Power supply size is dependent on your stepper motors. You are buying good stepper drives. They throttle back the current when the machine is idle helping to keep the motors cool.robtown wrote: ↑Tue Dec 04, 2018 10:42 am Done and done. Hold my beer...
I've decided to forge ahead and build one myself.
My apologies to Gary for the head fake as I've inquired with him about his upgrades a couple times over the last years.
The fact is, my machine is not a production machine nor do I depend on it for much more than a theatre set a year for my daughter's drama club and an occasional small furniture or sign job here and there.
Being a tinkerer, this is an "it's about the journey, not the destination" thing for me. And the more I read here, the more I want to jump in myself.
Two things I've never done much of... or very well, electronics and carburetors. I'm a software guy and a tinkerer, but I think I can handle this.
The plan:
I think instead of cannibalizing my existing control box, I'm just going to build a new one. That way if it works I can either sell the old box or keep it in case I ever need it. Plus, my PRT box has the original 48v power supply in it, not that sweet torroidal 63v supply, so basically all I have to repurpose out of my old box is an underpowered power supply and the Geckos. So...
1. I've ordered 4 Gecko 203v's, a DB25 breakout board and the Acorn kit.
2. I think I will order a 63v torroidal PS from Antek. I see the Geckos have a rating of 80v max, but I figure why push it. If I'm reading things correctly, more power just means more speed (and more heat)... I want better cuts, not faster cuts. Or should I get the 80v?
3. Finding an enclosure has been a challenge... I guess I'll either pull the TIG out of storage and fab one from alum or just buy a swank gaming case... (open to any suggestions here... eBay has a couple potential enclosures, but the shipping for all of the ones I've found is more than the cost of the enclosure itself)
4. I'll pick up any incidentals like wire ducting, cooling fans and distribution blocks as needed (not exactly sure what I'll need yet)
5. As to the heatsink(s) issues... I can buy the Gecko heatsink for 74.00 that only holds three 203v's, or I have plenty of 1/4" alum plate laying around that I can make 4 mounting plates (heatsinks) with, or I can buy 4 cpu heatsinks.
6. I have a couple Win7 laptops laying around that I can update to Windows 10, or maybe I'll check with Gary to see if he still has any of those optimized Lenovos for sale.
7. Get everything running/turning/spinning on the bench, then transfer over to the PRT
8. New steppers? (or is this something I should be considering now... not later?)
"Everybody has a plan til they get punched in the mouth"
Please feel free to poke holes in any part of this plan, or alert me to any gotcha's. I'd rather know now, not later...
I would likely buy a power supply that is sized correctly to the motors. Do you know the model number of the stepper motors?
Sounds like you have an idea what you want to do. Just take your time, bench test everything before mounting to the machine. Factorymation.com has some decent prices on cabinets.
START YOUR OWN BUILD THREAD. DO NOT TAG onto this one.
Marty