Lightobject.com Support Forum

Has anyone already mounted the beefy 900 x 600 Z table to the 900 x 600 frame?

I should have asked this question earlier, perhaps, but... I presumed they would just match right up =). Silly me.

My thought is to shift the bottom center 'd' pieces outwards (or add 1 or 2 more), add 2 casters centrally on the short ends or 4 casters at the corners, directly below the z table for additional support of the z tables weight (the frame is really nice - i do not want to bend it) and build a support / extension box to get the honeycomb high enough beneath the xy stage.

I am tired (who isn't) and I don't want to think - so if you've any ideas or have already done this, speak up!

This is gonna rock when completed - and with relatively little mental effort on my part - the xy stage, z table and frame are all wonderful assemblies. Light Object means 'excellent value' for anyone who doesn't already know. Mounting the z table is the only 'trouble' I've had so far but the solution seems fairly obvious.

Anyways, Peace and Joy to every one of us in 2015!

While we wait...

My current favorite Cornbread recipe:

9x13-inch pan size

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil

- green chili bits, corn, TARRAGON (hint), or other seasonings may be added. Drain wet things before adding.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, combine cornmeal and milk; let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
5. Mix in the cornmeal mixture, eggs and oil until smooth.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan.
7. Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes, until a knife inserted
into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.

375 degrees & ~35 minutes gives a nice light brown all around. At 400 degrees, it gets a med -hvy brown crust.
If this recipe fails in any way: check yourself, check your oven, measuring gear, ingredients, whatever, cause it's on your end.

It's okay to use water/milk mix or brown sugar/sugar mix.
NO effing 'splenda', EVER!! It will cause the mix to burst into flame whilst baking and emit toxic fumes!!(maybe...)
It's okay to use 1/3 to 1/2 cup of honey instead of 2/3 to 3/4 sugar.

What motorized Z table you're talking about? Is it the stainless steel one you got from us at bargain zone?


Marco

Marco! Yes sir, it is. It is really a nice bit of work - thank you for carrying it.

I think I've got a handle on installing it in the 600 x 900 frame (which is also too cool for words).

I'm going to mount the z-table on top of the lower framework, with 4 additional casters directly beneath the corners to keep stress on the frame low - no bending of that lovely frame allowed.
I'm thinking a 30mm extrusion extension frame (260 ~ 290mm tall, and the same length and width ( 675mm x 975mm) as the framed honeycomb) to sit on top of the z-table bed
(where the honeycomb sits now). That should get me right up to the laser head nicely. I removed the 'e' rails (1105mm) that would normally support the honeycomb and may trim them down
and use them as bracing for the lower 'd' rails the z-table will rest on, or as parts for the extension box.

I'll have the frame together, the z-table dropped in, and the x-y stage in place as soon as the additional casters are in (a day or two) and do a mock up of the extension frame in wood first before
ordering the extrusion.

I honestly think the frame as-is can handle the z-table weight - once tightened down the frame is rock solid, but a couple extra casters to protect the frame are inexpensive insurance.

I have to say, the z-table, the frame, the x-y stage are absolutely excellent. I haven't had one mis-drilled or mis-tapped hole, everything fits, tolerances are very tight. When assembled, there is no slop.
They are all excellent values - inexpensive and high quality - and I am very, very happy. Light Object is ALWAYS top shelf - products, customer service, packaging and your invaluable insight and support for all of us DIYers.

Anyways, I was just wondering if anyone else had mated these two together - any problems or concerns they had. I know you are busy, and appreciate your time, Marco - thank you. I'll update this as I progress.

Thanks again!

Thank you for the complement. Very encouraging!

The steel Z table was made by the same tooling show who made the XY stage for us. I was thinking to import it but the size and the weight put a STOP sign on me. I was also thinking to make it as a kit but it is quite difficult to make threaded hole on the steel so I dropped the plan.

Unfortunately, the frame is designed based on the XLE XY stage but without the consideration to fit the Z table. May be next try.
The Z table you purchased is very powerful. The tech claimed that it could lift up 150lb. He said that a tech was stand on top of the stage and it could lift him up. Not sure if he was joking or telling the true. But I think he was telling the true though. The motor that used to power the table is "86" series. It need 7~8Amp to drive so it is very powerful.

