What have I gotten myself into!: "Tooling up"

Monday, December 10, 2018

"Tooling up" - CNC plasma cutter update #1

Assembling the CNC table

Can’t believe it’s been that long since my last post.

In the past few months there have been many developments behind the scenes with JT (the flying EZ), but that story will require many posts to unravel, hopefully very soon.

Today, I’d like to give you an update on the CNC plasma cutter.

Because I purchased the table from a startup company (after a successful kickstarter campaign), I wasn’t really expecting the table to arrive on time. So, when it arrived a couple of months late, I was not upset over the small delay.

Shortly after receiving it, I decided to put the table together to make sure there were no mechanical issue, and run a few tests to tease out any possible electrical gremlins.

I have to say that I have been very impressed with the quality of the components, the attention to detail in the packaging, and completely blown away from the video instructions on how to put it together.

Don't you just love it when you return from a trip and find boxes waiting for you in the garage?

Taking stock of what was in the box

This massive gantry piece was already "tuned-up" at the factory

Powder coated frame members

Stepper motors and other stuff

Water table, controller box, and hardware.

All the pieces

This is the third CNC machine I build/assemble, but never before has the task been as easy as this time. Langmuir deserves an A+ for their effort in making the assembly of this complicated piece of machinery a piece of cake. All one has to do is watch the videos and replicate the steps.

Done!

The table building part at least.

Interfacing the electronics with the actual plasma cutter, depends on which cutter one purchased. I splurged a bit on a Hypermax Powermax 45 XP with a CPC port, which in theory should make connecting it to the controller box simpler and cutting better, though that still remains to be seen at this point.