The original brackets will hold the 9mm belt. I plan on leaving them on my X axis.
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Let us know how that works with the drag chain brackets. I may go back to the original clips yet.
Today I decided to go ahead and drill out what was left between the 2 holes I drilled out for the belt clips. I ended up with a slot that I can Use to get the belt clips installed against the rail. It worked well, and now my X belt is finally working well.
I went through the XXL Assembly guide and found that in the limit switch section there is a good picture of how C3D intended the spindle power to be run. So I copied that and zip tied the Dewault power cord t the drag chain and will have it exit on he right side of the machine. I will have to get an appropriate extension cord for it to get it connected to the power switch box on my enclosure. More on that to come, but I am watching the XXL enclosure thread and like what Tony has done.
Now that the cabling is all buttoned up (for now), it was time to run the pen test.
Then I had to find the modern C3D Hello World and try that, but now the tip of the sharpie was mashed. So I would not get the small details.
So the pen tests look pretty good. I did not have the Sharpie connected as tight as I should have. But I think I’m about ready to make some chips.
I changed the GRBL settings for max X to 800.1mm (31.5") and max Y to 825.5mm (32.5"). Now that GRBL knows how big the machine is, I can home from anywhere on the table without it stopping. It was set to 425mm both directions before.
I may play with the homing speed to get it back to machine zero a little faster. But right now it works, so I may just leave it alone.
Now I am ready to rebuild my enclosure to accommodate this beast of an XXL. I will work on that tomorrow.
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I have begun construction of my enclosure. Actually a rebuilding of my original enclosure to enlarge it. But the size of the XXL did not allow for reusing much of the original top. I removed the original 2’x4’ 3/4 ply from the top of the bench. I replaced that with 2 sheets of 4’x4’ of 3/4 ply. I glued and screwed the first sheet down, then glued and screwed the 2nd sheet. Now I have 2’ of ply hanging off the back of the old footprint. So I created triangle brackets out of 3/4" ply to give support. Next I moved the enclosure against the wall where it will go and bolted a 2x6 to the studs on the wall. The back edge of the enclosure will sit on the 2x6 ledge and have additional support from the triangular braces. It feels very firm. And it is level in both directions.
Now for the actual enclosure. Since the XXL is so deep, I wanted to have access to the rear of the machine in case I need to get back there. I decided to build access doors in the right and left sides. So I cut the sides to size (19" tall by 48" wide, 3/4" MDF) and marked out doors. I made the openings so I will have 6" of MDF on each side and 3" above and below the door. I used an edge guide and did a plunge cut with my circular saw. Not the prettiest cuts I have ever done, but this will leave the smallest gap other than trying to cut it with a jigsaw. I plan on gluing some strips of 1/4" MDF along the inside to block the small gaps.
I could not cut the top of the doors first. Then I went ahead and put hinges on. This helps keep things aligned. Then I gut the bottom, then the sides. There is a little material left in each corner where the circular saw could not reach. I will cut those at later with a handsaw to finish the openings.
I decided to not make an access panel on the back since it will be up against the wall. So the back is just the remains of the 2’x4’ original base cut to size and screwed to the base and sides.
I used my Kreg pocket hole tool on the edges of the side panels. This made assembly very easy.
For the top, I decided to make a stationary panel in the back, connected via a piano hinge to the front section. This will allow the top to hinge upward to give me room to lean in when necessary. The stationary section is 16", the hinged section is 32". So I will have plenty of room to get in there as needed. Again I plan on adding a 1/4" strip of MDF along the hinge line to keep dust and noise contained.
That is as far as I got on the enclosure this weekend.
Putting out flags for Memorial Day with our Boy Scout Troop took the rest of our time, but it was worth it to honor our fallen. We placed flags about every 15 yards on both sides of the road to the local cemetery, then about every 30 yards throughout the main street connecting to the cemetery road. We also placed small flags on the grave of each veteran, some going back to the Civil War. Doing this really helps the boys to think about the sacrifices that have been made throughout history.
Enclosure pics to come!
Been reading over this post. I’ll be receiving my XXL upgrade today. I hope all goes smooth getting it all together!
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Good luck! I guess I never got around to finishing this post and showing pictures of the completed enclosure. I will try to do that this weekend.
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Here are some pictures of my enclosure. It helps keep the noise of the router down and adds a little safety from flying objects.
