Aluminum and carbon fiber E3d V6 mount. RELEASED!

[Eaglezsoar]

Please, travelphotog, indicate on this thread when you are ready to accept new orders. I will be buying 3.

I still owe you the one I promised Eagle. I have not forgotten that. I will be mixing up some maroon this week and should have one out to door heading your way shortly. I have been holding off sending yours as we were doing so many changes to the design. I will be in touch once I get the maroon mixed up.

Thanks for your generosity and I will be buying more when you indicate that they are available.

[travelphotog]

Moving forward all the mounts will be milled from 1/4" Mic 6 cast plate or Alca 5 cast plate. The first few going out will be Mic 6. Once that is used up I am switching to Alca 5 plate for the better anodizing response it has. Alca 5 is also slightly lighter than Mic 6 or standard 6061 for a given sample size. Both Mic 6 and Alca 5 are easier to work with on the mill I have found also. I got tired of warped 6061 stock from too many places and decided to go this way instead. The end price stays the same for you guys. The lock rings will stay 6061 alloy for the time being.

[drunkenmugsy]

OMG - Take my money already!

hehe. Put me in line for one please.

[forrie]

hehehe ^^^^ What he said ^^^^

Put me in line for 2 yellowjacket capable versions please One all orange, one all blue...So pretty.

[Generic Default]

Hey I got behind on this thread and skipped a couple of pages in the middle, but read the last few. That thing looks AWESOME!

You make a really professional looking product, complete with the box and everything. Just one thing that concerned me was the machining time. Your machine time used to be 26 hours and even if it goes down to 5 hours, that's still way too long!

I bought a CNC ready taig mill last year for prototyping my Tri hotend and some other stuff. I made some effectors recently similar to this in geometry. I'm estimating that a Taig could mill that main piece in about 5-10 minutes consistently. The total cost of the mill, steppers, and a smoothieboard would be around $1500. I can do 3mm deep passes with a 6.35mm endmill easily (instead of your tiny 0.11mm passes). Not sure where you are with the other mill, but consider getting something heavier if you want to make this into a well paying job!

Nice job with this though, all of your parts look excellent. I just cringed when I saw the machining time.

[travelphotog]

Hey I got behind on this thread and skipped a couple of pages in the middle, but read the last few. That thing looks AWESOME!

You make a really professional looking product, complete with the box and everything. Just one thing that concerned me was the machining time. Your machine time used to be 26 hours and even if it goes down to 5 hours, that's still way too long!

I bought a CNC ready taig mill last year for prototyping my Tri hotend and some other stuff. I made some effectors recently similar to this in geometry. I'm estimating that a Taig could mill that main piece in about 5-10 minutes consistently. The total cost of the mill, steppers, and a smoothieboard would be around $1500. I can do 3mm deep passes with a 6.35mm endmill easily (instead of your tiny 0.11mm passes). Not sure where you are with the other mill, but consider getting something heavier if you want to make this into a well paying job!

Nice job with this though, all of your parts look excellent. I just cringed when I saw the machining time.

Thanks! This was pretty much my first ever milling project in anything over 1/8" aluminum. For the shapeoko it is a HUGE project to undertake when you are new to CNC mills. I have since gotten the times down even more, still a bit higher than I would like on the OKO but for the mill it is impressive. The new mill is coming in this week. The gantry arrived today and I love the work on it. Nice big BEEFY ball screws. The new 2hp spindle will arrive Friday and the base should be here the following week. I made some last minute changes and the base got delayed a bit due to them. For now though the OKO is kicking butt and knocking out mounts and end caps at a nice enough pace. The new mill will knock these things out in a few minutes each like you spoke about. The only issue is that today Michelle ( My better half) took a job offer from Marshall Space Flight Center.. So next month we are packing up the whole joint and moving from one NASA job to another NASA job. So... For now the OKO is going to be pulling the cutting duties as setting up the new mill then taking it apart for shipping to Marshall is not really a good idea it seems. On the plus side the OKO is doing the mounts MUCH faster than before and I can plate up a 8x10 sized piece of stock and set it to run over night and wake up to over a dozen new mounts each day which works for me. CNC milling is really still a side hobby for me. I am pushing for a basement house ( we do not have those in Houston) so I can set up shop there instead of the garage or in the house as I am now. I also have my eye on a g0704 vertical mill and conversion kit like you speak of. If we were not moving next month I would have it ordered already.

Over all it has been a great learning piece and I have learned a great deal about CAD, CAM and milling. Before July 2014 I have never touched CAD or a mill so I am just learning the hobby as I go along really. I have turned out a ton of PCBs on the OKO and that will end up being the role it plays down the road mostly as it does a super job on them and I LOVE watching IT dill 100+ 1mm holes VS the old days of me doing it by hand on the drill press (DO NOT miss those days AT ALL). I am lucky that this is still a side hobby for me and the Michelle is pretty much the bread winner over all (not by much though). As soon as we find the new place and get settled in I will get the new mill enclosed and all setup ASAP. The OKO will go right back to work the first week we move in as I have other projects it mills each week also. Between now and then the OKO will be turning out mounts and end caps nightly. I never dreamed anyone would have much interest in this project as it was simply a test of my milling skills and an excuse to anodize something and put it on the MAX. I also never planned to sell them when I made my first post here either. I am really looking forward to running the new mill and part of me is not so happy to be moving at this point in time, but we have to go where the best jobs are and a step up is always the best way to go in my book. Besides, I am sort of tired of all the flatness here in Houston. I travel every weekend 10 months a year for my work and it will be nice to not always come home to a flat landscape for a change.

New Gantry for the mill. Nice beefy BALL SCREWS!

