First let me explain that I CNC stuff 'cause it's fun, not because it's better than anyone else's technique.
I welcome anyone interested to post here or to me and I will gladly answer any questions (that i can).
A caution regarding CNCing a dip tank. Mine didn't work well till i got a .9 deg stepper and a microstepping driver. The driver can be run by a computer or a variable resistor depending on the type of driver you purchase. No matter what I did with the standard 1.8 deg motors I still got a little stepping in my varnish coat. But that might be that I'm just using crappy threaded rod from Ace. Certainly a better quality rod would do a lot better. The more turns/inch the better. Made my own halfnut from brass.
I bought a 20 dollar used Gateway on ebay to run mine, and it works great. One of those "the shipping is more than the item costs" deals.
The big advantage is you can pull from 1/16 of an inch per min. to any speed you want. So I make the first pull at 3 in/min to get a thick sanding/sealing coat and make all subsequent draws at .5 in per min. You can stop at the guides if you like, and pause for as long as you like, but you have to adjust for the volume difference in the tank to get it exactly, I mean exactly on. I found if I'm within 1/8 of an inch, it will be fine. So I don't bother with all the math anymore, I just measure and let it run. See, just fun.
So set and forget. come back in an hour and dip the next section.
This is a fun project if you have the desire..if you don't please don't tell me how great your process is, I already know it's better than mine. And I will apologize in advance for those who find this a useless thread, so you don't have to tell me that either.
Regards
Jerry
I welcome anyone interested to post here or to me and I will gladly answer any questions (that i can).
A caution regarding CNCing a dip tank. Mine didn't work well till i got a .9 deg stepper and a microstepping driver. The driver can be run by a computer or a variable resistor depending on the type of driver you purchase. No matter what I did with the standard 1.8 deg motors I still got a little stepping in my varnish coat. But that might be that I'm just using crappy threaded rod from Ace. Certainly a better quality rod would do a lot better. The more turns/inch the better. Made my own halfnut from brass.
I bought a 20 dollar used Gateway on ebay to run mine, and it works great. One of those "the shipping is more than the item costs" deals.
The big advantage is you can pull from 1/16 of an inch per min. to any speed you want. So I make the first pull at 3 in/min to get a thick sanding/sealing coat and make all subsequent draws at .5 in per min. You can stop at the guides if you like, and pause for as long as you like, but you have to adjust for the volume difference in the tank to get it exactly, I mean exactly on. I found if I'm within 1/8 of an inch, it will be fine. So I don't bother with all the math anymore, I just measure and let it run. See, just fun.
So set and forget. come back in an hour and dip the next section.
This is a fun project if you have the desire..if you don't please don't tell me how great your process is, I already know it's better than mine. And I will apologize in advance for those who find this a useless thread, so you don't have to tell me that either.
Regards
Jerry
