Just happened to be on weldtables webpage looking at their weld positioner and started blousing…
Who will be the first to make the gantry fit onto one of these tables?! I have a feeling it wont be long before I do. Wouldn’t be any issues with the bed not staying perfectly flat.
Think Langmuir was going to create plans for a 2x4’ table. I expect that’ll be after they get through the shipping process so they can get back to playing with designing stuff.
would it really be that hard to expand the table, really you would need the following to make it a 4x4:
Longer tubes for the foot print of the table (4)
longer carriage tube for the Y-axis
Longer gantry tube for X-axis- (these may be tough cause they are plated)
Longer lead screws
More slats for the table
drill some holes in the tubes, utilize existing hardware and aluminum spacers
re-square the table
The motors don’t have stops built in so with a longer lead screw I don’t see why the current controls wouldn’t work.
Feel free to correct me if I am over simplifying but I don’t think I am.
An intermediate step would be to build a 25.3" x 33" machine by simply swapping in a longer Y axis rail, making new stanchion plates, and a longer Y axis lead screw. The slat bed is 33" long in Y so the machine could be very easily and cheaply modified to get the extra ~10" of travel. This is the reason the machine uses lead screw adapters instead of the conventional way of machining the ends of the lead screw. Makes it very easy to swap in a longer one.
We have actually thought about doing this as a kit because it would be something we could launch very quickly since we already make the lead screws and the upper rail. Significantly simpler than the 2x4 concept that we have prototyped in the past.
You are correct @jlafata88, the electronics would not need to change.
You’d be combating a lot of deflection with a 4’ long gantry tube, especially without a THC, I feel a THC integration would be more beneficial as this design with 3 open sides is what sets this apart from the rest.
You guys should seriously join forces with weldtables, the simpicity of your guy’s system, coupled with their table design, would be a hard package to beat! Less parts for you to manufacture, they wouldn’t have to put holes on the sides of their tables(less cutting), a lot higher weight rating for the table itself and still all made here in the states. It would make the assembly process not so fool proof, but then again, if someone has a plasma, they more than likely have a welder, and the weldtables really only need to be tacked together.
I can see easily expanding the y axis but with the x axis you have to consider weight, deflection, etc…
Langmuir-Daniel after preorders ship Ide be a buyer on the 33" expansion kit
To combat the deflection of the gantry you could add a second tube for the Y-Axis and add some guide bearings to it. That would handle the deflection. You would need to make some new stanchion plates and another tube for the bearings to ride on. as long as its square it should travel pretty smoothly and you would be able to lay a full 4x4 on the slat bed.
I’m curious if the motor that runs along the y axis would be strong enough to carry the added weight at the speeds needed with the additional weight that would be added to the x axis if expanded
You may see a reduction in full rapid speed and acceleration, but I doubt it will be significant enough to notice. The weight increase shouldn’t be too drastic, the drag on the linear bearings from the additional Y-axis tube should be minimal as well with good bearings.
I expect you’re right. The motors look pretty robust and there’s a lot of existing stuff out there in the CNC world with large bed sizes running dual rails for x&y that suggests it’s not a terribly big problem to address. The steppers on the Shopbot are smaller than what it looks like Langmuir is using and it’s flinging around a heavy carriage and spindle.
Worst case I’d think we might have to change out the motors. They’re pretty common and priced decently though.
Exactly, if it was a problem the motors could be replaced with larger ones and let’er rip!
There really souldn’t be any difference in motor performance if you made it a 2x4, the Y axis would just travel a further distance. If anything the torch cable would need more slack in it. Now making it a single sided gantry that’s 4’ long, without a THC, sounds like a recipe for becoming an alcoholic. No only would there be deflection from the long x-axis arm torquing on the y-axis tube, but there would be a sway/bounce in it during rapid moves. The whole setup would need to be much larger all around to have a long single ended gantry, without accuracy drawbacks.
It would be nice if there was no holes in the table. With the base as it is it would be easy to convert to a downdraft table which is what I want to do for my next one
I’ve been thinking about expanding mine. To me all I think I would do is add longer Y axis rail and probably beef them up to a thicker wall thickness and add the longer lead screw. On Banggood you can order lead screws up to 1100 mm long with the nut for about $80. I’ve been pricing and think I could make it 2 X 4 for around $125. or less. The hardest part would be building a new water table and slats and even at that I could just use the table to cut the corners out of a bigger pcs of alum. on the table bend then up and tig the corners then shear longer slats.
All in all I think I’ll Just wait and build or buy a 4x8 or 5x10 if I see I can make use of it. I had been wanting to build one for several years before buying this one.
I thought about that. I was thinking perhaps just getting a 2nd 2x2 tray and all it means is I’d have a tray edge in the middle that may get gummed up but not sure if I’d end up cutting through to the point it would wreck both water tables.
If you wreck the lip on both water tables… Just weld them together. Then you don’t have 2 water tubs anymore 
I’m interested in a 33" kit. Even more so in the 2x4 expansion if you guys get around to build that though
You have to start somewhere, and this current design is what we all jumped onboard for… the design concept is ez… and keeps it affordable and within reach for a lot of would be CNC plasma cutter owners…
I’m sure they will expand it with kits and extensions, etc… I’m sure they know the demand is there from those who have purchased this machine already…
I’ve shopped around before considering this table. But $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 4000-20,000 lol…
This cutter fits my needs perfectly and allows a cutter to be brought into someone’s tool Arsenal that otherwise wouldn’t.
Thanks Langmuir…looking forward to what you guys may add next, with all the requests for added features already! Lol
Im interested in this 33" extension too… Can you sell the needed materials or link the companies that can? thanks