If anybody remembers me asking questions earlier, I did end up pulling the trigger on a system. It’s a 5x8 NEMA34 PRO 4hp spindle kit. I got the parts back in late March and they’ve been burning a hole in the back of my mind wanting to get things put together. A bunch of other things had to be finished first, namely cleaning up and clearing out a good amount of space in my workshop.
This has absolutely been the most fun (and most expensive) lego kit I’ve had the chance to build yet (not counting the stuff I do for work because it wasn’t my money buying that gear, lol). Managed to do it all myself and the square/true check after the legs were assembled was barely 1/8" off so I’m pretty happy with that.
Now I’m down to the very last bits - spoil board, dust management, and power-hookup and calibration. You can also get a glimpse of my little robot buddy Mo who’s going to be cleaning up what the big dust system misses.
I’m really looking forward to getting things operational and getting projects going.
Nice! A 5x8 is a good size machine. You have obviously enough room for 4x8 material, but also room on the sizes for clamping or even some dedicated fixtures for smaller work.
Nice clean wiring job too. Shamefully I need to clean mine up!
Some constructive input I might offer up from my lessons learned, here, and because it is hard to tell from the pictures posted, before you do the final squaring and lock things in wieht even more weigth by adding a spoil-board., … Slide it out rom the wall enough to get fully around the back side. I’m in a very small work-space and I was thinking I’d get by without going around. These things get even heavier with a plasma water table on them, but once In a while I find myself absolutely needing to get to the back side. -Just my 2-pence worth of input…
It is a small work space around the machine, and definitely good advice. It’s something I did consider when getting the assembly work going. Before the tabletop got fully framed up I made a basic frame for it to stand on with heavy duty casters (350lbs each, one caster per table foot).
There’s a touch of shift in the wheels when the machine moves and I’m curious if it will cause any issues, though I don’t think it would(?) since it’s subtractive manufacturing from rigid material rather than additive like a 3d printer’s extruded material that flexes since it’s still warm and gives ripple lines from minor momentum movements on the body of the machine from the gantry.
I’m only planning on basic woodwork for this machine for the forseeable future, and if I can save up and get a larger workspace I can set it down on the floor permanently; for now the casters allow me to move it if needed to get behind it for any service purpose I may need, letting the little vacuum robot do floor cleaning back there the rest of the time.
Thanks! Yeah, I’ll very likely be doing full sheet work so having the little bit extra room around a 4x8 panel to make sure it’s fitted/secure will be a must. And I couldn’t help it with the cables, I work in IT and after decades of spaghetti cables in server racks there was no way I could just toss things in there and let it be I don’t know if it will stay that way as the machine does work over time but it looks pretty enough to start and it satisfied an itch from my professional life.
I don’t know if it will stay that way as the machine does work over time but it looks pretty enough to start and it satisfied an itch from my professional life.