Hello. In the process of building a LR3 full sheet CNC table. Using 55 inch X tubes. I know the typical build has temp struts installed to get the table assembled and functional. With it, permanent struts are then cut out and installed by disassemble/ re-assemble.
If possible, I would like to skip the temp step and go right to final assembly.
Is there somewhere the final struts (3x) can be sourced from? (Located in West Central Wisconsin east of Minneapolis/St Paul.)
Thanks! -Steve
Part of the fun in this hobby (at least for me) was using the LR3 to help build itself. Cutting the permanent struts using the printed temporary struts seemed like just part of the process, and allowed me to develop some additional skills in modifying/customizing the struts a little bit, and in figuring out EstlCAM enough to produce the gcode to do the initial cuts. Very rewarding.
But hey, part of the great thing about this hobby is that everyone can decide how they want to approach it. So if you can find an LR3 owner close by, or a Laser/Plasma cutting shop within driving distance, then go for it! Shipping will be an issue for anything other than local, and you will want to make 110% sure that you have the dimensions down before you ask someone else to cut something for you, otherwise it can start to get expensive and frustrating.
Hope you enjoy the journey!
My “temporary” plates are still on the machine - I cut them to size and drilled holes in the correct places - you need a saw, a drill, a something to measure with, and a little patience.
You don’t need it to be a truss shape, a simple rectangle of hardboard will do.
FWIW, you can save a bit of time vs the instructions. For starters skip the step in the instructions that tells you to put in all the bolts in advance (not even sure why that is there, I wound up having to take them out again). Then I found I didn’t need to disassemble the endplates at all, once I cut my struts I was able to unhook the belt tensioner, slide them in behind the router core and screw them down, and then reattach the tensioner. The hard part was holding the nuts from the inside while doing that (which is where the cutouts in the struts became really invaluable) - wound up using a long bent pliers to place and hold each nut while tightening down the bolt. Still took an hour or two but was pretty straightforward.