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C-Beam bellows

Discussion in 'Other Builds' started by MTO, Sep 2, 2015.

  1. MTO

    MTO Well-Known
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    MTO published a new build:

    Read more about this build...
     
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  2. Rick 2.0

    Rick 2.0 OpenBuilds Team
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    I wonder how well fan folded duct tape would hold up.
     
  3. cureac

    cureac New
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    brillant idea. pls make a dxf file
     
  4. Paruk

    Paruk Journeyman
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    How funny! I was just looking into making bellows for my OX last week. There are some videos about it on Youtube if you want to know more. I think it is most likely the best option to keep dust and debris out of the rails and wheels. It's used by lots of CNC machines.

    The paper solution didn't appear the best option to me, that's why I placed it on the shelf for now until I dream up a better material to use. But it is the way to go, I guess.
     
  5. MTO

    MTO Well-Known
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    Well, there's 3 issues. First, I think it would take the folds OK and resist mechanical failure from being stretched and compressed repeatedly, but second, I don't think it will be very thin. Where paper is something in the range of 0.1mm thick, duct tape is about 0.25mm thick. That's a big difference, but its also something you can account for and design against. Third, I'm not sure about how duct tape will handle hot chips when you mill metals. Its OK for warm to the touch (ie: less than about 40C/104F), but swarf can be much hotter than that. I hope this weekend to do an experiment with duct tape and a shower of sparks from an angle grinder to see what happens.
     
  6. MTO

    MTO Well-Known
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    Paper is cheap and easily obtained. I figure its awesome for a prototype. I don't think I'll trust it in the long run though, because I worry about it catching fire when milling metals. Also, it will eventually tear along the folds. I've had paper tear just as I was doing the folding.

    As I said, I'm going to try treating the paper to be flame retardant, and that will be one issue down. The other thing I want to try is getting some thin cloth (I was thinking ripstop nylon, aka sail cloth) and then treating that iwth flame retardant and then HEAVILY starch it. It might be possible to make it work by sewing along the seams. Setup would be a little tedious, but its all straight lines, so it shouldn't be too bad.

    I didn't find any CNC videos on the subject, but I did find a few on paper-folding. I haven't found any tricks to make it easy though.
     
  7. MTO

    MTO Well-Known
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    Now that I search again, I really worry about my google-fu. There's a bunch! Still haven't found an "easy" yet. Seems everyone does about the same thing. Gonna look into plastidip now, though.
     
  8. Ronald van Arkel

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    How about vinyl paint/spray?

    -Ronald
     
  9. Steven Bloom

    Steven Bloom Journeyman
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    How about just facing the C-Beams to the outside. This way you wont get any chips in them.

    20150831_053418.jpg
     
  10. Ronald van Arkel

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    ^633F1213F3B229A258C1D8A5EF58288EDF0D6962CC582BDF82^pimgpsh_fullsize_distr.jpg
    How about using foam strips with a film of vinyl tape on it :D.

    ^AB950DF57733BEEC3267CA2C3E648A84F651450763F4887A75^pimgpsh_fullsize_distr.jpg
    Not my idea, came from Mauricio Zavaleta. He´s building the C-Beam machine to make a build-manual under the name of OpenBuilds (Mexico) :).

    -Ronald :sleepy:
     
  11. Mauricio Solid

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    This is more aesthetics than for protection, but if you wanna try you only need these requirements: a soft material that can be easily cut with exacto knife, a 3 mm or 1/8" thick material.
    Then mark and cut 8mm or 9mm of width and the long of the stripe it will depend of your v-slot size, this works for any V-slot and their variants, the C-Beam work too, and don't worry this will not interfere with any type of the V-Wheels including the V-mini.
    You can use soft and slim wood, plastic, cardboard, any material that would be softer enough to be easy to cut, why not plexiglass, because a harder material will do have some troubles when a chip come across the v-wheel and the v-slot cover.
    Color can be spary paint or vinyl (vinyl for cutter plotters like roland or cameo)
    IMG_20150901_174709.jpg IMG_20150901_174620.jpg IMG_20150901_174409.jpg IMG_20150901_184534.jpg
     
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  12. Mauricio Solid

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    Facing the C-Beams to the outside it's a good idea, I been thinking in that too, in my case in the lower Y axis, I need to protect that Acme.
     
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  13. R_B

    R_B New
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    Somewhere there is a suggestion to cut up side panels from a window air conditioner unit.
    Maybe a discarded unit ? Maybe a replacement/spare part ?

    I can't find that thread right now.

    EDIT:
    Since I wrote the above I have walked around Walmart (for other reasons) and noticed that there is a number of paper filter products that use folded (pleated) paper.
    Furnace filters or shop vacuum filters, either would provide enough material for a LOT of concertina type C-beam covers.
    I also found this; http://www.repairclinic.com/PartDetail/Window-Side-Curtain/AC610062/1606652?ss=a16c30&mr=0

    The more I think about it, roller blinds may be a better solution.
    Put them so that the OUTSIDE is up, so that chips never get rolled up into the blind.
    Every time the table goes to an end the rolled up blind should dump its chips.
    BIG advantage would be no pleats to capture chips and need clearing out.
     
