I’ve no need for the “home docking station” anymore. The end goal/machine use would be to set it right on the ground (or on a tabletop/work surface/back of my truck) and plop a slab of ice measuring 20" wide X 40" long. These slabs would have varying thicknesses but never less than 2" and never more than 9". I’d adjust the height accordingly through something simple like quick-attach blocks or screw feet or something. Some quick clamping method to make sure the slab of ice and the machine are “one” (so the ice doesn’t slide around under the cutter) and off she goes.
In looking at the actual needs of the LR3 there are two basic absolute requirements - the left and right surfaces.
Now, I need something that’s at least got room for a 2" thick slab.
And to hold it together I could bridge it at the back of the machine much like the Bumble is bridged. Truly there’s no need for the “box” there but these drawings aren’t actually about building a boxed assembly - just to communicate my thoughts here.
Unlike the Bumble machine I do not have a “floor” in this inner area so to stiffen the assembly I’d just tie the front end of the U together with a strut.
And that’s where I’m sitting. My thinking is to use extrusion (because I have some laying around and someone local has a bunch more on Marketplace at the moment). It seems to me that extrusion is lightweight, can be assembled flat and square, and SHOULD be something a guy can disassemble and reassemble reliably? Am I right so far?
I’m searching for the most minimalistic build possible here to keep weight right down for portability, perhaps some “knock-down” assembly method like maybe the front strut comes off and the back bridge disconnects from the two rail wings?
I saw this last night
and those side-attached standoffs for the belt mounts really got me thinking I could minimize it quite a bit…maybe something like this:
With one of the dimensions being 40"+, I’m thinking at least 3030 or 3060 extrusion. 3030 is already starting to get bendy around 4’. I’d recommend inserting vertical pieces of 1/4" material between the upper and lower rails.
If I used 3060 that would give me about 2 1/4" of “table drop” and wouldn’t even require two spans per side. A 48" piece of 3060 is only $29 - that’s pretty darn cheap. Let me do another doodle here…
Longer back so the belts can connect back there on the 3060. Some sort of standoff up front for the other ends of the belts. There’s enough “dead space” in the corners because the cutter can’t go edge to edge that I could probably assemble with 90 degree plates as well as typical connectors to ensure it’s nice and solidly assembled.
And with that design, I would tap the holes on the ends of the y direction extrusions with an M8x1.25 tap, drill 1/4" access holes through the x direction extrusion to pass a hex key through, and screw them together with stainless steel M8x1.25-25mm button head hex screws. That’ll make it rigid and pretty square. Add corner brackets for more squareness.
What do you think would be the best plan for that front tie? I could use a piece of 3030 just to keep it in the same “extrusion family”. I could actually use two - one deep in the machine under that dead space at the end of the machine travel to form a barrier/stop/fence to push the ice block up against. A few sharpened hex bolts inserted through a tapped hole or two will help “grab” the ice block. And if I do the same on the outer tie - meaning mount it between the two Y spans so it can be slid in and out according to the length of the piece of ice - then, if it also has spikes that may be all the “work holding” I would need.
I would have a fixed front tie secured with blind screws and brackets as above for the rear tie. If it’s workable, I’d use a piece of 3060 there, too, as it may help with resisting twist of the x-y plane.
I’d then have a moveable front tie, between the fixed front tie and the rear, that can slide up and down the y-axis. You won’t be able to use blind screws as you won’t have access holes (unless you drill access holes on frequent intervals, but that may be a concern for being able to clean the machine thoroughly) so I would just use some corner brackets that you loosen the screws on the y-axis bracket flange to reposition.
The rear work holding tie could be fixed with blind screws and brackets.
That’s perfect. It solves the “what/where to mount the forward belt holders on” question.
So all I need to figure out is the length I’ll need the inner span 3030s. Thanks for your help! It may not be as “disassemble-able” as I’d envisioned but the frame would hang on the wall out of the way intact just fine.
