cutting out limit switch brackets.

finally got around to making limit switch brackets. i really draw the line at $500 for a few switches, wires and brackets!

left out the holes for the switches since they vary in location and it's just a matter of drilling two holes.

X+ X- Limit switches DXF

i used .063mil 5051 aluminium plate, it does have to be bent though since the bracket is right angle.

Still using eagle to do my CAD ! i have been getting to grip with solidworks and hsmxpress too

eagle brd file

The Omron SS-5CL2's on my parts bin

http://www.omron.com/ecb/products/sw/12/ss.html

part cut out, i'd make it a tad shorter, maybe about 5mm off the bottom, and the tabs i left to hold to the metal are twice as big as the need to be for a 1/16th end mill at least. I edited the dxf to shrink the height, and make the tabs 0.1" instead of 0.2"

i don't have a good way of bending it, so a vice a soft mallet and my band saw table, plus anvil and hammer again.

Now to tap four holes, two for each switch.

I was going to tap and machine screw into the metal, then while i was looking for the rest of the switches i came across some surplus switch brackets i had from all electronics, i liked the way they were mounted. Obviously using thread locker as well.

So the thread lock goes on top side, then a small bracket on the back to screw into, helps spread the load and secure it.

x- x+ mounted

I'll add the Y and Z as i make them up.

I also have most of the belt drive conversion kit in, just need the new bearings and spacers to get it installed. the gears at first seem quiet, but they definitely are a strange noise to listen too.

Also smoothieboard 5 (from HAD store)! , Not really sure what i want to do with it yet, but it always looked like an interesting project, and like me one of the coders is ex-3DO. I might use it for my ebay 40W laser and change out the moshiboard.

started on the Y- adapter. eagle again! its cutting out now, so once i verify it fits i'll push the files.

simpler this time. smaller tabs too and just one per cutout

potato cam

make sure it clears, i put a small slope in the switch platform and make sure it doesn't interfere with the machine movements. this is a potentially messy spot. i'm doing test fit of all the switches before i wire them up.

Washer added to the bolt. putting the bracket in front makes sure the chip collector still works as designed.

You can make the switch platform longer if you want, this config does move back to just before the machines physical limits.

Y+ next. The Z limit i put on with hot melt a while ago is staying firm, but the brackets are better.

OK i wired up the X+ / X- Y+ Y- and tested it. The Y- i cheated and temporarily used a bracket that fitted that looks like one of the ones from all electronics. I did a test wire up and moved the table around to see if/where it'd bind, then ran homing tests. so far so good!

The way my control box works is that it finds the limit for home, then moves back N amount, so for the Y- it goes all the way back, and i have it come forward 0.75" that way it doesn't squish the chip guard too much. The rest are set-able by the little button on the X+ and the Y+ is dead on.

You can see the Y+ bracket here, i enlarged the holes and used the bottom bolt, other people have the Y+ on the stepper side, there might be a good reason for that, but i don't know what it is (yet), doing it this way allows me to put the X+/X-/Y+ control wires and ground all out to one position , then just run a ground + Y- control to the back.