Next Zenxy build ideas

Sounds like a solution is needed for this…million dollar idea!

Hello Ryan, when do you expect to have a BOM ready? Looking forward to upgrading my existing coffee table or maybe build another table. Haven’t decided.

Waiting to see how Dan’s build goes first. I don’t want people ordering things and have to change parts if his build doesn’t work like mine does…The MPCNC Primo beta was kinda rough like that. Being the one that designs it I miss some big errors when building sometimes. I see things in 0.1mm and miss the 10mm issues somehow. I have 4 or 5 Primo revisions built and tested and never noticed I was not touching 4 bearings, by a lot…worked really good though.

When the time comes, are you going to offer kits like you do for other builds? i.e., controllers, printed parts, hardware, motors, etc?

I am looking into it this evening. So few parts it should be pretty easy to do.

sooooo, 10mm belts then. Figures, I just got 10M of 6mm :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

That will work just fine, but make sure to get the 10mm hardware, pulley’s and idlers

Yeah, I spent the morning putting in the shorter screws for everything that would take them. None of the ones that have nuts will, and… I’m 4 screws shy. Kind of pity to drive across town for 4 screws, so I’m looking through the parts drawer for other things I can get at the same time.

All parts are printed now.

I can at least verify that all 19 bearings are in contact with the appropriate rails, lol. Visually, all the belt alignment is spot on.

@Strider_Matic:

I’m building with 6mm belt. You could probably just use the 10mm idlers, I printed 16 2mm washers. Dirt simple file to print, because I already had the idlers as well as the belt. I’ll be rebuilding with 10mm belt eventually, but didn’t want to hold up the build. Caveat being that you might need an extra 1 - 1.5mm footprint in the X dimension with the smaller idlers. That’s one of the things that I’ll be verifying.

Okay, off to the hardware store. I’m down to just those 4 screws that I need.

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Well, that was a day…

Most hardware stores don’t stock metric stuff, even if we are nominally a metric country. Well, that’s how it is. First specialty store doesn’t have anything in pan head for 5mm. I suppose that I could use hex head, but it would be really hard to get a socket into the parts, so I decided to go to the next place. Their closest location is closed (It doesn’t say so on their website). So it’s across town to their main branch. (Call first make sure it’s open) minimum quantity 250. I’d have been fine if it was 100 even. I was hoping for maybe 50, which would allow me to build another one for my office.

But no. So off to the auto parts place, because I only need 4, and I can wait for more ordered online. they have 5mm X 25mm and 5mm X 35mm. Fine I’ll take the longer ones and cut them down with the dremel if I can’t use them full length.

Get them home, put them in the vise and cut. All good. de-burr them and back to assembly. Put all the parts on the work bench… Right next to the unused Dewalt tool holder that I got with my MPCNC Primo order of printed parts… Which is, of course held together with 4 M5 X 30mm metric screws. :sob: :roll_eyes:

Well, it got me out of the house, I suppose.

Anyway, all parts are assembled. Need to measure and cut my conduit to verify footprint versus working area, then install it all under the table.

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Oh no what a bummer.

For me the field trip would be worth it, as much as I love being home. Lately I have been driving to different home depot’s when I need something even though I have one 4 minutes away.

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Let the measurement commence.

The red box is the size of the glass, which is equal to the internal dimensions of my sandbox. (Well, it’s probably a millimeter or so larger, since I actually traced the piece of glass.)

The green box is 92.5mm X 2 larger than the glass.

So the rails are cut and test fit. I can move the shuttle around, and see where the magnet sits relative to the red lines…

And I’ll leave it here for the evening, because the magnet moves to exactly over the red lines, and it will be annoying to cut 1/2" off of those 4 rails.

I messed this up last time too. The area that you want to move your ball in is the X/Y size of your sandbox **LESS THE DIAMETER OF YOUR MARBLE. ** Last time I made the mechanics able to center in the whole area, and it caused problems. In fact there is a whole list of things I should have done differently. It will be better this time.

Edit: once you fit the belt into its starting slot in the shuttle, removal is difficult, so I didn’t remove it for these tests, though it was in the way… I will loosely string it into place BEFORE mounting the corners to the table, final adjustment once it’s screwed down.

One more shot… this is the clearance of the shuttle to the table surface. Not enough clearance to skip over the belt. The beta stl package had spacers for the corners, but I don’t have any protruding screws, so I didn’t use them. If the bottom of your table isn’t smooth, you will need to.

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PaperCAD!

I am going to make the “trough” at least an inch bigger on all sides. Then cover the edges up from the top. Then I won’t have to worry about sand filling the corners and I will have room for some LEDs.

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Yes, there is a 2mm gap on the trucks and center piece, that is it.

Yes, I need to remember that for the calculator. Work area+1ball diameter. But I will be recommending what Heffe is talking about because I want LEDs in my new build as well. I am thinking I can mask off the center and paint a boarder, no added thickness or building complications (or maybe even get fancy and use something thin like roof flashing.

As for the belt, yes you have to string it up entirely during assembly before you can mount it, just don’t try to tension it until you are square and done. And they get 1 full twist in the tubes so flat side to all idlers and teeth to pulleys only.

Since you are assembled I won’t be spoiling anything for you now…

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I put the biggest stand-off on the motor side (magnet on that side instead of the other) so we can have more room to mount a control board nearest all the wires.

Here are a few other name option ideas.

Ouroboros
Bonseki
iikááh
Side winder
Nahco
Sio2
Slip Face
Barchan
Seif
Draas
White Sands
Shifting Sands
Mojave
Titan
Jakku
Arrakis

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I am sort of considering something 3D printed too. But I am not sure how that will look, or if I can easily make it removable.

I wouldn’t mind finding some of that plastic with aluminum on both sides and mill out some flashing too. That would look cool.

These parts are looking pretty sweet. Thank you for putting in the time for the extra details.

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That is some fancy filament right there.