Above 1200 Sq/FT Eastern Washington Workshop

[Finallygotit]

Nice job!

You're going to find that the CAM program has more options and things to click on that it will drive you insane. Extremely versatile program but maddening at the same time. I have a lot of respect for guys like Titan Gilroy that can make 5 axis CNC machines seemingly dance.

 

[slodat]

Thank you!

There are several guys out there making the machines dance and doing all they can to teach others and share what they learn. It’s an incredible thing! One of the good things to come from social media.

I have some good friends that answer questions and help me out. I’d be lost without these resources!

Had to get a chair for the bench where I do the computer work. The bench is high for a desk. This drastically limited options. Ended up getting a good deal on this Enwork drafters chair. It goes up quite high. Photo is at the lowest setting. My back is a lot happier!

 

[slodat]

Had an issue where I thought my Z axis was accumulating error. After the suggestion from the Centroid forum, I checked if I was losing steps between Acorn and DYN4. I had been through this before on my router. I incorrectly assumed this would get fixed based on my experience a year ago. Nonetheless, it was short work to modify the DMM DYN4 -> Acorn cables and switch to the Acorn step/direction signals on the DB25. Once I did that all was well. No more lost steps between Acorn and DYN4.



At that point I needed to go through the axis calibration and backlash measurement. That went well. Lastly, I dialed in my Hallmark ITTP again now that the machine was moving as the control commanded. I'm happy to say I made the part I've been using to test this all out. Part turned out good. Two sided part using two WCS. Fusion 360 for CAD and CAM. Really happy with Fusion for CAM on the mill.















Some of the various pieces of scrap I made diagnosing issues and dialing it in:





Installed:

 

[BORING HOP YARD]

Congratulations on your first part check. I'm very happy you got the mill converted.
I could see you doing some niche parts on limited runs for bikes, datsuns or?. Are you going to add a 3d scanner to your bag of tricks, I could see point clouds in your future with all the CAD being used in your shop. Great work as always!

 

[slodat]

Thank you!!

Cool, small milestone tonight. First time doing both operations in the same program. Side one on the right, side two on the left. Ran well!

Simple part.. small plate for the mill leveling screws. Had the idea to put a thrust bearing in to make turning the leveling screw easier. And, better than it just digging into the material and wanting to walk around. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea, was fun to make and I’m sure I’ll find out when I set the machine down.

 

[Bob Heine]

Steven, you are having way too much fun. Don't be surprised if some agency stops by to see if you have broken some law or regulation.

Machining parts for your machine is the best!

 

[poppakap]

3” roloc discs done. Time to get some work done

Do you have a preferred brand of abrasives?

 

[slodat]

That photo is a combination of Benchmark and 3m. I’m happy with both. I’m a rather occasional user, so probably not the best for solid advice on all that is out there.

 

[readhead]

How is the concrete project coming along?

 

[slodat]

Funny you ask, I just got back to working on it. Need to get it knocked out and the shop cleaned up and back together.

 

[slodat]

The side of the mill control panel has an existing opening with a small cover. I mounted the new control pc behind this opening.




The cover:



Some measuring and drawing:



Point and click:






Cracks me up when people trash talk cnc parts. It’s not as simple and point and click. It sure is worth the effort to learn.

 

[Bob Heine]

Steven, most of the trash talkers I come across are jealous or incompetent. They want you to join them in their pig stye.

I am having fun just watching you have fun!

 

[Finallygotit]

....Cracks me up when people trash talk cnc parts. It’s not as simple and point and click. It sure is worth the effort to learn.

Trash talkers are themselves trash. I know a couple of keyboard bullies and when you actually get in front of them they are like mice. In fact the one I have to deal with has lightened his tone since I met him. Standing almost a foot over him might have helped too.



Nice job on the cover plate Steven.

 

[slodat]

I’m not wanting to talk trash. Over the years I’ve heard so much of the “anyone can point and click... **** a cnc’d part” kind of stuff. I’m here to say it’s no where near that simple.

All of this is for a reason. Won’t be able to post anything until the product is released.

I’m half having a blast, half pulling my hair out, getting my *** kicked. Steep learning curve for sure.

