As I left his place today I told Dan, “It was so great to meet you, we’re both going to regret it”. What a great guy, and so gracious with his time showing me his V1 showroom. @Ryan we need to get him an old school neon V1 sign to hang on his house! It was an odd feeling, being the guy there to see and wrap my head around things after having done the same for a good few when I first got my machines up and running. ‘Goes around, comes around’ they say.
So now what of my V1 journey? I’ve got a pretty clear path ahead actually (thanks to Dan having “one of everything” there to check out). I’m going to dismantle the current MPCNC and start gathering what I need for the release of the LR3. I’ll be building it quite a bit smaller than most - a 20” working width will be the aim and portability will be the goal so it can be carried with me to event sites in the winter and do on site ice work for me. It may be that I just set it on the ground and fire it up. The “bed” will be a rigid frame in as much of a U shape as it can be yet still stay square - maybe extrusion will be the way to build this part of the puzzle? Strong and lightweight? I’ll start a build thread for it as I know others here will be able to help me with this particular aspect.
I was surprised to learn about the massive change in the MP3DP department too. Had no idea! So my good old MP3DP is going to be reconfigured. And thank goodness. Literally just the past few weeks I’d been lusting after a delta printer (I think they’re kinda cool how the move) but now having seen the CoreXY MP3DP that’s totally off the list. I’m envisioning a tall 200x200 fully enclosed so I can maybe crank the heat up and get a reliable ABS machine in my arsenal.
Dan also had some smart source ideas for glass pieces for the build of a ZenXY so I’ll start looking around for what I need to finally convert our dining table. It could very well be that I build two ZenXYs into the table - or maybe even four quadrants? It’s a big table. The reason I haven’t built the V1 that I printed and acquired all the hardware for is because the piece of glass I need for a single span build was quoted to me at over $300. And that’s just the top piece. I’d still need a bottom piece thin enough but strong enough for the span. It’s a big table. 70 x 40. I’ll make sure to start a build thread on that too as I can already think of a few questions I will ask for help with - one being running two ZenXYs synchronized but mirrored.
What about the Primo? I’ll still build up the Primo but am trying to figure out the build size. I already know that I’ll be rebuilding the existing MPCNC at a smaller size as well. I want to build a machine that I can dedicate to aluminum milling as I can see a lot of practical need for that capability in my tinker time world. Do I build the Primo with that goal in mind or can I get away with a very small Old School (not sure what iteration my current MPCNC is)? I don’t think I’d need any more than like 12x12 work area. Even that seems big. I envision making lots of brackets for joining other materials together. Not really machining keychains and the like. Think “go kart building” or extrusion kind of brackets. Those kinds of bits and bobbles.
So yeah. I’ll need to get me one of those neon signs too. If I see it in the shop I’ll toss it in the cart
If you started both playing at the same time, with different gcode, they would be close, but not exactly in sync. Everything is pretty deterministic, but any small timing differences would add up.
If you ran them both from the same controller, running two motors off of each driver, they would be perfectly in sync. You need to pay attention to 1) They need to be manually moved to the home position first, endstops won’t work. 2) Mirroring is going to be funny, because of the corexy. You can flip one axis by swapping the motors. The other way is swapping the motors and reversing both of their directions. (I’m pointing around with my fingers thinking about this and my kids think I’ve lost it). 3) They need to be close to the same size. Your gcode has to be limited to the smallest sized one.
CoreXY doesn’t mirror well, because the motors cooperate for the X and Y axes, but it wouldn’t be difficult to have one rotated 180 degrees from the other, and that would probably be better.
if you never manually move the motors, it could be done with one controller with the motors in series. One set could have the endstops, the other would slave to it very well, maybe needing an occasional tweak if someone bumps the rails while it’s powered down, but I think it’s pretty stable.
Sounds like I owe Dan a high five! You must have a heck of a V1 showcase. Sounds like you are making some cool size decisions as well. They will be monster CNC’s at material removal at that size, can’t wait to see them.
Well, I woke up prematurely to the Border Collie barking because she purposely put all her balls under the couch so that she could make someone come get them for her. After that I had the epiphany.
I might want to hold off on the whole disassembly part of the equation until all the CNC cuts for the new machines are complete. I’m smart like that sometimes. Although having a project to cut once the LR3 is built is not a bad idea either. Maybe the Repeat can be the first project for that…
I’m keen to try running both ZenXYs from one controller. I’ve all but determined I’m better off with two smaller inserts than one big one so they both need to be built anyway. Might as well see what I can do with a single controller first.
Can someone tell me if I should be comfortable moving to different boards like the SKR or Duets as opposed to sticking with what I’m comfortable with in the Rambo world? I think I don’t have a choice on things like the the Repeat if I understand that correctly. Also - the ‘not purpose built for Aluminum’ MPCNC might as well have room for a rotary axis if I’m building anyway so that may dictate a move from the Rambo world. Correct?
I’m going to scribble out some thoughts for discussion on the LR3 frame/table setup to start that conversation. I’ll start the build thread.