The keyboard and mouse sit on a sliding shelf. I put a smaller drawer that holds end mills, but I have not incorporated anything to organize bits yet.
This enclosure started out as a workbench I built with my dad when i was a kid. I kept it and used it as a workbench until I built my current shop. I enclosed the bench and added a shelf underneath to hold my PC, extra parts, etc. My UPS also sits down there behind the doors.
The doors have 1/4’ plexiglass. I like the fact that I can have the doors open and still see the computer monitor that is mounted on the side of the enclosure with an LCD mount.
Here is my control panel. Rocker switches to turn on the router, lights, vacuum and one accessory outlet. The router is connected through the E-Stop switch, which is also connected to the estop pins on the control board. The Feed Hold button works, but I don’t find it very useful since there is no Resume button connection.
I have a Harbor Freight dust collector with an ONeida Dust Deputy. I have 4" pipe as the mains that feeds a 2" line to the enclosure. I am currently using a dust shoe from EV-Guide (www.EV-Guide.com) that I like quite a bit.
I have a 3/4" piece of MDF on top of the original wasteboard. i routed channels in it to hold T-Track from Orange Aluminum. I also have threaded inserts on a 2" grid. The next time I replace the spoiboard I will not route channels for the t-track, I think I will screw the t-track to the original wasteboard and put strips of MDF or PVC between the t-tracks. The reason is right now I do not have that much room left to level the spoilboard.
I originally lined the entire interior with a rubber mat material. I’m not sure how much difference it made as far as noise goes, but I made the top taller by adding about 8 inches of MDF in order to get more headroom.
I extended and routed all of my cables out the side of the box so i could mount the electronics outside the enclosure, but for some reason that picture won’t upload.
I originally planned on painting the enclosure, but I doubt I ever get around to it.
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Very nice Dustin 
,
Nice looking work Dustin! I like the T-Track idea!
Extended my original table, disassembled my SO3 and started to assemble the XXL. I wasn’t digging the bit of flex at the center of the waste board so I slid a piece of 1x4 under the center. I then adjusted and leveled around the 1x4. New Z plate is on and will start to reassemble everything tonight.
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Hey Dustin, where did you get the 2" vacuum hose? I’ve been looking for something like that, not as stiff as typical shopvac hose, but not super heavy? I’ve bought a couple different types, but none so far has worked as well as I’d like.
Thanks,
Dan
Amazon. Here is a link -
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Thanks, just ordered…then realized I ordered that same hose a few months ago and returned it😒 It felt too heavy and took a lot of pressure to stretch out, does it relax a little with time? The one I had that I returned felt like it would make the belts on my XXL slip before it stretched. With Prime I’ll get it tomorrow, maybe it deserves a second look?
Thanks,
Dan
Hey Dan,
If that hose doesn’t work for you, I have been extremely happy with this one:
http://www.rockler.com/dust-right-2-1-2-expandable-shop-vacuum-hose-kit
I went into the local Rockler store and played with all the hoses they carried, and this one has the best flex; much better than the Shop-Vac brand that I originally purchased.
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I have had no problems with it. It is pretty relaxed. I have mine coming in from the top of my enclosure, so the weight of the hose actually is supported by the enclosure. I jut made sure there was enough slack so it can reach everywhere on the table.
Got my XXL upgrade up and running today. Everything went pretty smooth. Had to extend the limit switch wires and the right Y cable. They really should be longer! Tweaked the homing speed and ran a test piece. Right on the money!
Now on to the new enclosure!
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New hose arrived today. I looked back through my order history and the only difference between this hose and the one I previously ordered is length(this one is 20’ and other was 10’). However this is a different hose, much more stretchy, lighter and less rigid (it doesn’t try it’s best to recoil). Same brand and everything, not sure why this one is better, but I’m pleasantly surprised. This will work out good I think. Thanks for the info!!!
Dan
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Worked all weekend finishing everything up. Installed the light today and I’ll paint the outside …some day!
Overall a smooth upgrade!
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Looks good. A couple suggestions - Add access doors on the sides, or a removable panel. I am in the midst of replacing my left Y motor and am glad I put the side door access on so i can get to the sides of the machine. And I’d recommend running the router power cord out to the right away from the rest of the wiring to reduce the chance of the dreaded EMI.
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Very nice Bill,I like the white inside aswell.
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