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Well got it up and working works good just need to wait fro my foot pedal switch to turn torch on and off , Also going to change the long box arm to aluminum so lighter the the feed rail is fine since is stationary . need to make tracing pen part aluminum since sticks to my work i am tracing since held in place by magnets and the metal pen sticks to the magnetized work. Attachment 6949Attachment 6950Attachment 6951
Looks like you are making good use of those bearings you bought! So it looks like it will trace 1:1 with no scaling, right? Looks like your test circle cutouts came out OK if that's what they are.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rodsmachineshop
yes 1 to 1 . yes circles came out good .
Good implementation. Pantagraphs will multiply any play in the pivots or sway in the arms and affect the quality of the output. There are some implementations of pantagraphs that don't mirror the output - need to change the number of pivots or something like that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rodsmachineshop
Pantograph i copied worked sorta ok but everything is reversed when cutting and wasn't 1 to 1 . going to order some aluminum box to replace the long steel one so lighter and better balance when all the way to the right and left when traveling . be nice for making my brackets for the cnc table i want to build
Rod do you know why your pantograph didn't cut 1:1? Is it something you can fix relatively easy?
I didn't like it wasn't smooth when cutting and this works so much better with the roller bearing fixtures
I would like to see this in person ... seems like your on to something really sweet ... if you get it worked out you should patent it and market them ... not everyone can afford cnc ... if you can put out something for the average hobbyist I think they would sell well.
It has to do with the lengths of the straight edges (and as a side-effect the angles) that make up the pantograph. If you change the lengths, you can make it enlarge, reduce or make it 1:1.Quote:
Originally Posted by NRM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantograph
Please be aware that pantographs have at least four joints that can make moving heavier objects a little more problematic and prone to errors if there is any slack in the pivots or if the straight edges aren't rigid.
Yeah, you've got a good system there. I can see why you wanted the bearings (LOL) ... AND, you have more bearings to make other things. Ever make that horizontal sliding TIG arm brace? Remember, if you start marketing the sliding TIG arm rest, I get a cut!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rodsmachineshop
Thanks for posting this link ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantograph ... it explains some things I was wondering about ... maybe I'll try to build one myself.
well played with the tracer last night and found going to use 1 inch round instead of box since slides with no bearing fixture drag a all for the shorter cross section and for the box that the torch is attached to going to use aluminum since lighter . called my steel supplier and order a 20 foot piece of 1 inch .125 wall aluminum box . not bad priced was only 35 bucks for a aluminum 20' x 1x1 box .125 wall .
You are very welcome, Winky. Just watch for any play in the pivots as that will kill any chance of the duplicate looking like the original! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Winky
Also, you might want to experiment and figure out whether you want one of the arms extendable to allow you to reduce, enlarge or make 1:1 your copy.
Remove any drag and you'll be king!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rodsmachineshop
I don't have a need for a pantograph, but now I want one. Keep posting pics and your progress.
I'm with you there. I was thinking about all of the things I could do just driving in to work this morning! Mind you, I would need to buy a plasma cutter so that might be a ways away. After the pantograph, a CNC! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by NRM
It's lunch time for me now. Also thinking about some crispy skinned pork .....
replaced cross bar to round 1 inch 120 wall big difference can blow on it and it moves , did a micrometer check on the box and on the round tubing . the box has a a lot of difference in thickness, round is true all the way from end to end . when building mt cnc table will use round tubing also noticed round is better on not flexing like box tubing. so 2 inch 120 wall would be great for rails for a cnc table for gantry to run on .Attachment 6957Attachment 6958Attachment 6959
Good observation. I never would have initially thought to check the thickness of it. Weird how we take some things for granted. Good that you caught this here before you got too far on your CNC.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rodsmachineshop
what good 120 wall tubing is very cheap
How the cutting ration now? did you design the rollers yourself?
Same here, lol. I never even thought about it until finding this forum.Quote:
Originally Posted by NRM
There are some neat rigs for routers too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lKNG...D63FF280901729
ratio same 1 to 1 what ever move you make at tracing end is exactly the same at plasma torch end . just waiting now till Thursday for my 1x1 piece of box aluminum for the tracing arm since the steel is to heavy to keep a good balance
1"x1" aluminum? Maybe try an awning shop, I got a bunch from one time for next to nothing.
got a piece coming tomorrow in my Thursday metal shipment. i am getting a 20 foot 1x1 120 wall box aluminum for only 35 bucks , they had some at the hard ware store but crazy prices and thin stuff for 21 bucks and only 6 foot long lol
You guys are making me want a plasma cutter :P
still waiting for my aluminum hate being about last on truck rought , but did get my foot switch to controlAttachment 6975 torch this morning works neat but tried using the cnc conector on back but sorta works goofy since have to hit switch twice to activate torch and turn it off , will have to wire at torch end instead
Wouldn't you want a momentary switch? Or did you want something that you didn't have to hold down while tracing?
it is a momentary switch i got . but when wired at cnc plug on back it works sorta strange but figured it out its the cnc board . have to hold switch down for a few seconds before torch activates then starts to cut must be a time delay in the cnc board then when let off switch it turns off as it should .
Wow what a contraption! Do you really do enough multiples to need something like this? Only seems like it would really come into good use if you had to cut many of the same thing ALL the time.
I think Rod is gonna need more space soon at the rate he is going.
I wouldn't be surprised if Rod is building a new addition to his place with his left hand while rebuilding an engine with his right while learning Spanish. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by everlastsupport
Rod you planning on posting some video? I would like to see how it actually works.
i will if can borrow a video camera from one of my friends i had a video camera but loaned it to a lady friend and never got it back lol , have to see if my camera will record never used the camera for video
What kind of phone or camera? Like to see it in action myself. Been plasma week here, all the plasmahelper.com tools, now your you toy I might have to make, if I can find room.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rodsmachineshop
More pics and results...:cool: