I got full motion, all axis moving in right direction, homing as expected.
The wiring issue was easy to track down and fix. It was a weak point from back when I built the LowRider v2. I had made some connections back then that I’d never make now. Easy to fix. Back then I did not have the right tools, the know-how, etc.
Fantastic!
What did you end up doing for belt anchors at the ends of the struts? Did you affix wood plates? Or did you design something to either anchor the belt, or act as an attachment for the stock anchor? My LR3 has worked well riding on the superstruts, and if I remember correctly, your original published design had an anchor point to attach the stock belt anchors?
Trying to decide on the best strategy. Thanks for any guidance.
I did design printed “table extenders” and I also tweaked Ryan’s stock tensioners to get them so they could be screwed to the new table extenders. I have not yet done any test cuts, so I am not able to confirm yet how the machine does with them. I will know more after replicating some test cuts I already did earlier, using the small stock RC3 version, to compare to.
I am attaching 24v chip-on-board (COB) LED strip lights to the underside of my full size LR4 just like I did to the smaller RC3 one I built during beta testing phase. Here’s a quote with info and pics from the beta test thread:
Only thing done different this time: I’m currently using two buck converters, one for 12v for a cooling fan, and another one for 22v for the LED lights.
Here are some pics from the LED install work on my full size LR4:
Ooooh, I want to do this on my Big Red Lowrider 3!
Do you have a link for the LED strip" And are the single color, or selectable?
I ordered these:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803628178136.html?spm=a2g0o.order_detail.order_detail_item.3.645cf19ce3Eb0l&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa
They are single color, available in your choice of several colors. I ordered white of course.
Great stuff Doug, as always.
This is great, by the time I’m ready to start you’ll have already sorted all the things I wanted to include.
Just covers for in between the struts left I think.
hint hint
I already created those during the beta testing phase. In order to share for others, I need to make them somewhat parametric so they can be adjusted to varying gantry brace intervals.
These pics were of the Beta version. I think I later also printed them for RCx too.
Latest update.
Note the (unmentioned) tiny window I cut in the top of the lid, as a “low tech” way to see the endstop LEDs and probe LED with the lid still on. Not as fancy as the fiber optic cable, but works.
Also note: 24v fans are available, affordable, and would make use of a buck converter unnecessary. Please don’t assume a buck converter is needed to make a fan work on a LowRider. Just wiring the right fan to the power terminals is good. I bought 24v fans, but the ones I got were very loud, even when under-volted. So, I used a quieter fan I already had on hand, but it was 12v and thus needed a buck converter. I could have, and probably should have, explored quieter 24v fans!
Just a couple of notes about my old LR3’s usable X width (cuttable area) and my new LR4’s usable X width.
My prior machine (LR3) had stainless steel tubes that were 1435 mm long, and on its non-rail side it rode so far out that its 608 roller bearing was almost off my Unistrut. It had an amazing X-travel distance of 1250 mm (49.2126"). But remember [for spoil board flattening], you always get to add the diameter of the cutting bit onto that travel distance to get your total actual cutting area (add the bit’s radius onto each side of the axis of travel). And remember that the bearing riding on that edge was less than ideal.
Since I never needed to cut anything wider than a 49" wide MDF sheet (for resurfacing a spoil board) and since when using, say, a 3/4" (19.05 mm) wide flattening bit, it meant I had a cuttable X width (LR3) of 1269.05 mm (that’s 1250 + 19.05) or 49.9626" (that’s 49.2126 + 0.75"). That’s literally wider than I ever needed, by almost an inch too much. Too wide, considering the bearing was almost off the edge. Having the machine built wider than it needs to be, is surrendering a bit of rigidity for no gain.
The good news is that I could correct all this on the LR4. The LR4 is slightly more compact (makes a bit more efficient use of space). It gains a little extra cutting width when compared to LR3. Anyhow, I did the math, and realized I could cut my (LR4) EMT steel tubes shorter than on LR3, and position my non-rail side’s YZ plate assembly fairly centered on the Unistrut, not sacrifice any more rigidity than necessary, and still be able to surface a 49" MDF sheet.
