During my recent replacement of the LR3 panels I realized the front and bottom can be easily tightened when the back is removed, with just screwdriver and spanner. For the back strut plate the nuts can be held in their pockets with tape and then the bolts can be inserted blind. Easy!
I don’t remember exactly the sequence I added the strut plates the first time, but I remember it being a pain to reach through the holes in the plates to hold onto the nuts. Turns out I was doing it the hard way.
Thanks for the offer - I’m a long way off ready to do that, but will be back to you when I am, probably more for advice as I’ll be using the sheet metal module in Onshape so that I can learn that process for future things.
Do you think the slots for the bolts are necessary or will simple holes suffice?
Holes are enough. My replacement panels have only holes, no slot.
(I also added a 3mm counterbore for aesthetics and a little bit of extra clearance.)
I have sourced some 6mm ACM with 0.4mm aluminum laminations for use as strut plates in my LR3 build. The supplier is willing cut it to a rough size and I plan to finish it on the LR3 when it gets to that stage. Colour is gloss white both sides which should look OK. I am hoping that there are no weight issues. I am not sure whether to cut the triangles or to leave it solid. What do you guys think?
Have seen lots of variations that all seem to work. Consider doing what makes you happy 
, maybe that’s optimizing for time, keeping things simple to finish up the build, maybe that’s doing something that’s interesting to try out, maybe something else?
How wide is your gantry? Assuming nothing unusual here, I doubt the relatively minor weight saving from cutting out triangles will make a noticeable difference to the performance, especially if using stock leadscrews, and V1E Shop’s Nema 17 84oz steppers, or other steppers with similar specs.
The triangle cutouts seem to mainly help with access during assembly/tinkering. Guessing cutouts probably help relax less stable potentially warped materials like plywood too.
To help confuse things further… I personally like having a mostly solid front strut, but having the bottom and rear partially cut for access. Really like the measurement markers on my front strut, they’re helpful when jogging. Recommend install Front, then Bottom, then Rear. Mentioning, because I learnt the hard way
Expecting your 6mm ACM will look and function great whether they’re solid, swiss cheesed or somewhere in-between.
I appreciate learning about the cut and fold techniques here too. Cheers!
I’m not saying this will be the final choice, but this is my current sketch 
Would look fantastic milled out of 9mm aluminium if anyone’s interested! 
If not - this is two layers of 3mm Composite just to keep the thread on track.
Cool, guessing you’ll be awarded a Swiss Cheese Strut Badge
9mm thick Struts? Already seen “Strut plates were designed to be up to 6.35mm (¼“) thick.” from LR3 docs > strut-plates. Maybe thicker Struts are ok for Rear/Bottom, but not Front where the Core clearance is tight.
I recall Ryan/others mentioning gantry (torsion?) twist being a potential performance bottleneck… Wonder if ACM based Struts with a slightly different design, e.g. top/bottom flanges that cut/fold somehow to make angle bracket and/or boxed Rear/Bottom Struts could somehow help make the gantry even more rigid. Sorry, I don’t have a complete thought/idea on this yet, hopefully this word salad will spark a crisp workable idea in someone’s head?
Maybe ACM (alone) isn’t the right solution, maybe tensioned steel cable weaved between the ACM Struts would be needed instead/as-well?
I am looking at a combination of those (maybe) - for no reason other than I’m interested. My original idea was to use 3mm ACM with a ten mm flange(folded inwards) cut between the braces.
That progressed into the triangulated thing sketched above, which doesn’t actually provide any more stiffness because the folds in the apexes (apecies?) of the triangles make the flanges redundant.
Current thoughts are to make them of 3mm ACM perhaps with the end panels doubled - this is structurally dumb because it’s exactly where the load isn’t, but it will look great while it’s bending!
And yes, I am going to make some hardboard struts per plan, to have something to compare with later.
My struts will be 1450mm, that’s 57" in old money.
At that point, I would just cut up my braces and only use the front part that holds the rails. Ditch the rest, you don’t need it. A solid triangular beam with holes every so often to slide a rail clamp in. You will need the end pieces still to bolt the side plates on but they can be slotted in so you will still have a solid triangular beam.
I would love to see that, and that could be a very PRO version. Can’t imagine that twising.
Help me configure a full sheet idex lr3 so i can start playing and work with the struts folded
I like it!
No promises, but if the first version works, I think I’ll have a play.
Should be onto it by year end 2027… 
Hey Ryan, a few years ago in our travels we did a bit of a detour in New Zealand, France and Japan to seek out work by Japanese Architect Shigeru Ban.
“Big woop” I hear you say, but check out the link - he does/did a lot of experimentation with cardboard tube structures - and there are some serious buildings and bits of furniture there.
A mailing tube could make a very cool beam… just saying… 
Interesting…that could be awesome. Put something in it while shipping, and the container is actually a part of the machine. How cool would that be!
Ryan do you accept custom orders? I need some **aluminum yz plates **
Vaguely recall @vicious1 was working with sendcutsend, or someone like them (?) to help provide direct order link, not just a referral link. Ideally the project/spec link helps simplify ordering process for community members, minimizing risk of spec/manufacturing issues that we’ve seen when members order by themselves (which goes against the non commercial license).
Am expecting total cost would include a fair percentage/royalty to help cover costs to run V1E.
Hello Cesar, What an awesome work. Can you share some of those cutting files to try ?
Sure, im a little overwhelmed by work but when i have the time will contact you, feel free to dm me later.
Is it possible to send the cutting files?