    #13 R_B, Sep 6, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2015
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  14. Paruk

    Paruk Journeyman
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  15. R_B

    R_B New
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    I think you will vacuum out the pleats ONCE and quickly decide on roller blinds.
    If you are trying to deal with metal chips maybe not even once (~:

    I'm mounting them like (remember your Greek ?) lower case sigma with the roller attached to the Y-axis end plate tapped holes and the blind end attached to the mdf board edge. I just have to disable the roller locks so that they don't stay "down".
    Hmmm, as I recall that was a major failure mode of these wretched things back in our college daze, it should be easy enough to "break" them.

    BTW, I'm also trying to figure out a decent router chip vacuum shroud.
    I think most routers either come with a clear plastic one, or offer it as an option.
     
  16. Adam Filipowicz

    Adam Filipowicz Journeyman
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  17. Paruk

    Paruk Journeyman
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  18. Paruk

    Paruk Journeyman
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    Can you show picture/video of how you mounted those blinds?
     
  19. Andrew Long

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    What about a flexible piece of plastic like on the Taig Micromill? See below.

    [​IMG]

    You could get some cheap flexible cutting boards from Amazon and probably rig up a mount on the table and end of the axis. These are 15 inches long so they should probably work, http://www.amazon.com/MIU-Flexible-..._UL160_SR131,160_&refRID=0M8DXE1BZEVDF46XHHR4

    Thinking about it I would probably taper them so they are wider at the table and thinner near the end of the axis so the chips wouldn't fall down onto the underside of the plastic.
     
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  20. Paruk

    Paruk Journeyman
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    The foam strips are brilliant to keep dust out of the profiles and things easier to clean. But the idea of the bellows is to keep the dust AWAY from the profiles, which I think is the goal. While milling the dust/chips will go under the wheels and can cause inaccuracies in the workpiece. The foam strips do NOT stop that from happening, bellows will.
     
  21. Ronald van Arkel

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    Hello Paul,

    The strips were just a cheap solution at that moment, we do build now the C-Beam machine with the open part of the B-Beam facing down, and if needed also the gantry and Z-axis C-Beam can face away from the cutting head.

    -Ronald
     
  22. Paruk

    Paruk Journeyman
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    Hi Ronald,

    Yeah, that will do it for the C-Beam machines. The 'traditional' OX however still needs some kind of protection. The foam strips are excellent for the most part, the bellows can do the rest to keep dust away of the crucial parts.
     
  23. Ronald van Arkel

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    This is why I made one of my new designs like this, it's double belt driven:

    upload_2016-4-14_21-22-51.png

    I hope to start with this project soon ;), needs some changes with the high torque series parts we have in shop now :D. Sure it will have a shopvac or some self made vacuum generator (Venturi) hose next to the end-mill.

    -Ronald
     
  24. Paruk

    Paruk Journeyman
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    I take it that the X can be raised/lowered with the C-beams on the corners, sliding over OB profiles? This might also be the case for widening the table? I like the idea of the X hanging between the Y's, was playing with that idea myself. Interesting concept to work on and advance with.
     
  25. Ronald van Arkel

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    Indeed, it's highly adjustable... but not cheap. This is an concept build and small machines can be derived from it, like a new Routy (darn, so much work, so little time) :D.
     
  26. Paruk

    Paruk Journeyman
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    Have a look at Damen CNC in Holland (your possible origination) for their custom machine. In a way the same concept, but much more expensive! ;-)

    For now I'm quiet happy with my Buffalo, but at some point expect to look for a more rigid and faster system. Still don't know what to think about table size. Long and small 3x5 or 3x6, square 4x4 or 5x5 or wide and short 5x3? Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

    Oh well, indeed so little time so many ideas (and limited budgets too!).
     
  27. Ronald van Arkel

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    I've seen them indeed, not too bad but in a whole different price range, sure, 1st world market unlike México...

    Yes, I'm Dutch, but from the Netherlands, trying to get opensource into Latin America ;).
     
  28. Paruk

    Paruk Journeyman
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    I'm Dutch too, based in Asia (Thailand) however. Not worth the effort to introduce it here with the locals.
     
  29. Rick 2.0

    Rick 2.0 OpenBuilds Team
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    Those mats are 2 for a $1 at DollarTree (assuming you can live with white only). And I probably wouldn't bother with folding them over. I'd just let the back one curl up the post and the front one hang over the edge. Nothing gets in between that way.
     
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  30. Paruk

    Paruk Journeyman
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    But wouldn't work for an OX or C-Beam...
     

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