I carry 30mm and 40mm T-slotted extrusion aluminum and I can make some précised cut for you if you need some for modification.


Marco

Well, fondulation...I managed to bin a nice 5 paragraph post yesterday, which was so much of:

Whomsoever made that Z table (heretoforeafter and subsequently referred to as 'The Beast') is a craftsman - I did not expect everything to line up perfectly, but it did. Now, for a lot of what I or perhaps many others might want to do in a 6090 format, it is perhaps overkill - but only until that job when it is specifically needed. It is heavy, but true; ponderous, yet very strong, stainless, yet...yet... well, it is a BEAST and I am glad to have it! It will never shake itself apart, groan and fold under load, nor fail, and that is worth every penny. I think you did the right thing not continuing with heavy stainless - just too heavy for all but the bravest of us.

I will order some extrusion for the extension frame shortly. Just got a new caster set (8 each), the brackets (which I ordered for the screws and nuts at least in part), a fl 50mm lens so I am side tracked, momentarily. Also got a herky-big box my wife could fit in wearing a hat sitting as yet unopened. You sent my tube. You sent my lovely, big, extremely well packaged 100w tube. I do not often tear up, but my vision blurred when FedEx showed up today - another dream-come-true, courtesy of LightObject!! I will inspect it shortly - but nothing at the moment is rattly or scrunchy-sounding.

Back to the Z table. A lighter one (for the general public who would be overwhelmed by The Beast) is certainly needed and would fill a definite market void. I searched quite a bit before coming back to The Beast. I looked at many scissors lift, z table plans, etc. Most z tables are 'part-of' a finished unit and generally unavailable (for a reasonable cost). I nearly bought one of the 4060 damnably cute green tables, thinking to clamp a 60x90 extrusion frame to it to hold the 60x90 honeycomb. I stuttered, thinking the added extrusion frame might flex too much. In truth, it probably would not and that option remains attractive. But, a slide-in alu extrusion version of The Beast, with 30/40/80 framing and 8~16mm leadscrews, requiring only that the two honeycomb support rails that come with it be removed) would be peachy. It's a common, solid, proven design. requires little tweaking.

What draws me to LightObject line is that it can be bought piece by piece, affordably and we know that you are listening and working to improves products all the time. That's a big draw for me. So, now, you have excellent xy stages, frames, chillers, tubes, pwr supplies, the dbl scissors z table. I like the dbl scissors design - very keen bit of engineering. I'm sure things will always improve at LightObject - good company, good community. I should thank Andy while I am at it, for his 6090 blog and advice throughout the forums - they reminded me I still need a beam expander and focal length adapters. He saved me a lot of photo-taking - I'd intended to do a build log, but ran across his and felt much relief - so 'Thanks Andy!' and everyone else who has shared - you have all helped me a lot to get off the sidelines.

Ehh, it's late - I'm off but still running graves schedule, so I'm gonna go put the new casters on, load The Beast onto the frame and get good measurements, inspect that tube and a lot thanks to LightObject and Community - been wanting a real laser for years.

One more thing - sure would be nice to buy 10-25-50 piece bags of 4-5-6mm square nuts / slider nuts from those nice folks at LightObject. Oh, and metric tape measures, too!

Peace and Happiness,

Pars

p.s. - if any of you are considering getting that last 'Beast' - do it!

Well, got some stuff done!
1. Cut the 'e' rails down (Oshlun 10" 100 tooth Alu cutting blade - smooth),
2. shifted the bottom inner 'd' rails to match The Beast's footprint and the xy stage
3. added the modified 'e' rails


4. replaced original casters with 8 matching casters. 4 @ outside corners of frame, 4 at corners of The Beast


Took pictures


mounted the xy temporarily to get The Beast positioned properly beneath it - it's going back when a helper
magically appears, OR I get stupid and try to remount it alone. The right front corner 'c' rail has to come out,
as well as the front xy stage level 'b' rail and 'j' rails so I can slide the xy stage in with bolts and square nuts,
since M6 drop nuts for 6mm slots are rare (go figger...).