My LR4 EMT steel tubes are cut at 1398 mm long, and my printed table extenders (which I’m still prepping to test in cutting) are no wider than necessary, and I now have an X travel distance of 1230 (48.425"), which means, when using a 3/4" (19.05 mm) wide flattening bit, I have an X usable cutting width of 1249.05 mm (that’s 1230 + 19.05) or … wait for it … 49.175".
As far as aesthetics go, I like the look, because the Unistrut and the LR4’s printed YZ plate are almost exactly the same width. I measured just now using digital calipers, and the YZ plate is 42 mm wide, and my Unistrut is 41.7 mm wide. The plate rides aligned almost perfectly on top of the Unistrut.
To get the MDF spoil board of my full-sheet size torsion box to align with the new cuttable area, I will need to unscrew the spoil board, move it slightly, and re-screw it. No biggie.
To summarize, and I’m just refreshing my mind on these numbers, I reduced my tube length by 37 mm, yet only lost 20 mm on my actual X travel width. That means my Unistrut-mounted LR4 is 17 mm more efficient on X axis than LR3.
I treat my usable cutting area differently.
My LR4 has an X movement of about 25.5" because I wanted to be able to cut parts up to 25" wide, and up to 49" long. My actual spoilboard measures 24×48" though.
My X and Y stops are defined at -14.2mm, which means that 12.7mm away from the end stops, with a 3mm cutting tool (what I have my 1/8" bits defined as) the machine thinks it is at -1.5mm and the inner edge of the cutting bit is equal to the edge of the spoilboard.
Using a 6.35mm mill, I could just cut a part that is 25" wide, with a few mm to spare in work area.
Therefore, instead of adding the bit diameter to the work area, I subtract it. An upcoming kitchen reno will require me to make cupboard doors 24.75" wide, which I can do with my LR4. I don’t have any planned projects thst will need the full 25" of Y, but I designed for the same thing. Though I usually use 1/8" mills, I will plan my LR4 to have 25.25" (I think I actually got 25.35" from the size I cut my X rails, giving me a bit of leeway for stop switches) X movement to be able to outline 25" in X with a 1/4" endmill.
I kind of look at it the same way as I want the fence on my tablesaw to measure to the near side of the kerf.
Good point. For cutting parts “to keep,” this is absolutely correct. Only in spoil board flattening do I get to add instead of subtract!
When I do it “for keeps” (subtract bit diameter instead of adding it), I have 48.425" travel, minus, say, a .25" bit, and it’s 48.175" — so I can still address “more than” a 4’x8’ sheet, and on a 49" wide MDF sheet, I can address everything within a 1/2" of the edge, plus a smidge more.
Got the awesome LR4 dust shoe printed for the full-size LowRider. This is the one listed for Dewalt. @vicious1 the length of bristle strips was perfect, spot on. The skirt was too small though and would not snap on until I trimmed of some of the shoe at the back. Again, Dewalt variant. Note: all three parts were printed on the same printer.
Early this morning, I got the router installed, got the flexible 2 1/2 inch dust hose installed, and got my router cord and wiring attached to the flex hose. I still need to figure out how to connect from the end of the gantry, some more flex hose going to the dust collection system. I have plenty more flex hose for that. There appears to be some tug or leverage at the end of the gantry where the hose needs to continue on through some type of a coupler.
Are the files for the back covers available anywhere? I absolutely love the look of that!
For mine, not yet, but perhaps soon.
Well, I’ve been working on revamping my dust collection tube/hose routing. It’s not been a quick job for me, but I’m not the fastest worker due to a variety of reasons and duties. I think it will be worth it.
(Not my design.)
Printed on Flashforge’s Adventurer 5M in PLA, intended for use with my V1 Engineering DIY CNC - LowRider v4
I’m happy to knock up a threaded version so that the hose diameter is preserved if you like - I have the thread working so it’s easy enough to smash a few bits together.
I just don’t like offering a model to the public unless I’ve tested it first! Here’s a test print - adapter for a Ryobi Shop Vac, so you know the thread works! 
That would be great!
