About the project
How much does it cost to build?
Assuming you use the same Hiwin linear bearings & 400mm rails that I did, the XY Table will cost around $300. The Magnetic Chuck will be additional — around $60 for a 2×11″ (50x280mm) chuck.
What tools are required?
Something to cut steel (hacksaw, angle grinder, or bandsaw), a welder (good for 3/8″ steel), a drill press, and your Belt Grinder with Platen Attachment. Plus a few cheaper hand tools like various drill bits & taps, wrenches, calipers, square, etc.
How long does it take to build?
This will vary drastically from person to person. That said, I kept track of my time building mine, and it took 13 hours to build the XY Table, and 4 hours to build the Mag Chuck. These times include everything from cutting raw materials to painting & testing.
What materials & hardware will I need?
The plans include a detailed shopping list and cutting list, but you can click here for a shopping list to see what’s required.
Can I use different linear bearings than the ones the plans call for?
Yes, absolutely. Just a few things to keep in mind: 1) There is a height limitation — the table should be able to drop down to below the belt when it’s in horizontal mode. This means the linear bearings & rails plus the table surface must be less than 1.5″ (45mm) tall. If you use the recommended 0.375″ (8mm) table surface, then the combined height of your bearings & rails must be less than 1.125″ (37mm). 2) You’ll need to figure out your own hole pattern for the table, and adjust the positions of the end stops. 3) Be sure they’re rated for the loads you’ll put on the table — specifically look at the moment ratings and be sure they can handle a heavy workpiece at one end of the table.
I have access to a CNC plasma / laser / waterjet. Can I get drawings for CNC cutting?
Yes, I offer 2D DXF vector drawings of all the flat parts. These files are included with your XY Table plans.
Can I buy the XY Table pre-made / hire you to make it for me?
Unfortunately, no, I don’t make them for sale. I think you’ll find that with the help of the plans, the project is easier to complete than you might expect, and if you already built the grinder you shouldn’t have too much trouble building this too.
About the XY Table
What is the maximum grinding area?
With the platen attachment in vertical mode, you can grind a 7″ (195mm) tall workpiece. The max workpiece length ranges from about 4″ to 16″ (100 to 400mm), depending how long you make the table (longer tables are heavier and bulkier, so you’ll have to choose what to prioritize).
What is the maximum weight I can load onto the table?
It depends where on the table the weight is placed, and how important accuracy is. As a general rule, a 50lbs (23kg) workpiece should be totally fine and won’t damage the bearings or flexures, unless it is really far off-center (like, hanging off the end of the table). Higher weights will be fine as long as they stay near the center. However you will lose some accuracy with extremely heavy loads.
How much infeed travel does it have (toward/away from the belt)?
The infeed stage itself has 0.55″ (13mm) of travel. For larger adjustments you simply slide the Table Holder in or out of the Belt Grinder’s frame tube. Keep in mind that half of that travel is spring-loaded toward the belt, and the other half is spring-loaded away from the belt. Both are useful, but I find I mostly use the half that’s sprung toward the belt.
How accurate is it?
There are a few ways to answer this:
- Parallelism: On a 2.5 x 3.25″ (65 x 85mm) workpiece, I have achieved parallelism within 0.0007″ (0.018mm).
- Flatness: On a 6×8″ (150x200mm) workpiece, I have achieved flatness within 0.0016″ (0.04mm) (it’s likely better than 0.0016″ actually; that was just the thinnest “feeler gauge” I had).
- Positioning: The infeed screw is very accurate — I can repeatably position it within 0.0005″ (0.013mm) just based on the graduations on the dial.
- Perpendicularity: My 5″ (125mm) table surface stays level (perpendicular to the platen) within 0.001″ (0.025mm) as I move the infeed stage though its full range of motion. The angle may change more than this as you slide the table holder in/out; that depends how accurately you made the grinder’s base frame tube.
How big is it (how will it fit in my space)?
The overall height is 10.25″ (256mm) (from the bottom of the table post to the top surface, with nothing on the table. The overall depth is 8.25″ (213mm) deep, so that’s how far it will stick out from the grinding belt. The overall width is up to you; the table surface will be roughly 5″ (125mm) longer than the largest workpiece it can grind. Keep in mind that it will stick out farther into the room when using the Contact Wheel or Small Wheel Attachments, and remember you’ll need enough space left & right of the grinder for it to be able to slide. For storage, you can slide the table all the way to one end, so it stores as a low-profile “L” shape.
How much does it weigh?
With 400mm rails, it weighs 23lbs (10.5kg). The rails are sold in 60mm increments, and each increment that you add (or subtract) along with the additional table surface and bolts, will add (or subtract) 1.64lbs (0.66kg). And a 2×11″ (50x280mm) Mag Chuck weighs about 4lbs (1.8kg).
Can I use this with your Gen 1 Tilting Belt Grinder?
Yes! The XY Table is equally compatible with both the Gen 1 and Gen 2 Belt Grinders, and all of their attachments.
I have a different belt grinder — not your design. Can this XY Table fit my grinder?
Without the Table Holder, it will be hard to adapt this to fit a different grinder. However, I am considering designing Table Holders to fit some of the popular manufactured belt grinders so that everyone can benefit from not just this XY Table, but all the other advantages highlighted on the Table Holder page too. Please contact me if this interests you; I’m currently trying to gauge whether this is worth pursuing.
If your questions were not answered here, please contact me. I will add the most common questions to this page.