Couple of Questions

[crash5050]

I have been playing build-a-bot now for a few months, and I think I am close. All is level, square and tight. But I am not sure if I did the Y Chain Right, and I know I am confused on what wires run thru the e-chain, and where do I hook my router up?

I am ataching a couple of photos for critique of my Y chain Setup.

[Brady Watson]

Looks fine - just make sure that you get full travel from one side of the Y car to the other without the KabelSchlepp getting strained at the furthest extents of travel.

You'll run the following through the KabelSchlepp, zip tying the wires ONLY at the ends of the chain. The wires should just loosely lay in the chain:

Your router power cable + secured plug & extension cord
Zzero Plate
Y Prox Switch
Y motor
Z motor

You'll neatly run them along the Y beam and zip tie them to the 6 zip tie stand offs that twist into the beam extrusion. Then you'll start to neatly put them into a wire bridle of the back side of the gantry end plate. Then pick up the X2 motor cable that you ran through the hole in the front of the tool (thru the beam), the X1 motor cable on the back of the tool, and the X prox switch. Zip the bridle every 10" or so and run to the control box after you tie it up in the center as a loop to manage the cables as the tool moves in X, using the wire tie plates they gave you.

Be sure to keep those cables from getting yanked by zip tying the bundle of wires to the back end plate, and adding strain relief where necessary. Also, wrap each motor cable around the motor itself & use 2 zip ties joined together to retain this loop on the motor. It will allow you some play when it comes time to replace motor pinions etc.

-B

[crash5050]

Brady,

Thanks for the quick response. I think I can see what you are talking about, but if anyone has a picture of a PRS Standard wired up, I could see it better.

I am a visual learner. I am so Close.....So So close.... I am giddy!

David

[crash5050]

BTW Brady, How's the weather up that way? It looked pretty bad on TWC.

David

[Brady Watson]

I don't think I have a pic of a properly bridled and looped bundle of wires. You essentially have to work the bundle and secure it to one of the plates in the 'wire hang' kit. You'll put one plate on the bottom most outside extrusion slot of the rear table side (about center table), and then create a 1/2 loop from the wire bundle and zip tie it to the plate. It will take you a few tries to get it just right, but when it is dialed in, the wire loop will manage itself.

You want to drop the X motors from the rack so the gantry slides easily. Then work the gantry all the way as far as it will go from one end of the table to the other, making sure that the loop you made doesn't catch on anything, doesn't drag on the floor, and that it has enough slack to go the entire travel of the gantry in both directions. You'll most likely have to work the loop a little to get it to sit right so that it untwists in the right direction as it goes towards the X+ side of the machine.

After you have done this, route the wires under the machine towards the control box. Make a nice neat coil and lay it on the floor near the rear of the control box. Then 'spiral out' each wire that has to go into the control box. Plan on it taking you a couple hours to wire the machine properly.

I missed that this was a Standard machine...so you'll have to take the motor wires from the control box and route them to the motors first. Then go in the other direction with everything else. Yes it is a pain in the butt...just take your time so that you don't forget to include one of the wires, or you'll have to undo your bundle and start again.

--

We made out OK with the storm - it wasn't nearly as bad as the one this past Summer with wicked high sustained winds, strobe like lightning and no power for 5 days. We were better prepared this storm - got the transfer switch in for the generator to hook up to the house panel & a new 10kw unit. I still want to get a 20kw diesel genny for the shop...but that'll have to wait for now. They aren't exactly cheap :)

-B