New to Shapeoko, New to HDM, New to CNC

I hope you sized for derating! Bundling that many conductors in one conduit requires the wires to be derated substantially. 6 circuits is 12 conductors (don’t count ground), and I think that derates the conductor by 50%!

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Excellent point which I should have mentioned. In total I have 9 conductors which requires a 70% derating. I’m using 90C THHN @ 12ga solid which allows for 30amps per conductor. Derated at 70% is 21a and all circuits will have a max of 20a CBs. So I think I’m in code compliance, but the reality is I’m not going to be running that much current at any one time. My compressor pulls about 13amps and the HDM spindle pulls about 12 (split between two). Those will be the high draw items and there’s a good chance I will never connect anything to my future circuit runs, but even if I do they will be other tools which won’t run simultaneously with the HDM.

I don’t know that anyone else will go to all the trouble of running this many circuits or installing them inside a conduit, but if you do there’s other considerations.

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They use drywall inside fire resistant safes. In the one’s I’ve seen, each layer of sheetrock you find on the inside equates to about 30 minutes of “fire rating”. And sheetrock is currently about 1/5 the cost of plywood or OSB.

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I’ve been thinking about drywall, but I’ve also been looking at plastic sheets. PVC or polycarbonate has decent fire resistant properties, although not as good as drywall.

I’ve been terribly busy lately, but I finally had a day to finish most of the wiring for my 6 new circuits. The termination at both ends remains, but all the hard part is done. I will have a dedicated 220v circuit for the spindle and a 110v circuit for the HDM and dust collection. I’ll have a dedicated 110v circuit for my compressor with an extra wire should I ever wish to install a 220v model. A dedicated circuit for all my power tools which I generally only run one at a time. A circuit for a few convenience outlets around my workbench, and a spare 220v circuit should I need it in the future.

My suggestion for circuit setup:

  • dedicated circuit for spindle (and vacuum if appropriate)
  • if need be, separate circuit for dust collection
  • dedicated circuit for machine/computer

Will, I’ve seen several references to"dedicated circuit for spindle" and “dedicated circuit for machine / computer” specifically in regards to the HDM. (I believe I’m in the right place…). When my HDM came I had only 1 240v plug, not separate connections for the spindle / vfd and machine (shapeoko electronics?). Has something changed and now there are separate 240 / 120 or 120 / 120 plugs? Or maybe it’s different for 120V spindle versions of the HDM due to amp draw?

I did not realize that the HDM was so wired (or glossed over it when reading through the instructions).

In that case:

  • HDM/spindle
  • vacuum/dust collection
  • computer

I assumed there would be a separate power cable for the 110v electronics box and the spindle cooler, but it sounds like this isn’t the case. In my case I really can use another dedicated 110v circuit as my dust extraction alone pulls 10a and I might want to run a few other things in the same bench. Either it’s difficult to find all the power requirements or I didn’t look in the right place. All I found was the spindle itself pulls 10a at 220v which for a 2.2K spindle is easy enough to figure out.

I have a few things on order to complement the HDM.

First order of business was to get a jointer and a planer for milling dimensional lumber and hardwoods. I’ve used commercial versions of both of these machines, but anything large is just going to take up too much room in my limited space. Needing something which is compact and can be stored on a shelf when not in use.

For the planer I ordered the Dewalt DW735X. This seemed to be a no-brainer as it’s very well reviewed. I’ll have the option of going with a insert helix cutter which I’ll probably do at some point. The down side is it doesn’t have an induction motor and it pulls a considerable amount of current. Not really a problem for me as I’m running several new circuits to that side of my garage and all of my power needs should be addressed.

For the jointer I ordered the WEN JT833H. It’s an 8" model which should be adequate for most of my needs. I would have liked to find one that had cast iron bed and fence and ideally the capability of upgrading to a helix cutter at some point, but I just didn’t find anything that was a good fit. It’s well reviewed, but a common complaint is the aluminum fence needs adjustment quite often and is a bit time consuming to do. I might have to engineer some sort of solution to address this if it becomes an issue. Pretty much all of these 6" and 8" benchtop models seem to be based on the same Taiwanese made design with small differences in features and motors. I suspect all of them are going to have the same problem. If I need to correct stock greater than 8" in width, I can always build a sled for my planer and go up to 13", but for now I’ll make due with the jointer.

I already have a decent Fein dust collection system connected to a cyclone, while this setup is probably perfectly adequate for the HDM I already have numerous things in the shop I’m using it for and I already have to connect them individually while in use. So I decided on ordering a WEN DC3474. I’ll split the outputs into 4" and 2 1/2" hoses with blast gates so I can use it for the HDM, the jointer, and the planer. Hopefully this will be adequate for those needs. The down side to this model is it uses bag filtration which will undoubtedly throw a lot of dust into the air and not provide for any separation of larger particles. At some point I’ll add improvements to address both of those problems, but for now it will remain stationary near my garage door and I can run the bag outside while in use.

My 240V HDM came with a NEMA ̶1̶4̶-̶3̶0̶ ̶ L6-20 plug that powers the VFD and electronics box. There is a separate 110v cord for the chiller. So 2 120v circuits in my shop on different legs, and the 240v line for HDM, I run Vac on one circuit, and tools on other.

*Corrected plug

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OK, that’s odd. Mine came with a L6-20 ??

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You’re correct. Mine is L6-20 also. I just ran out to check.

