Brian Slee published a new build:

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Thanks everyone for all of the up front support! I will be starting the build this week and posting updates as I go, so stay tuned....
Big shout out to Mark and the Open Builds crew for all of the great work they are doing!!

Hi guys and gals. Not a whole lot to report today as I am still running around sourcing a few odds and ends. I did manage to get my X,Y, and Z axis power supplies wired up and tested. Here is a pic of the motor sets. For the axis motors I am running 3 NEMA 23 570 oz/in which are driven by ST-M5045 4.5A micro-step drivers and powered by separate 48V 5A power supplies. Hope to have more for you tomorrow.

Nice stuff to start a build with!
Interresting idea to make a 3d printer, mill and plasma cutter with interchangable modules
But my first thoughts:
For a 3D printer using NEMA23 motors is overkill, and for milling and plasma cutting you would
probably want a bigger bed than the 45 cm diagonal?
Why not go for a traditional XYZ table with a bigger Y range for printing?

I would have to agree with the previous posters sentiment regarding an XYZ table but for a different reason. Hanging a print head or even a laser off the bottom of a pendulum movement is not a big issue because they have no forces working against them. A milling head however is entirely different. The bit pushes laterally on the work and the work pushes back and trying to achieve sufficient stiffness in a delta style framework such that the bit doesn't just skip off harder materials is going to be a rather substantial undertaking, if it is even at all possible.

There's no intent to be a downer here but I see significant mechanical advantage working against you in a framework that really doesn't have as much stiffness as perceived that I think there are some issues that need looked into before you sink too much time and funding into this.

Hi Winand,
Thanks for stopping by to take a look at what we are doing. The main reason for not doing a gantry style robot is space. Ultimo fits inside a 1m sq area. And the x-y limits out at 750mm vs 450. I limited the 3d printer to 450mm so I didn't have to add another separate power supply to heat the bed. I am also working on a system that would allow the processing of larger plate sizes so stay tuned as the build progresses.

Hi Rick,
You are correct in the fact that stiffness is critical for milling ops. We think we have a way to add enough stiffness to the frame to make things work. Worst case...If I have to go to a gantry style frame to get everything I want out of the bot, all the stuff I have can be re-used. But that's not the plan

WooHoo... My first OpenBuilds shipment arrived today. Man you guys are serious about your packaging, They could have dropped that package from a plane and it would have landed without a scratch . Now I can start my frame lay out tomorrow. Stay Tuned.....

Hey guys and gals...I hate to say it, but...We interrupt this build for ARGHHHH WORK. That's right I said it the four letter word. I am going to be tied up for a day or two on another project so I will not be able to get a lot done on Ultimo. But I will leave you with a few tidbits to hold you over till I get back. I got all my parts laid out and ready for the build and picked up the mill motor. What a beast!...... 2HP with a top speed of 28000 RPM. We will be using a manual speed control and non contact tach to set our speeds on the first prototype. I would also like to thank my good friend John for printing out my parts for the Bowden extruder You are awesome with a capital "A" bro.

Hi All,
I had a few minutes to spare while I am waiting on parts for the other project, so I started putting the frame together yesterday. The pup in the background is my buddy Boo. He guards me while I work lol. I have a little more time today so I will try and get the MDF panels cut and the rest of the dry fitting done so I can get the concrete poured into the tubes and start it curing. I will be using fiber reinforced cement (no aggregate) to add the stiffness to the frame, which is rated for 5000 PSI compression strength for a 2 " section. Stay Tuned.....

Ok here is the leg with the V-slot attached.

Getting ready to make the horizontal pieces.

Boo and I have been busy today. We even managed to get the first horizontal frame piece all laid out and cut to size ;O)

Good Morning All,
Thanks Mark. I will try to keep it worth watching.

Well folks after getting the first panel done I sat back and evaluated my work....UGLY! Is all I can say

I cut the panel free hand on the band saw and it was just too big to manage a clean precise radial cut not to mention the fact that I managed to knock my blade alignment completely off during the cut (surprised I didn't dump a blade in the process). Which meant I had to spend a lot of time with the sander to get it looking presentable. Sooo.....After sleeping on it I decided to expand my circle cutting jig (sort of)...which produces perfect circles with almost no effort. Instead of cutting a piece of wood and adding it to the jig I had I just took my dowel jig and locked it into my work bench vise at the precise radius I want. Here is a picture of the setup I will be using today. As always Boo was a big help. Thanks Boo I couldn't have done it without you ;O) I will let you know how the new setup works later

Stay Tuned....

Smooth like butter!! I changed my layout technique a little and the new jig works great. I should have no problem finishing up the other two panels today

Woot Woot the panels are cut. Ultimo should be standing on his own three feet tomorrow.

Stay Tuned.....

OUCH!!!
Our first mishap....I took the stack of panels off my bench vise and set them aside to start a new setup for cutting the holes for the PVC. Let's just say the boxes I leaned it against were not up to the task of maintaining position against the heavy load and the panels slipped to the floor. I was lucky, in that no damage was done to the panels, but I don't think my rod will ever be the same....
Sooo,,,, instead of getting the holes cut like I planned I ended up building a shuttle cart for the workbench. Now I can just wheel everything around to the tool I want to use. I still have to add straps but I think this is going to help immensely.

Stay Tuned.....

Hi All,
Man the sawdust has been really flying today. Good thing Boo makes a terrific dust mop . Thanks for helping keep me straight buddy.
The frame is up!!!! Wohoooo. Now I can mount my rail and get all my components laid out for installation.....

Stay Tuned....

Thanks Tweakie.
Boo and I will be sure to keep the vacuum on while we are cutting and drilling just to be safe.

I am being lazy today but I did throw a v-slot on one of the posts so you guys had something to look at today

The V-slot and the 2" PVC go together very nicely. The curve of the PVC gives me a lot of contact area with the extrusion all along the length so it should be able to handle a lot of pressure without deforming the plastic. We shall see....

Stay Tuned....

Hi Kids and Kiddettes,
Hope you all had a good weekend and a great Mother's Day like we did!

LOL @ Kram242...Thanks for the kudos and ME TOO ME TOO!!!!

Well after a week of furious flurries of fanatical and feverish fervor I decided a good field day was in order. And I wanted to assure Tweakie that Boo is safe with me so I spent the day vacuuming, rubbing and scrubbing. As always Boo is there to put the QA stamp on it after I pass inspection. Thanks for all the help today Boo. I will get back to making a mess tomorrow.

Stay Tuned.....

LOL Thanks Tweakie. And NO I don't do windows

Yes Boo is a wonderful helper. Today I needed a stationary reference point while I was getting everything level and square and Boo was right there for me Boo you are the bestest dog a boy could have.....

This is a very critical part so I will be taking my time with it. Remember kids...When it comes to robots, there's no such thing as "close enough"

...At least if you want it to work

Stay Tuned......

Great job Brian! - WOW, this thing's a monster!! ..and it fits so nicely in the corner! The Delta configuration is making good sense! Can't wait to see it making chips! What's next?

Thanks John,,,
I still have a bit of work to do on the frame. I have to get my top piece drilled and cut then I will add some pieces to the bottom between the two plates to tie them together for additional stiffness then I can move on to getting the electronics mounted and connected up. Lots left to do.

Stay Tuned....

Hi All,
Sorry I haven't posted much this week. My other project required my attention for a couple days. I am happy to report though that I have just about finished everything I need to do on it, so I can now devote all of my available time to finishing Ultimo. My goal is to have the frame all complete, and the electronics mounted this week.

Stay Tuned...