Thanks for following along and cheering me on guys! I’m more isolated than ever with all the chaos going on. Not complaining. Enjoying the shop

 

[Finallygotit]

As with any good CNC CAM software, it is a steep learning curve. Whomever thinks they can just click a part into existence is a fool.

I’m half having a blast, half pulling my hair out, getting my *** kicked. Steep learning curve for sure.

This comment made me laugh out loud. Been there, done that, still doing it.

Have fun and I can't wait to see your new product. Your a tease, aren't you?

 

[slodat]

The CAM in Fusion 360 has been a godsend coming from Vectric Aspire. Vectric’s products are aimed at cnc routers.. specifically sign making type of stuff. The adaptive, facing, contour.. all of the toolpaths in Fusion are so much more feature rich. Fusion’s parametric modeling is everything I was longing for and working around not having in Aspire. I’m getting the hang of it. I’m working through a paid online course in Fusion 360 CAD and CAM. Courses were done by NYC CNC on teachable.com and are very good.

Another cool effect the mill is having on my workflow is how much it has changed my approach to design in general and how/when I use the router.

Not intending to put a teaser out there. This thread, and GJ in general, is often a source of inspiration for me. It’s so valuable to me to interact with others who understand what I’m doing in my shop. Mentioning the product development was more of a share than anything

 

[KST1]

I dont understand any of the cnc stuff you are doing (I'm just now trying to teach myself Fusion 360), but I am enjoying watching you have fun. Your attention to detail is great and your desire to learn is inspiring.

Best of luck to you in your endeavours,

-Derek

 

[kruizer66]

-slodat. all I can say is it’s all just amazing, just finished your thread. All the change from the very beginning over the last 4 or 5 years is amazing. And you hold down a full time day job. Your work is very inspiring. Keep up the great work and keep the stories coming

 

[HotWire]

The CAM in Fusion 360 has been a godsend coming from Vectric Aspire. Vectric’s products are aimed at cnc routers.. specifically sign making type of stuff. The adaptive, facing, contour.. all of the toolpaths in Fusion are so much more feature rich. Fusion’s parametric modeling is everything I was longing for and working around not having in Aspire. I’m getting the hang of it. I’m working through a paid online course in Fusion 360 CAD and CAM. Courses were done by NYC CNC on teachable.com and are very good.

Another cool effect the mill is having on my workflow is how much it has changed my approach to design in general and how/when I use the router.

Not intending to put a teaser out there. This thread, and GJ in general, is often a source of inspiration for me. It’s so valuable to me to interact with others who understand what I’m doing in my shop. Mentioning the product development was more of a share than anything

I just grabbed Fusion360 this week! It’s great so far. (I come from SolidWorks)

I needed something to draw with now that I have a 3D printer. It’s fun to get back into modeling.


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[slodat]

Thanks for cheering me on guys. Stuff has gone straight crazy for the past six weeks or so with no end point in sight. I’ve been chipping away on the floor. It’s coming along. Patched several of the larger cracks. I went through all eight of the epoxy kits I had bought when I started on this. All cracks are filled with epoxy. The worst area now has self leveler applied. Six bags total. I now have a good surface for the garage door to seal onto, with a 1/8” lip that may help keep water from running under the door seal.

What I started with.



Grinding:









Self leveler primer:



Initial three bag pour:



After it all set up:



Next up is knocking the few high spots down. Then I can clean the whole room again. For the hundredth time. I have a lot of areas to spot in. Once that’s done, two coats of sealer. Let it all sit for a bit. Then put the tile down and put the shop back together. Hopefully I don’t have to address it again.

 

[harley jim]

Slodat
That's a lot of work on the floor but it's going to be great when you get done.
Your winning the game buddy. Jim

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

 

[matt_i]

Just checking in and catching up, mill is looking superb! I agree that a CNC part takes "development" and I have a lot of "WTH" parts where everything was running smoothly and then I did an I or J with the wrong sign convention (etc) and suddenly my smooth looking part went to junk. I used to laugh about the "machinable wax" I would see in J&L catalog but now I understand, especially when there aren't fresh chunks of material laying around...

Concrete is a thankless task, looks like you are getting somewhere....I think I would have also seriously considered breaking it out and pour new...but appreciate the work involved!

