Making my first cuts...

[harryball]

I'm finishing the table top now, I have one question... the way the table is currently setup the bot lacks about 1/2" being able to reach the end of the table opposite 0,0 (this was a show machine purchased assembled) from the 0 edge of the X axis it reaches 96 1/2" and the table top is a 97" sheet.

What would be best, install a large bit to finish off that section of the table? Or cut off 1/2" of the table top with a saw?

I've downloaded project wizard and have looked at a few of the cut files... I don't really need saw horses or a work station, the race car isn't "useful" etc... I'd like to cut something simple but useful. Does anyone have any suggestions or sample files for anything interesting... a bird house wouldn't even be bad.

Thanks,
Robert

[scott_smith]

Is this interesting to ya?


9093

[harryball]

Hey Scott... yeah, that's cool. Is that v-carved into the wood or just tool pathed?

How can I get a copy of the file?

Thanks,
Robert

[scott_smith]

My e-mail address is in my profile. Send me yours and I'll e-mail the cut file along with this one.


9094

[gerald_d]

Robert, could you move the stop blocks by 1/2" without the rollers falling off the rails?

[scott_smith]

Or overhang the spoil board a 1/2" or 1" toward X-0.

[harryball]

I had an idea... used my hand plane and took it right down, the next spoil board I'll remember to move it back 1/2". I inspected the rollers, I MIGHT get the 1/2". Measuring looks like I'd get closer to 3/8".

I'll send my email in a sec...

Thanks,
Robert

[beacon14]

Or cut off 1/2" of the table top with a saw?

Robert, you newbie! If you do trim the end of the table, do it with the ShopBot. I recommend using the ShopBot to trim all 4 edges, that way you can use them as reference surfaces. Just watch out for those steel crossbars!

9095

[harryball]

I thought about trimming the table end that way... I just had it in my mind that I needed table under the bit all the way to the limit. But, you're right... I do need to at least true up the sides of X and Y as they intersect on 0,0 as a guide edge.

So all you old pros can have a good laugh...
I cut Andy's Bookcase at my wife's request a few hours ago! I learned a great deal.
1) remember to Zero the Z axis when you change material thickness
2) remember to start the bit before you start cutting
3) use a good bit, not some cheap tungsten-carbide home depot special because it's all you happen to have the right size.
4) use cheap bits for the first few practice runs on foam or you could make a mistake and ruin an expensive bit then you'll have to refer to #3 above.
5) a cheap bit means about an hour of cleaning up fuzzy edges for Andy's Bookcase.

Hope that's entertained you a bit. It's not as bad as it sounds, the bot has done great, better than expected. I need to start cutting projects and keep going.

I should be able to cut actual bat house kits in a few days and replenish my stock. I'm down to only a few left!

BTW, the support from the bot guys and other owners as well as this forum was a primary reason I went with ShopBot.

Robert

[myxpykalix]

Robert,

"Bat houses"? I thought bats live in caves? I know batman does...
Ok lets all sing it cuz we all know it.....
Batman,....
Batman,....
Batman,....
Batman,....
Batman,....Batman,....Batman,....
da da da da da da da da....Batman!

[harryball]

Check out our web site and be sure to visit Bat Conservation International's site too... we need bats. A small colony of 50 bats can consume more than 250,000 flying insects each evening.

I get the batman comments alot... don't mind at all.

Build bat houses... err or buy them from me. They come ready to hang no saw dust required! LOL

Robert

[myxpykalix]

Not wanting to get off topic but i'm curious, I don't think we have many bats in virginia how would one go about finding your site? you can email me off forum with info. Thanks!

[mikejohn]

I live in NE Romania. If I look out of my window I am looking at a mountain a few hundred metres away.
On the other side of that mountain is Transylvania.
We never talk about bats!!
we do stock up on garlic, crucifixes, mirrors and wooden stakes!

.............Mike

[gerald_d]

Jack, click on the poster's name on the left to see a profile - Robert's profile includes his web address.

[harryball]

My web address is there in the profile and links to BCI are on my web site. You have lots of bats in Virginia. Bats live on every continent except Antartica. The bat population is endangered and continuing to fall largely due to habitat destruction. Caves are being closed off, old buildings torn down, new buildings are more bat proof and so on.

Another issue is people don't realize that bats are good for us. They are not evil blood sucking flying rodents and they do not attack people. Unfortunately bat colonies are often destroyed based on misinformation.

Bats are mammals and can live for 30 to 40 years of age! Most have 1 pup per year and live in large colonies. This makes the population very vulnerable.

Their benefit is pest control. Bats eat mosquitoes as well as many other flying pests that destroy crops. They eat LOTS of flying pests. One little brown bat can eat 1000 insects per hour.

Anyway, we've been building bat houses for a while and took it to the next level. I spend about a week every month building bat houses and the number is growing. I'm hoping the shopbot will improve my build time and open new avenues.

Right now I'm staring at it wondering what to do next... still in shock a bit I guess. I need to get my bat house files done, no biggy, but I also need to start generating revenue. I wish I could find someone local that needed some parts made or something from the get go that could be patient but get a good deal...

anyway, gotta keep on botting!

Robert

[tomj]

Hey Mike do you cut the stakes with your shopbot?

