Setting up New Indexer

[dougo]

I am in the process of setting up an indexer like Brad Winesett's ( http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11532) and have gotten to the point of connecting the motor and driver inside the control box. Brad has been working with me (thanks Brad), but my Shopbot is different than his. Mine is a PRS Alpha. I bought a 3.6 geared asm98aa motor,asd30a-a driver from Kenneth Rychlik and the cables from Shopbot. I'm sure I overlooked it but after browsing through the forum and Shopbot website, I have not seen anything about how/where to connect these inside the control box for an Alpha. If anyone could point me in the right direction to the information or post some pictures inside their control showing the connections, I would appreciate it.

More questions to follow

[ken_rychlik]

Doug,

You need a ribbon cable going from the control board to the driver. Did you get both that cable, and the cable from the driver to the motor?

The 110 volt supply can be daisy chained off of another driver, or you can run another power source to it.

[dana_swift]

Doug, use the XYZ channels as guides, hook up the indexer in the same way. The ribbon cable orientation will work for the indexer the same as it works for the other channels.

Be sure to use the heat sink grease when you mount the driver. There is a lot of heat generated in those boxes and it must be "vented" to the back of the control box so it can dissipate. This mount must be thermal as well as mechanical.

As you come up with the extra questions there is quite a group of us that enjoy our indexers, and keeps finding new things to do with them.

Keep us posted on your progress, and show off your creations!

D

[dougo]

Thanks for the replies guys. I went to the shop last night and connected all wires and cables and then turned the power on. No smoke The spindle fan came on as usual and that's as far as I got. So far, so good.

Dana, I've got to read up on this heat sink grease. First I have heard anything about using that.

[Gary Campbell]

Doug...
Search your favorite electronics or computer site for "Thermal Paste"

[dougo]

Is there a better/best paste? I searched for "Thermal Paste" on Amazon and came up with @500 results.

[Gary Campbell]

Doug...
Performance PC's is my go to site for good products. They should have a good selection.

http://www.performance-pcs.com

[ken_rychlik]

Radio shack will have it.

They may call it heat sink paste.

[dougo]

Next question.. What would be the best way (switch?) to cut the power to the stepper motor for the indexer when I want to use the lathe motor? As long as the power is on to the stepper motor I am unable to turn the pulley to take the belt off. Right now I am turning the power off at the control panel, taking the belt off the stepper motor and turning the power back on at the control box. There has to be a better way.

I am sure enjoying this indexer but have found out that the Shopbot does not slow down much when it hits the headstock. The headstock and bit come out on the bad end of the deal. Don't ask me how I know

thanks,

[myxpykalix]

If it was me i would set it up so you had a physical disconnection from the stepper motor all together. Look up the coupler from a shopsmith:
http://www.shopsmith.com/markvsite/i...ard_access.jpg
it is #15 in the picture
http://www.shopsmith.com/markvsite/standardaccess.htm

At that point all you would need to do is slide the stepper motor back a bit disconnet the coupler and leave the rest as is.

EDIT: After writing this i went and looked at brads setup so this suggestion may not be practical unless your stepper was inline withthe lathe head.