Shapeoko ceiling elevator

Shapeoko took a main spot in my kitchen for a few months :sweat_smile: and as much as I love it, I also needed it to go away sometimes. Alu motor shaft adapter was made on the machine itself



I figure I could also play with some sort of a simple enclosure that just drops on the machine from the top and can be lifted by switching the karabiners over to it.

also yes, I will need some sort of legs for stability, proly unfolding… Or maybe a small table with wheels so that I can move the machine around when working with a large stock, will see.

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Nice work!

I’ve upgraded your account — you should be able to post as many as you wish.

tnx, uploaded the rest

Nice setup. There are literally millions of mad scientist working in their garages inventing useful things all over the world. It is amazing how ingenious we can be. After all necessity is the mother of invention.

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I have heard of a few different places people place their machine. Not a kitchen so far… Nice idea you came up with.

Also you never know when you will need a wire stripper while you are making dinner.

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Very clever. Does it swing while cutting?

@PowerGiraffeExtreme :smile::thinking: just brilliant. :+1:

I expect it would :smiley: Didn’t try, still hooking stuff up… Since it’s so heavy I’m assuming it would swing very slowly, I’m expecting to build some folding bottom supports, I’ll document the build.

Hm, this kitchen and tools talk tempts me to cnc mill a cake, because we need to keep challanging ourselves in order to grow, but also humiliate others that try to bake with inferior techniques.

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Seems dust collection would be the critical factor in a kitchen…unless you just like Vitamin ‘W’. Wood dust is going to get everywhere. Where will you store the collector? Maybe an enclosure?

Dust collector and an air compressor are going in enclosures on the balcony on the other side of the wall, I’ll drill a big hole close to the ceiling and pass the pipes into the house, need to see what happens to these 2 meter pipes once the machine is lifted. maybe they’ll just fold neatly by themselves.

Also the whole thing is also getting a plexyglass enclosure. Once the machine is lowered and some legs unfolded, enclosure will be liftable by the same system by switching the lifting cables over to the it. I figure it’s nice to have an entire enclosure totally out of the way when setting up.

btw first tests were done with a human subjects so that I don’t risk damaging the machine

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Oh Good! I was concerned that you would risk the machine…yes, using a human subject makes so much more sense! :rofl: I hope you started with something light, like a newborn or small child?

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Plot twist…He pulled out a new life insurance policy on his wife and made her be the test subject.

You could also mount 2 linear rails to the wall with large L brackets that would eliminate any swinging.

https://www.amazon.com/OrangeA-16-2000mm-4SBR16UU-Bearing-Bearings/dp/B07DCV98HL/ref=sr_1_6?c=ts&keywords=Linear+Motion+Guides&qid=1656348328&s=industrial&sr=1-6&ts_id=979107011

https://www.rockler.com/heavy-duty-steel-shelf-brackets-black-finish?country=US&sid=V91040&promo=shopping&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PL&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8qOlvovO-AIVjmpvBB0ntwJaEAQYAyABEgKswvD_BwE

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Chairway to heaven? Maybe ask the mother-in-law over for the first go.

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Termites like Vitamin W

Clever idea.

You might want to consider a wall attachment to prevent any shifting.

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If that is your kitchen I would assume you are single. I don’t know any woman who would allow that in her kitchen… Basement maybe, kitchen, no way :slight_smile: Love the ingenuity though. Also agree with others that linear rails on the wall would be a good idea (even with legs).

Impressive inventing !!

May i ask, with this design you have, would it work well as a wall recessed unit.
What i mean by that, would be a cavity in the wall capable of housing the unit. Then instead of 4 cables you have 2 and a hinge. The same operation would happen excpt that the platform wouldnt elevate it would swing upwards pivoting on the hinge. I suppose this would mean the driving force has to be on the wall or at least the guide wire would need to be pulling from a pivot point above the wall cavity. Does this make sence? Clear as mud?
Would that also work or anyone viewed an inventor doing this?
There seems to be as many cool ideas to do to the cnc as to do with the cnc haha

Yes this should work as far as I can tell, you just want to make sure before storage that your gantry is all the way at the zeroing position since otherwise it would slide maybe hit the back side a bit violently, induce currents in the controller etc. You also lose a slight lazy convinience of just leaving the tools and stuff on the cnc itself, I use it as a bit of a shelf when stored.

IMO the main cool thing to think about in both systems is that they potentially offer a way to build a protective housing covering the cnc in a very simple manner since you can use the system itself to lift the housing off, once you lower the cnc. I have carabiners for this purpose on the iron cables, so I can lower the machine onto a wheeled table, and then reconnect the carabiners to a housing (haven’t built this yet)

This one was purely out of neccessity :smiley:

Wheels and lifts. All my equipment has been subject to these thoughts.
With your intention being, more space, this wouldnt be for you, however, what about full flip?
Do you think with a proper table arrangement that you may be able to flip the table over and have a work bench with a cnc under it? I guess my thoughts are all possible, its more when would you need that to be true.
If youre like me, i almost force new ways on things just to see it done whether it makes sence or not to do haha
Its like the current challenge, i wouldnt have made a project like it, but the challenge ‘made’ me. Have you participated before? The current one is in voting now but im sure a nrw one will be up next week. Keep an eye out, theyre fun.