I have M4 & M5 roll-in nuts, but I'd have to capture 8 of them, or at least 4 and even with a mag probe
to position them; i doubt it would go quick since the socket heads of the screws will be inside the ends of the
xy extrusion (and I like those M6 screws anyways). Still...

I have caged The Beast! and re-tightened the frame, so capturing roll-in nuts and NOT removing rails (again)
is appealing! I can do it on the table, with a test piece of extrusion, but will it work in situ?!

I put a batch of ribs on - I'll need my strength...

Pars

yeah... didn't feel like playing chase the nuts. Maximus and Charlie Brown inspect the damage.


called my oldest son for help, we had it in in like 90 seconds.



back together, tightened. Need 2 more 'd' size rails to bolt to the short sides of Beast sub-frame
to support shelving. Forgot I was putting air pump on left and chiller on right sides down there.
Thought 8 casters would be 'bindy' when rolling - rolls nice and the frame won't go bendy under The Beast.

Life is good...

Think I'm down to needing just the 75mm tube adapter, 2x beam expander and about 400" of 30mm
extrusion for the shelf support rails and the extension frame to bring the Z table up to proper height.

I think it's going to need a sloped control panel on the upper right with some sort of rotating 'BEAM ON!'
warning light (and Klaxxon? I have granddaughters, you know...)

I had considered an MDF frame / cabinet, I am glad I did not this time - LightObject frames rock.
They are large, but they have room inside for all the goodies. Sliding the rails together only 'isn't great'
when you forget a bracket someplace or a screw jiggles out of a nut - the trade off for that is easy modi-
fication / expandability. And the frame, like the xy stage and 'The Beast' Z-table, is strong, solid. I didn't
design 'em, didn't cut the kits, but I am proud of 'em - kinda proves I'm [at least] no dumber than I look.

I should train myself to take pictures as I build, not during breaks - but Andy already has that covered fan-
tastically, thank you, sir.

Bedtime...

BE SAFE!!

Pars

So, the extension frame. This was a 1st time try at Sketchup. The 3d warehouse had Muya's 3030 extru. Muya is kind and generous and obviously a being of much patience and creative talent. Before Mayu, all was bleak and looked like 3060 extru. The creation of extrusion profiles is a complex and wonderous thing! Mayu probably did it easily, with a laugh and only half a cup of tea... Mayu The Beneficent!

I dl'd it, loaded it, learned a bit about groups and components and viola! That's what I'm building in a few with the shiny 3030 that arrived today (Thank you, LO Crew!). Just gotta trim it, add brackets, and then sheet it.

One CAN SKETCHUP! If Old Geezer can, you CERTAINLY can! Took me about 4 hrs to get there from scratch never-sketchupped-before. Not as easy as I thought it was, nor as hard. I'm used to schematic, pcb cad, construction cad, but damn... what a cool cool tool sketchup is.

It's my nap time - Thank you again LightObject, Marco & all you lovely lovely forum members who post, help and hint. You are very much appreciated.

Pars

Despite a last minute shortage of screws... the extension / smokebox framework is done. Exhaust ducting on it's way. ~344 inches of 30mm extrusion.
4 x 975mm* - $49.92
5 x 615mm* - $40.00
7 x 220mm* - $20.16
40 x 20-series brackets - $18.00
Total $128.08 + shpg - that's on par with other sources IF they have your sizes. LO custom cuts - less waste/cost/shipping/hassle.
* each piece was rounded up to the nearest inch.

The extrusion was bundled by length, wrapped in 2-3 layers of bubble, then packaged in a study box with 2-3 inches of bubble all around. wow.
Pieces were all requested size or requested + <1/8". Trimmed to final length with Oshlund 100T Aluminum blade, 10".

Also received 2 x 800mm pieces to bolt to left and right sides of frame supporting Z table for shelf support. That goes in after a nap.
3~5 M6 75mm hex heads + nuts & washers per side - local selection limited & pricey.
NAP!