Thanks for verifying. I’ve already bought the L6-20 receptacle and plan on installing soon to be ready when it gets here.

More work has been going on at Casa de Bubba in preparation for arrival of the HDM. I’ve decided to completely remodel the shop portion of my garage so there’s been a lot of demolition as my old workbench and shelves were made out of lumber and built into the wall. It took me two full days of pulling all the old stuff out. I could have done it a lot quicker, but I’m reclaiming all the old lumber. I’m pretty sure I removed 99.9% of all the old screws and nails, but no worries as I’m sure my power saws will find the rest. :astonished: The renovation will include much more efficient storage, workbenches, and work flow so stay tuned for more on that.

As far as my table for the HDM goes, I’ve decided on using a 44x44 Kreg Universal Workbench. Here’s my ideas on implementation, subject to change. Instead of having a plywood tabletop, I’ll build a support structure out of strut channel. This will leave the area under the machine open. I ordered a 33x37” transmission drain pan to collect the chips and I’ll cover the remaining space with sheet metal. Hopefully this will allow for an efficient method to deal with chip collection which can either go into a trash bag or dust collector with the help of some compressed air and a rat tail brush.

My plan for the enclosure is a frame made out of 12ga strut channel. That stuff is a lot stronger and cheaper than extruded aluminum I see others using and is available locally. The lower half of the enclosure frame on the sides and back will be hinged and lift up for maintenance and cleaning access. The front will have two doors. The height of the whole thing will be taller than me so I can stick my head inside without ducking and I’ll have room for lights and dust collection hose mounts. The sides and rear enclosure frame will be covered in clear vinyl cloth which I can get up to about 1.5mm thick and it’s relatively cheap. The front will get polycarbonate.

At any rate I’m open to suggestions on any of this. My plan is to keep it cheap and flexible so if I need to reconfigure I’ll be able to do so and ideally to keep everything as non-combustible as possible. I also have some plans for the electrical to add magnetic switching, a kill switch, and fault detection, but I’m not sure how that will work if at all.

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Things are starting to come together. I received a notice that my HDM is about to ship. I’ve got all the electrical work done. In addition to a few other circuits I’ll use for other things, the HDM gets a 220v and a 110v circuit.
https://s8.gifyu.com/images/IMG_1087.jpg
Oddly enough the cover for the duplex outlet was almost impossible to find. For anyone in this situation the one I used is a Mulberry part # 86442.

The frame for the HDM is a Kreg Universal Bench 44x44. You can order the entire bench as a kit, or you can order two sets of the 44" rails and one of the 31" leg sets. I went the 2nd route as I could get the rails at the Homeless Despot at a good price, but for whatever reason they didn’t have the leg kits which I got from ebay. I really like these Kreg benches. I have 3 others I’m using. They go together easily and they are rock solid. Total price for the bench was around $170.

The casters I’m using are FOOTMASTER GD-60S-BLK-1/2. They are a bit pricey at $28 each, but they are solid when the wheels are retracted. Most of the time I plan on using it that way, but I wanted the option to easily move the entire bench.

Instead of a solid tabletop I’ve decided to mount the HDM on 1 5/8" strut channel as you can see in the picture. Strut channel at the Homeless Despot is about $30 per 10’.
https://s8.gifyu.com/images/IMG_1089.jpg

I’m going to add a 3rd rail down the center. The strut channel is definitely solid and rigid enough to support all the weight of the HDM and then some, but a center strut should add some rigidity to the HDM.

This will leave the bottom open, but I have other plans for an underlayment which will collect all the chips and funnel them to a collector underneath. More to come on this. I also plan on building an enclosure out of a strut channel frame.

Also in place is my dust collection system. It’s a WEN DC3474. I haven’t done anything other than test it out so far, but I’m well pleased with it. It’s very quiet thanks to the induction motor and seems to do a good job. It’s connected to one of the larger Dust Deputies and a 14 gal bucket. The bag on the side is temporary as eventually I’m going to vent the outlet to the outside. It’s wired to a remote switch which is at a convenient location to where I’ll be operating the HDM.
https://s8.gifyu.com/images/IMG_10902e2b7ca2be034a64.jpg

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I have the basic bench for the HDM complete and just in time as I received notice that my HDM has shipped.

As previously mentioned the HDM will sit on a 44x44" Kreg universal bench. The frame on top is made out of strut channel. Under that is a transmission drain pan with the drain hole cut out and sheet metal that covers the rest of the top of the bench above where the HDM will be. The idea is the chips can be pushed out the back and down the drain to a collection bucket that will sit underneath.

Eventually I’ll build an enclosure that will encapsulate the machine, but for now it will just sit on top of the bench.


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If you can add more cross bracing that would help keep the flex down also you might need to remove the wheels and bolt the base and top to something or it will walk. Make sure the green beams go opposite of the HDM base beams so there is less chance of bed flex. That style table is going to wobble with it’s low mass so avoid high feeds at first and work your way up or you can turn down the acceleration.

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I don’t think there’s going to be any flex. The strut channel base is very solid. I suspect I could jump up and down on the middle of it without much movement. When the wheels are raised it’s pretty hard to move the entire thing much. I think I’ll draw circles around the caster pads and if there’s any movement once I get it going I’ll have to explore options for securing it.

The HDM has arrived and I have it out of the crate and on the base. I have built a platform underneath for the chiller but I still have a fair amount of work to do before I can power it up.

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