CNC work space update

[david.78737]

Joe and I met at the HS Saturday morning to discuss the status of the Shark CNC.  We did not discuss the big CNC so if that is an interest of your you can stop reading here.

The Shark CNC is currently disassembled for upgrades that were put on hold by Covid.  The most significant upgrade is the installation of the RFD spindle drive that will offer greater power plus variable and higher RPM.  Installation of the RFD spindle requires 220 v power to energize it.  Supplying 220 power requires some materials and labor I'll be a part of later this week pending coordination with Joe and Rob for purchasing and material delivery.

In the meantime Joe promises to reassemble the Shark in its former state ASAP.  Joe has swapped out the positions of the Shark and the smaller CNC to provide 6 feet between CNC work stations.  That is not necessarily true with respect to the work table station four feet away from Shark. 

This proximity issue needs to be worked out via policies or rearranging the space a bit

Once the 220 v power in installed the RFD spindle can be installed following Joe machining the clamp bodies attaching the spindle to the gantry.  Two weeks?  May 23?  At that point the Shark will be out of service for maybe a week while the following modifications and upgrades are installed:

1. New RFD spindle installed
2. upgrade Shark dust collection to tie it into the big dust collector (with a gate) and include the panel saw dust collection with that upgrade
3. Add a drop leaf side table to the Shark on the left as a small work surface (pencils, notes, bits etc.)
4. Store the small CNC (currently not in use) under the table is sits on.  That might involve building a shelf below the deck.  The top of THAT table could then be used as a work surface for materials and jigs while using the Shark as well as sanitation supplies.
   
5. Getting and installing a keyboard cover(s)
6. Getting a chair that can easily be sanitized while using the Shark.  Upholstered chairs?  Probably need to be stored?
7. replace the spoil board so dust collection works more efficiently
8. trouble shoot the depth gauge sensor
9. Adjust the angle of the keyboard tray for comfort
   

Supplies and tools for the Shark may require an upgrade after installation.  Joe and I did not discuss that, but the collet chucks and miscellaneous stuff that goes with it should be separate from the big CNC.  Decisions on hold downs and plastic nail pin guns can wait another day.  There could be a policy that collet chucks and bits shall be supplied by the users and NOT the HS.  I am not qualified to discuss the need for HS to supply a full set of collet sizes for the Shark and its new spindle.  But "borrowing" such from the big CNC tool bin seems problematic as a practice.

Longer term, Joe has expressed interest in upgrading the gantry parts replacing plastic with aluminum for greater rigidity.  That will require a separate shutdown of the Shark for a week or so later this year.  No timeline has been discussed for that.

As I stated earlier, the big CNC is working in its original condition.  I am not informed about access to the computer in the lounge area to process V Carve files for the big CNC.  Not sure that is off limits or what but policies and procedures might have to be revisited.

Thanks for meeting this morning

David

[Valerie Grace]

Fantastic update David, thanks for your efforts on this! I’m adding to our board agenda to discuss lounge access for Vcarve usage to get that clearly defined. 

Thank you

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Valerie Grace Wilmot

Director of Administration

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[David Richardson]

Your welcome.

I'll add that the CNC machines BOTH have independent computers.  The shark has a copy of the V Carve software that produces G code  to run the Shark.  Joe has mentioned issues of incompatibility with respect to the Shark G code and the big CNC G code.    I am not familiar enough withe the history of all this but Joe is familiar and probably a few others.  I'd like to express that it would nice to put all these technologies in ONE area with even ONE copy of V Carve what could drive both machines.  Don't know what that would take but maybe worth exploring the cost / benefit.  Just a thought.

David

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