LowRider 3 CNC, LR3 Release notes

LowRider CNC Hardware Development
352

Thanks Jamie, sure thing, feel free to link/share.

Like the idea of making the video pointless and Strut selection trivial for LR3 builders.

~23mb for 1220 files (480mm to 1700mm for usable cut areas of 1’ to 5’ for gantry). Small size, but Github has 1000 files per folder limit, can workaround by partitioning across multiple folders in way that LR3 Calc understands. I’m happy to attempt LR3 Calc edits if you think it’s worth the effort?

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OpenSCAD is very necessary to gen the files. Enjoyed using to make my front Strut, cheers for sharing your script.

Edit: Submitted this pull request extending LR3 Calculator to enable downloading static generated Strut .SVG matching the User’s configured dimensions.

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353

I would make some joke about men and their tools, but it’s early, and I’ve just started on my first cup of coffee… Besides, whatever you just thought of is probably at least 20% funnier than anything I would have come up with.

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354

DANG that is some very helpful edit right there. Every 10mm is fine, I made two thinking that would be enough. I was wrong but I am sure most can live with in 10mm.

Thanks guys!

355

Would you still need to scale the 10mm file in CAM? What about the 1mm? I think that is the main difference. Not having to scale it is with the extra complexity.

356

And, without making this too complicated, should we also track the script in git, and add versions? In case something changes?

357

@jeffeb3, @vicious1, sorry for not being clearer earlier, late night.

Short: ALL the Struts have been generated, 480mm…1700mm in 1mm increments, submitted to git (here and here), along with a modified version of @jamiek script. Submitted LR3 Calc Pull request referencing these .SVGs to create slicker than snot SVG download UX for LR3 builders.

Long:
I created https://github.com/aaronse/v1engineering-mods/…/lowrider3/strut-plate-variable yesterday. Made a slightly modified version of Jamie’s LR3-strut-plate-variable.scad in that repo that could be called through command line automation of OpenSCAD.

Generated ALL the Struts, 480mm…1700mm in 1mm increments. Within Windows cmd shell:

for /l %i in (480,1,999) do "C:\Program Files\OpenSCAD\openscad.exe" --D "beam_len=%i" -q -o out_0\lr3-strut-plate-variable_%i.svg LR3-strut-plate-variable.scad

for /l %i in (1000,1,1700) do "C:\Program Files\OpenSCAD\openscad.exe" --D "beam_len=%i" -q -o out_1\lr3-strut-plate-variable_%i.svg LR3-strut-plate-variable.scad

Committed and push the generated .SVG files to /svg_0 and /svg_1 within the v1engineering-mods repo.

Then made some changes to the LR3 Calculator that point Users to these generated .SVG files. Sent this V1E Docs pull request with those edits.

I didn’t stumble onto where Jamie maintains LR3-strut-plate-variable.scad within his git repos @ https://github.com/vector76

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358

That all makes sense to me. But I would rather keep the source file, the process to create the svgs and the final svgs in the V1EngineeringInc space.

I am fine with it as it is. It is better than what we have.

Thinking longer term, it would be nice to put the script in a new repo, and maybe even add actions to build the svgs. And keep this updated svgs in that repo, or in a release location. Then point the docs there.

This absolutely does not have to be the first iteration. The acceptance criteria for PRs is “better” not “ideal”.

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359

Agree. Will submit pull request that adds the script and generated .SVGs to the V1E Docs repo where the LR3 Calc (page with script) exists.

Agree auto build time gen would be nice to have (can’t see myself digging into that one right now tho). I appreciate the mindset of accepting improvements now, rather than waiting for ideal to (maybe) turn up later. Cheers!

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360

I was thinking I would be involved, unless someone dropped the solution in my lap.

I have to remind myself that the Internet is littered with my broken promises. I will get to it all eventually, unless I die first.

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362

Done, updated V1E Docs pull request

2022/8/30 EDIT: LR3 Calc has been updated to enable downloading Custom size SVG for your chosen build dimensions. Fill out dimensions then click on Download Strut .SVG, cheers!

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363

anyone have issues with the X tensioner? The nut spins inside, and the whole part snaps when tensioning if you glue the nut. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. I printed it at 30% and then retried at 60% infill.

364

Hope response in main topic on this helps

365

Sounds like you might have a galled nut. Try a different screw and nut, make sure to pre thread the nut to loosen up the nyloc a bit. There is very little force on the nut otherwise so it has to be this.

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366

Thanks for the replies, I will try this.
In the meantime I have wired up my lowrider and testing the motors. My Z motors are not moving under the lowrider load. They spin when I disconnect the threaded rod.

When I manually spin the rod the z axis moves freely.

Thanks for your continued assistance.

EDIT, after a little searching, could it be that the motors are splitting the current and torque?
I’m using a 1.4 RAMBO board from you guys, and the z motors are plugged into the two Z motor ports. Is that correct?
Seems to be more powerful when only one is connected. I can get it to lift the z axis part of the way, but when it reaches a certain point it stalls noisily.

367

No. Wiring The Steppers - V1 Engineering Documentation
Or individually wired since you have the option for 5 steppers. That is most powerful.

368

So my RAMBO has a X, Y, Z, Z, E0 and E1. Does the dual Z only count as one stepper?

In the documentation, it says to put X2 and Y2 into the E steppers.
I now see a small note about Z2 if it’s a low rider.

That makes sense, I had Y2 in E1 and noticed it was moving when I was testing the z motors.

Back to try again!

369

Still getting issues after connecting properly.

Is it a rod alignment issue perhaps?

370

Those two Z are wired in parallel, which will half the current. Don’t use the second Z. Either use dualLR firmware, which will make the E1 port Z2, or use a serial wiring adapter on the first Z port.

You also need to lube leadscrews.

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371

Thanks Jeff.

The documents show where to wire the endstops for Z1 and Z2, but those are for the parallel option.
When using E1 as Z2, how do I wire the end stop?

372

There are three ways to wire it:

Dual LR, or independent. One motor per stepper driver. You just wire Z2 to E1.

Parallel, which is wiring two motors to one driver and splitting the current between them. This is just wiring wire 1 of both motors together and wire 2 of both motors together, etc. This isn’t a good way to do it.

Series (I sometimes say serial, sorry), which is wiring two motors to one driver, but in a way that the current has to go through both coils. Wiring The Steppers - V1 Engineering Documentation

Don’t wire them in parallel. The two Z ports on the rambo are wired to the same driver, in parallel. Either make a wiring harness to make them series, or better yet, just flash the rambo with the dualLR firmware and put the second Z in E1.

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