[geneb]

For the j-head mount version, could you include a threaded top cap instead of the open ring? That would allow the hot-ends.com j-heads to be used - it can't take a press-fit connector.

g.

[travelphotog]

For the j-head mount version, could you include a threaded top cap instead of the open ring? That would allow the hot-ends.com j-heads to be used - it can't take a press-fit connector.

g.

So you are wanting the pass throughs for the screws on the lockring to be threaded also yes?

[geneb]

The screw holes don't need to be threaded - just make the center solid and thread it for the standard press-fit bowden connector (M5 I think).

g.

[travelphotog]

The screw holes don't need to be threaded - just make the center solid and thread it for the standard press-fit bowden connector (M5 I think).

g.

OH I think I see. You need a hole in the lock ring that will allow you to screw in a bowden tube holder like the brass fitting on the stock SEEMECNC yes? I can do that.

I worked up an insert for the SEEMECNC stock head also. I know some guys would be happy with the stock insert or printing one. But I figured having them match in anodized aluminum would be a nice touch. With the insert someone can buy the mount and insert and be able to mount J heads, E3d and the stock mount with one package. To upgrade from the stock to a j head or E3d, you just remove the insert and mount the new head and print away. Below is a rough render of the simple insert. I have not had time to model the SEEMECNC head in CAD yet so the render does lack that.

[travelphotog]

Once again I stuck out on the west coast this weekend shooting. I will get it worked up in CAD tomorrow as I have some down time and will get a test ring milled Tuesday when I get home. I will also ge the M5 tap from Amazon and have it waiting.

[bvandiepenbos]

very nice work travelphotog

hope your move goes smoothly.

[travelphotog]

very nice work travelphotog

hope your move goes smoothly.

Thanks! My Alca 5 aluminum p!ate stock came in today. It is a 5083 alloy and will anodize much easier than the Mic 6 7000 alloy does. When I get home I will get your replacement mount milled and anodized. Looking forward to seeing how you like the new adjustments put in place for the J head mounts. Will you want the threaded lock ring like Gene is talking about for your J head mount?

[geneb]

Yep, that's what I meant.

$35 each?

g.

[bvandiepenbos]

very nice work travelphotog

hope your move goes smoothly.

Thanks! My Alca 5 aluminum p!ate stock came in today. It is a 5083 alloy and will anodize much easier than the Mic 6 7000 alloy does. When I get home I will get your replacement mount milled and anodized. Looking forward to seeing how you like the new adjustments put in place for the J head mounts. Will you want the threaded lock ring like Gene is talking about for your J head mount?

Yes, a clamp plate with a M5 threaded hole, then the stock PTC fittings will work with a regular old j-head (http://www.hot-ends.com)
You could also try making a version with a 1/8-27 pipe tap thread, then the big black plastic PTC fittings from older E3D and others could be used.
And a clamp ring with a straight 13 mm dia. hole for use with E3D and Prometheus hot ends with integrated bowden tube collet.
That and the adapter piece for the SeeMe hot end you already mentioned, should cover mounting most any hot end out there.

When you sell these it wold be nice to include all the different clamp rings, I know many of us have various hot-ends laying around.
Offering one 'kit' would be simpler to inventory and easier for people to order.
Your extra cost including all the clamp rings as standard, probably would outweigh the reduced questions and inventory management. IMHO.
Just a thought.

[stonewater]

it gets better and better!! now I want it even more, and will take a complete set of... well whatever your gonna sell, I have seemecnc heads and a V6

Tom C

[travelphotog]

"You could also try making a version with a 1/8-27 pipe tap thread, then the big black plastic PTC fittings from older E3D and others could be used."



Is that a BSPT or NPT thread?

[Mac The Knife]

If you haven't already, now that they're talking you into threading some of the parts, you may want to look into threadmilling, if your cam software supports it. I just discovered it in sheetcam. Here's a source I found for threadmills. http://onlinecarbide.com/threadmills.html

[KAS]

meh, I just want the basic kit that works with the v6. Asking for to much will just raise the cost and lengthen production time. Adding doodads & whizzbangs sounds cool, but once I've installed my best hotend in it; The "extras" would get shoved in a hole out of sight.

[travelphotog]

Right now looking at a "works kit" with everything for 40ish. Basic v6 kit 35. All parts will also be a la carte. That work for everyone Ok? I agree with Kas, not everyone will need it all and just the act of anodizing all thise parts on every kit will not workout well in the limited time i am home from assignments each week with the demand I have for mounts right now.

[stonewater]

I will take one just for the V6 , ordered my yellowjacket today.... V6 on the bench!!

Tom C

[bvandiepenbos]

"You could also try making a version with a 1/8-27 pipe tap thread, then the big black plastic PTC fittings from older E3D and others could be used."



Is that a BSPT or NPT thread?

Probably NPT but I am not 100% sure. maybe somebody else will chime in.
I do not know how to tel the difference by looking at mine.

edit:
just looked closer at one of the black plastic fittings, it says BSPT but does not have a size.
so it must not be 1/8-27 NPT but 1/8-28 BSPT.
checked with thread gauge, it is 28 tpi NOT 27
plastic fitting thread O.D. measures about .380" diameter.

hmm, I just learned something.
funny, I made some adapters with a 1/8-27 NPT and the fitting threaded in, but not very well, now I know why.

[travelphotog]

ok will grab the tap from amazon this weekend.

[geneb]

Are the top & bottom metal bits for the carbon stand-offs threaded?

tnx.

g.

[travelphotog]

Are the top & bottom metal bits for the carbon stand-offs threaded?

tnx.

g.

Yes for M3 bolts. idea is the carbon stand off stay bolted to the mount and only the 3 bottom screws fet undone to change mount/head. The mount, spacers and print head come off as a unit that way.