Carriage orientation question?

[myxpykalix]

I'm assembling my shopbot on my own table. I have a 5x8 with an indexer. This may be hard to explain but if i am looking at the table from the X axis then my 0.0 location will be in the top left hand corner of the table. I cant figure out (according to the directions) which way the carriage should face when mounted. I might go back out and the lightbulb come on, but i figure i better ask to back it up. thanks

[mikejohn]

Jack
If you are standing at the longer side, with the shorter side to your left, mount the carriage with the y motor to your left, 0,0 is now in the bottom left corner normally.
I do believe it can be changed to any of the 4 corners, but I don't know how.

..........Mike

[paco]

Using the top left corner as 0,0 mean you'll be working with positive value for X and negative value for Y.

Assuming you want to use all positive grid values to work with, which is the "standard" on this planet (no Gerald, I'm not saying E-V-R-Y-O-N-E is or should use it or any kind of assumption...
), you'll have to choose either the bottom left or the top right one and work upside down...

As to get the tool assembled, you can choose to follow the book line by line OR follow the white rabbit down the hole and make the world yours... which is the one I choose! Let us know if you want the red pill... the blue pill is the user manual.

[gerald_d]

Imagine that the computer screen in front of you now is the surface of your table, as seen from above.

Top and bottom edges of the screen are the main static x-rails.

The gantry sits vertically over the screen and moves right/left.

0,0 is bottom left corner

y-car motor typically sits to left of gantry.

cables from the controller connect to the gantry at the top edge of the screen.

the plastic bowed cabled carrier connects to the y-car on the bottom of the y-car

router is typically mounted left of center in the y-car.

[scottcox]

Jack/Gerald,

On the 5ft models, the bowed cable carrier mounts to the top right/positive X&Y side of the Y-car. Assuming bottom left is 0,0 as Gerald described.

[myxpykalix]

Pictures are worth 1,00 words. Looking a pic named table1.jpg I want the top left side of table to be 0,0. is that right? looking at pic named carriage2 for orientation and carriage1 for position is the carriage on right or do I need to turn it around?


8934


8935


8936

THANK YOU for your help..

[gerald_d]

Jack, you "stretched" the thread by putting the pics alongside each other. You can un-stretch it by editing your post and putting a "carriage return" (Enter key) after each pic. You have 22 minutes left before your edit option expires.

If you want 0,0 on the indexer, then your gantry is the right way around.

Scott, you make it sound like the cable carrier ends touch each other at full y-travel - is that correct for the 5' models?

[paco]

If you really want the top left, there's nothing "wrong" with that, but you will have to work differently than most of us in CAD/CAM and you may have to hack some routines such a homing. Some user work with the center as 0,0 from CAD/CAM...

As for assembling the Bot, you can flip assembly around AND you can set the controller reverse (VU cammand; using a - to reverse axis) so you can do about anything you want with the machine.

The only "limitation" that I have noticed so far, is that if you set the wire guide the other way around, you will end up with one of the X motor cable being longer than the other. This still depends on other customization you'll be making.

[myxpykalix]

don't know how to edit post after its been posted..help/instructions dont say. I know now what you mean about carriage return but don't know how to get to any "edit" screen. Sorry....
if this the correct position than a admin can delete pics if you want. thanks

[gerald_d]

That's okay Jack

(Top right of each post are 3 icons:
8937
8938
8939, the edit one is
8940.)

[scottcox]

Gerald,

Yes, the ends almost touch. It's the same piece for the 4 and 5 ft tables. On the 4 ft table, the carrier would go where you stated.

Jack,

I set my table up different with the indexer being in the Y=49 through Y=60 area along the X-axis. See attached picture.

[scottcox]

Mine is like this........


8941

[jeff_guinn]

The wire carrier should be attached to the front of the Y carriage & the back of the X carriage which minimizes strain.

[scottcox]

Jeff,

The config above is for a 5ft wide table where Shopbot says to put the cable carrier on the rear of the Y-car. Though not drawn, the other end of the carrier is indeed on the right rear of the x-car.

[gerald_d]

Jeff, it appears that the cable carrier is not long enough to reach across a 5 ft gantry and car. Instead of a longer carrier, SB have opted to make it bend more at max y.

[jeff_guinn]

Gerald & Scott,
I would try to find a longer piece of material rather than locate it on rear of Y gantry or use an overhead swivel arm.Just my opinion.