I don’t know, one big one is fun. You can make it look like smaller ones if you want but you can’t make smaller ones look like one big one…
The repeat needs 6 drivers so you are limited there. But the SKR’s are pretty cool and the Duet, well I hear that is really cool. I actually almost bought a knock off this morning just so I can take a quick peek. to throw a wrench in that I got a notification the 6 pack controllers are back in stock from Mr. Dring.
I am pretty confident we can make a second ZenXY work from the same controller by making it reversed, or swapped. If you need more evidence, I can swap some cables on mine (or at least some kind of paper proof). I think it would be interesting. I believe you’re ok with risk, and progress is more important than perfection to you. Push the limits.
The ZXY has much lower requirements, so these big boards are overkill. They will work, and you might be able to do 1:1 driver to motor for your double table. But I don’t think you need to.
But the Rambo is fine. Overkill will still kill. And you might reuse it, maybe?
For the repeat, I think you need 6 drivers. It has much higher needs than the ZXY.
Part of this was borne from the need to rebuild the MPCNC but part is also to just make use of the stuff I have around here doing nothing - like 4 miniRambos. But I’m also fine bringing new hardware in where required. I’m pretty aware that what seems like simple “rebuild this, reconfigure that” is just another gateway drug
This sounds right. If you had identical ZenXY mechanics on machine A and machine B, and each machine had motors M1 and M2 you could wire M1A in series with M2B and M1B in series with M2A. You might have to flip the connectors on M2A or M2B or both.
You wouldn’t be able to home them independently but if they started out in a mirrored position then they should stay mirrored amd you could home one machine.
The ZenXY is so easy to build… now I think I need to build a dual one with the mechanisms rotated 180°…
I am really happy with my Duet configurations, and am still planning to move my Repeat to RRF. I have RepRap Firmware already on an SKR Pro board, which I plan to move to my Repeat build, though I’ll need a new face for it without the TFT35 E3 screen. Moving the SD card even over to the laptop is annoying. I’d much rather send over wifi. That will be the biggest advantage to ne, anyway, and monitor the print from any PC in the house.
Gotta build 'em all!
One of these days I’ll take you up on that high five. My place is crowded and messy, but I’ve got a ZenXY, MP3DP V2, Repeat, Primo and Lowrider to show off, plus V1 inspired stuff like my panel saw. I figure that’s pretty good for a 950 square foot house.
Your truck has post holes on the bed, there to mount canopies and sth. I don’t temember you having a canopy though.
Why not use those holes to mount 2 side tables. Each piece can have posts that mount to the truck bed which will keep them square, level and parallel. Then run the LR3 over the span between them. The truck then becomes the CNC machine (run the controller off of the battery, even) and it is guaranteed consistent and square.
Loading the ice onto a platform on the truck bed shouldn’t be too bad, and then everything pops out and is easy to transport. I bet you could get a LR3 out of the truck and onto it, set up and ready to rock in 3 minutes or less.
Make the width anything you like, jmake the adjustments to the side platforms to span the working area. Maybe make a third piece so that the work table becomes the tonneau cover, and the center drops to become the work platform for your ice slabs.
The truck thought is clever. I’ll have to give that some thought. although the Avalanche doesn’t have exactly the same mounts you’re referring to it DOES have hard points that would be pretty good and registered. AND the electronics could be connected by an umbilical that then lets me keep them warm in the truck. Definitely something to chew on. The other similar thought I had (but not similar at all really…) is that when we’re out we ALWYAS have CHEP pallets around. Good sturdy, stackable pallets. I’ve been wrestling with “setting the machine on the ground” and not a big fan but also don’t want to add any sort of table assembly that I have to carry around. I’m going to “start the thread”. Did some doodling today. I’ll come back here and link to it.
I’ve always thought it would be fun to make a camper van conversion, but instead of a camper, it was a little makerspace, with a CNC inside. I really only consider it when I think about makerfaires, but I could also drive it to schools or something.
I don’t like working on cars though. So if someone wants to own that idea and just send me pictures, I would love that.
Off topic but I wanted to share with you…I built a shed this winter and all the while thought of you. When I was last OCD over all things V1 I think you were building yours. Mine is now complete except for the deck I’m going to add and has become my rest, recover and ponder all things place. I’m there now actually, cooling off between rounds. Just in case your ears were ringing all winter long. Hahaha
Depends who’s asking. For all intents and purposes it’s a 12x8 shed which puts it at 96 sq ft. Any shed over 100 sq ft requires a permit here. My shed just happens to have a chimney poking out the roof. I’ve said too much
It was a fun project made even more rewarding in that I scavenged almost 70% of it and dug deep through marketplace for as much as I could save. There’s no way my wife would have let me build it otherwise but I’m so glad I did. Normally at the end of my ice carving season I barely have enough grip strength left to take the lid off the milk jug. This year? Zero fatigue. I worry it may be placebo but the dawning of the wood carving season (tomorrow) will confirm or deny that. I hope it’s true that sauna cures all.
But yes, as I cleverly moved the mitre saw and compressor and ladders around while building I was reminded of your smart setup with I think it was your table saw?
Sure, if you’re designing a machine from scratch, but using the LR design, belts is what we’ve got.
So far as I know none of the rack and pinion designs rhat I’ve seen are nearly as friendly to the concept of a portable build though. The LR3 should make that quite easy.
