keep the full length when you weren’t using the second one?

Yes, all valid points and you are thinking about the CAM exactly how I’m planning it.

I’m not sure I would need to keep one full length for my circumstances. Everything I’ve wanted to do is either full sheet or less than 36" on the Y-axis.

I’m just spit-balling, but the lowrider has good potential to run tandem with great results. At the price point it hits… there isn’t any reason to not try it. So long as the shop doesn’t go up in flames and shrapnel is kept to a minimum :slight_smile:

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Sounds like you’ve got to do it, and you’ve got to share it.

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I was only thinking if you needed to cut a hat rack or something and you actually did want to cut one full 8’ piece with one side, you would need to have the other side completely out of the way. For that, you’d need another 1’ or so of length to the table, or else you could remove it, and tighten the belts a bit. If you were running on side rails, you could just make longer ones, you don’t need spoil board way out there.

I am also guessing you are going to be annoyed when you have two jobs that would fit on a new sheet, but you have a sheet with a hole in already in place. Or you have two half sheets ready to go :).

I’m going to try this out. Somehow. Don’t expect a docuseries though. Just something that says it works with a short video to prove it. And if it fails, I’ll post the shop insurance claim.

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Size/ space and part depending, you could have a plate made to hold 2/3/4 etc routers/spindles at once… if you are making multiples of the same parts all the time and you have the space.

Hope that makes as much sense as it did in my head…

Second lowrider is operable, just doing some rewiring and configuring before making some test cuts. Hope to have something posted by this weekend.

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Got it all working. Turns out it was quite simple to get both operating on the same table. Simple by my standards even.

I created this block to fix the Y-belt to the table in (near) the middle. Works well for independent parts on each Lowrider. I’ve yet to test a full table length part where both are working said part simultaneously. I’ll post a video of that if it is successful. A video of two Lowriders on the same table working wasn’t worth a video just yet. Just wasn’t as crazy as I initially thought it would be.

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Still want to see it work :grinning::grinning:

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Please share pictures or video :hugs:

I’ve already removed it, sorry. It wasn’t anything special - just two lowriders on one table. I managed to get both to locate the same position in the middle of the table, however the time savings with two lowriders working at once on one project wasn’t enough to justify keeping it. As well as the opportunity for a locating error to ruin an entire sheet of material.

I’ve since repurposed the parts to a much smaller lowrider 24"x 72" working size and also a very small Primo.

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Okey I understand!

Interesting idea. How did you home the two separately?