I did see the double-mast forklift and its struggle to load the VMC, I went thru similar with a seller trying his best to load a machine...so when you get your own forklift , make sure it has a free-lift "triple" mast. Then no issues!

 

[slodat]

Matt- Thank you. The mill has turned out well. I'm happy with it. I couldn't have bought what I have for less than twice what I paid. It's a lot more than a Tormach of the same price range. The concrete is a **** job. This building is a whole lot of turd polishing. It's mine and I've enjoyed the process. It will never have gorgeous floors like a new shop could. It's a working shop and a pleasure to spend time here. I'm 1/3 in on a small forklift with two friends in town. It's a slow work in progress. In general when it comes to moving two tons and over, I'll rent a telehandler. It's so much safer and they make short work of it. Years ago I rolled a South Bend 16" lathe on it's face because I made some dumb rigging choices. I don't take risks anymore. The photo you're commenting on was the seller. It was at the limit of his forklift for sure.

Thanks for stopping by and commenting guys. This quarantine business has made my solitude life in this tiny town particularly weird.

Made this for the lady. She liked it.

Inlay of two species. The base is some mahogany I’ve been lugging around for a decade or three. The inlay is an unknown species. Had to work with what I had on hand. Super fun project.

 

[slodat]

Well that was a LOT of work.




Only thing remaining is to trim out the roll up door when the door seal gets here.

Next up mop the floor and start putting the shop back together! And a LOT of cleaning.

 

[lilscorpion]

Well that was a LOT of work.




Only thing remaining is to trim out the roll up door when the door seal gets here.

Next up mop the floor and start putting the shop back together! And a LOT of cleaning.

Daym, that looks nice!! As long as you’re not now hunched over for life, you’ll be so much happier knowing it’s fixed.

 

[slodat]

Thanks, Matt!

As I’m putting the shop back together I keep stopping and realizing the five year eye sore is gone. It’s truly incredible to finally have a flat (enough) floor in here! I’ve got a lot of cleaning to do. This is what I’ve envisioned for nearly 3.5 years for this part of the shop.

Worth the effort!

 

[Finallygotit]

Thanks, Matt!

As I’m putting the shop back together I keep stopping and realizing the five year eye sore is gone. It’s truly incredible to finally have a flat (enough) floor in here! I’ve got a lot of cleaning to do. This is what I’ve envisioned for nearly 3.5 years for this part of the shop.

Worth the effort!

Then good for you and it looks great! Now, get back to work.

 

[slodat]

I’ve always felt like I’m not afraid to work. This floor was a real *****. I’m so happy to be cleaning up!!

 

[zmotorsports]

That turned out awesome Steven. Lots of work but the results are well worth it.

 

[BORING HOP YARD]

The floor repair looks like it came out very well, my back was having major sympathy pains for you or it might of been the framing for the deck I was building. Always great progress when I check in.
Great work!

 

[slodat]

Floor project is done and the upholstery bay is back together. Finally.






Before photo for reference:

 

[Bob Heine]

Steven, well done! That's a real transformation and it must make going in there better than ever.

 

[racer-john]

Nice work Steve.

 

[Finallygotit]

That looks great Steven! And for some reason, I don't recall that many light fixtures in there. Holy moly it's got to be bright in there.

 

[slodat]

Thanks guys!

There are 24 105w 6500k cfl’s in that 1200sqft room. It’s bright. Wouldn’t have it any other way!

 

[xtremek]

^ What they said. the floor is truly amazing.

 

[Ruski]

^ What they said. the floor is truly amazing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[slodat]

Today marks five years since I bought the shop. It's crazy to think I've been at this for half a decade! It FINALLY feels the way I wanted it to. Still some exterior paint and other small details.

 

[Finallygotit]

WOW! What a difference.

 

[slodat]

Thanks, Dan!

It’s crazy walking around the shop today. With the floor project done, the shop finally feels great. Nothing sticking out that bugs me. Lots of little stuff to do, but that doesn’t detract from the day to day.

There’s a few machines I’d still like to add (CNC plasma, CNC lathe). I’m due time. For now, lots of work keeping me busy.