Cincinnati LowRider2 Build

Just putting the finishing touches on my Lowrider2

  • 50"x47.5" working area
  • SKR PRO1.2, 5X 2209 DRIVERS, TFT35 E3 V3

Reused existing table that was 51x51, added SuperStrut rails along sides to give additional travel in Y (now X), which also added an inch or so to X (now Y). Made custom belt holders for the SuperStrut

Created home switch holders that press into tubing ends:

Mounted aluminum angle in flat orientation to accomodate cable chain, created modified X Roller Assembly to attach the cable chain

Printed two supports to hold gantry up when power is removed. This lets me keep a tool mounted in the spindle, and prevents torquing the structure by uneven settling.

Limit switches and what they stop:
Xmin = X1 motor
Xmax = X2 motor
Ymin = Y Motor
Ymax = Touch Probe
Zmin = Z2 motor (see note)
Zmax = Z1 motor

Whenever homing is configured for the positive direction, the firmware automatically selects the ‘max’ end stop. My Z homing is in the positive direction so the firmware automatically chooses the Zmax end stop. I therefore configured ZMIN for the second Z motor.

Marlin uses the homing to establish the machine bounds. I also added a touch probe for setting the tool height. The only remaining end stop was Ymax.

I manually touch off my workpiece before the job using the TFT controls. Thus I added a “Probe Z” button to the home menu:

I also want to have the canned ‘custom’ GCODE routines accessible from the main menu, I thought ‘Actions’ was a better name for them:

To create a new button in the TFT firmware, I created an 95x95 pixel BMP and stored it in the TFT35 folder. I added a line to TFT/src/API/icon_list.inc with the base name of the new icon.

To define a new label for the icon, I added the base name in TFT/src/User/API/Language/Language.inc, then added that term to all of the language header files

Once the icon and label are created, they can replace items in the menus.

I put my changes up in a fork on github:

looks sharp. I live in Loveland. good to see someone close by. I like your Z support

Major props! I like the way you did your limit switch mounts and drag chain. I also like the Z Probe down button addition. Thanks for sharing.

What is the PVC cup holder for?

That was part of a keyboard/monitor stand from the table’s previous life.

I didn’t like how the TFT firmware would immediately start running gcode as soon as you touched the file!

So… I added a confirm dialog box…

I will push this up to my fork on GitHub.

Did you share the STLs to custom 3D printed parts like the belt holders and other such?

I will! Here are two so far:

  1. Thingiverse link to the Cable Chain mount that replaces one of the “X Roller Assembly”
    LowRider2 Cable Chain Mount by pilotkip - Thingiverse

  2. Thingiverse link to the Rest Supports to support the carriage when power is removed:
    LowRider2 Rest Support by pilotkip - Thingiverse

More to come…

Thanks, looking forward to the others!

Two more things!

My X and Z end stop holders.

And my SuperStrut belt tensioner

My two Y axis end stops are mounted on the YZ plate and bump the SuperStrut fixed-ends.

I changed my Touch Off buttons to ask for the new value, allowing touching off to non-zero locations.
I also added the current tool coordinates to the status bar to immediately see the effect of touching off.

Hey can you help me know how to use the ‘z rail slider’? I’m not getting a picture in my mind of how it fits in.

Certainly! What I found was that the metal z-axis tubing would draw across the metal superstrut like a violin bow and cause a horrific screeching noise! I designed those sliders to put 1mm of plastic between the two. It slides loosely in the superstrut slot, and loosely cups the z-axis rails:
Photo Mar 12, 8 45 19 AM

OK, Thank you so much!