[gerald_d]

Nah, he uses a stake-knife.

[jsfrost]

Robert,

Bats are officially on topic?

I have a colony of bats sleeping in the attic area of a north facing porch, but without access to the main attic. Since the bats arrived the mosquitoes are greatly reduced, and I live in a neighborhood where mosquitoes generally gather in grey clouds waiting for fresh blood. I have been happy to leave the bats to their nightime feasting. Should I be concerned with possible house damage?

Jim

[harryball]

Bats are on topic provided you are going to use your ShopBot to make a bat house or get a bat house from me made on my ShopBot. :-)

You should be concerned with bats in any living structure just as you would any other wild animal taking up residence in your home.

You should provide another home for them on a pole nearby or on the same structure with the house attached to the outside. I'd do that now so they might go ahead and find it. Then, since it's already September and they are not bothering you, wait for them to leave for the winter. Once they do, fix the area so they can not return inside. Make sure your alternate housing is ready if not a few houses around.

I find bat population often grows based on 2 things, availability of food and suitable shelter. You've seen a huge mosquito population so the limiting factor in your area may be shelter.

Now that I have more capability, I'm trying to break the "square" mold and make more elaborate bat houses. I've been designing on parts wizard just for fun trying to let my imagination wander. I conceived an idea to make a bat house look like a large bat with the roosts in the wings on each side... hmmmm.... that'd slow traffic down. With the shopbot... it's possible!

I must say I'm impressed so far, this thing runs solid.

Robert

[scott_smith]

Mike John may need a custom batbox

9096

[btk]

Mr. Ball,
Not to change the subject away from Die Fledermaus, however....
I think it is a bit odd that you can not travel past the edge of your sheet (even if it is 97"). I beleive that the full X travel of a 48x96 machine is over 100 inches.
Is there a chance that you put the Y Gantry back on the rails in the opposite direction than how it was previously configured. If you look at the Stop Bolts on the Y Car, they are not directly in the center of the car (because the tip of the bit is not in the exact center of the car). This might be limiting your travel (by a few inches)
If this is possibly the case, and have the machine in place, it might be easier at this point to drill in new stop bolts on the X Rails than to turn the entire machine around.

Brian

[harryball]

I will certainly eyeball it again... this was the demo machine from the IWF and it was assembled by the bot guys. I transported it assembled only blocked up off the rollers so I never removed gantry.

On the gantry the spindle is mounted on the 0 side of the X axis, i.e. closest to the head of the table. I have tons of space at the head of the table, I can pull the tool all the way off and drop Z way down, remove the dust skirt, change bits etc... I do like that.

I have 0,0 set so the outside edges of a 1/2" bit are flush with the edges of the table top board. So the center of the bit is actually over .25",.25" With that the tool runs out
at about 96.5" on the other end, the table top runs on to 97". So while I can cut a 96" sheet on the table, I cannot cut to the end of the table itself. Like I said, I might get another 3/8" by moving the stop.

One reason I'm a little hesitant to start pulling on the table is the vacuum plenum underneath. The bot guys had it built out with a vac. I've not looked at any vac table details nor do I know if there are screws down there I'm not aware of. I figure I'll ignore it since I don't have a vac yet and worry about it later.

This thing is heavy! The forklift driver placed the table on the trailer and I strapped it down. It made the trip just fine. I have a tractor with a set of forks that lifts 1000 lbs with some reservations but it does it. When I tried to lift the table I was unable to clear the trailer. I was able to manage about 2" clear and then pulled the trailer out from under it. Lowered it on waiting dollys and that was that. It moved so well on the dollys I wish I could have left it on them. Has anyone put their bot on rollers?

For power I ran a 125Amp subpanel for it with 8 single pole breaker positions. I figure I should be able to power the table, 2 Z's and a vac of some sort. No plugs, wired the machine right into the panel. I drilled the concrete and added an 8' ground rod. The equipment is grounded to the ground rod with a tie to shop ground. I checked continuity and it's good.

Well, I'm getting there...

Robert

[beacon14]

The reason Robert's machine is biased all the way towards X=0 is that is was set up for the IWF with a second Z axis, which would have just reached the X=0 end.

[myxpykalix]

back to the bat boxes you make for a second. What i'm puzzled by is, just because you build a box or buy one from you and hang it how do you attract the bats to know there is a home there for them? I read your website but must have missed that part.

[harryball]

Build it and they will come. :-) No one ever asks me how to attract snakes, mice, butterflies, or birds... but this is a common question about bats.

There is no known way I've found or read about that attracks bats. There are a few unproven ideas. For example, taking guano from a roosting site and spreading it at the new roosting site or playing bat sounds at a new location. I believe these actions could have the opposite effect keeping new bat colonies away that wish to avoid competition.

You basically need suitable habitat and a food supply. Bats are very wide ranging and they are in your area at some time even if just passing through. This time of year the pups are out too, roaming around and feeding. What they learn about roosting sites this year they'll put to use when they return from hibernation next year.

I've had houses take more than a year to populate... and I've had one house that bats landed on while I was still tamping in the post! And this was at the home of a man that said he'd not seen many bats around.

Robert

[mikejohn]

Bats are very wide ranging and they are in your area at some time even if just passing through.
I'm off out for more garlic!

.........Mike