This is a follow-up to: https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...-speedio-for-small-garage-prototyping.391703/
Pictures: https://archive.org/details/brother-m200x3-canada1/
Machine Selection
Garage has limited width. I need to leave 700mm space on both sides of the machine for access. Realistic options were S300X2 (1080mm wide) or M200X3 (1280mm wide).
I chose M200X3 for mill-turn versatility (140mm DIA circular table, 2K rpm max) and natural 5-axis (without rotary table). I accept that the M200X3 is 4+1 type (simultaneous XYZ+A or XYZ+C only). I gave up the S300X2's larger table (600x400 T-slot), more compact footprint, far lower price.
I want to master the M200X3.
Floor Preparation
I chose concrete polishing for high longevity and chemical simplicity. I was worried about slipperiness (compared to epoxy) but it's been fine. The work was done with Diamatic FLOR-SIL and FLOR-FINISH; I liked their ASTM testing, LEED certification, MSDS 1/0/0, and low-VOC 50g/L. The contractors only did 1 coat instead of 2 as MFG-recommended; questionable. I should have specified flatness and leveling. Flatness turned out good, but they retained the existing slope-outward of the garage (default garage design to prevent liquid ingress/puddling but not ideal for machine).
Garage Door Preparation
The machine needed at least 96 inches opening-height to fit through. Existing garage door was 7ft (2.13m) high x 8ft wide. Opening height was expanded to 104in (2.64m).
Should have been a 1-day masonry job but there was a big steel I-beam spanning the opening top. Took several months to muster the building permit, plans/drawings signed-off by structural engineers, finally to let the masonry contractors complete the job. A temporary floor-stand supported the main garage I-beam (spanning front-to-back) while they cut its connecting-pole to the problem I-beam, cut the connecting-pole to proper length from floor, raised the problem I-beam, rewelded it to the connecting-pole. Final inspection passed.
The existing garage door was uninsulated. The existing center-mount garage opener was restricting usable interior height under 8ft. I replaced both.
The new garage door is a DoorLink 3-layer R10.25 steel-skin-interior model with windows on top-most panel. If I knew I was going to wait anyway (because of the I-beam problem), I would have procured a better-insulated door like Richards-Wilcox R19 (out of stock at the time) for less thermal variance, AC/heating power-use, and acoustic transfer.
The new opener is a side-mounting LiftMaster 8500W, allowing full use of garage height. The deadbolt device that ships with this opener (as part of the package) is notoriously defective (unlock fails, door breaks during opening); newer units are supposed to be fixed but watch out in case you get old stock or bad yield. Installer modified the default friction-coupling (between opener and garage torsion-spring-shaft) to be a pin-coupling for better reliability especially since motor has torque-sensing protection (more likely friction slips than torque-sensing fails).
Make sure to get the garage door opening fully figured out and adjusted before installing the new door/opener else you'll pay for more visits than necessary.
Electrical Preparation, Service Upgrade
Existing electrical was 100A service feeding a bad-rep Pioneer 100A panel in the basement. With a licensed electrician (required for service work), I upgraded to 200A service with a new 200A main panel in the garage (easiest connection to garage machine/tool branch wiring) and a new 100A subpanel in the basement (easiest connection to existing home branch wiring).
I chose Schneider Electric load centers because their protection features (GFCI/AFCI) were touted as reliable with no false tripping (proven true so far). I wanted panels with a good IP rating but settled again with NEMA 1. Added a full-home surge protector as electrical insurance. Electrician brought the TECK90 cables and fittings. Work started 8am, ESA inspection passed mid-afternoon.
Unfortunately there's a defect alert for QO panels MFG'd after 2020 (https://www.se.com/us/en/work/products/local/safety-notices/2022/qo-pon-loadcenters/) but it's just loose neutral-bar setscrews so easy fix.
New 200A Load Center: SE, QO Series, CQO140M200PC (40 spaces, NEMA1) (DISTR: IDEAL SUPPLY)
New 100A Load Center: SE, QO Series, CQO140M100PC (40 spaces, NEMA1) (DISTR: IDEAL SUPPLY)
Surge Protector (for main panel): SE, HEPD80C (80kA surge per phase) (DISTR: CANADA BREAKERS)
20A 2-Pole Breaker (for surge protector): SE, QO220 (DISTR: CANADA BREAKERS)
100A 2-Pole Breaker (for subpanel): SE, QO2100 (DISTR: CANADA BREAKERS)
20A Dual-Protection 1-Pole Breaker: SE, QO120PDF (DISTR: CANADA BREAKERS)
15A Dual-Protection 1-Pole Breaker: SE, QO115PDF (DISTR: CANADA BREAKERS)
Various GFCI Breakers for subpanel (DISTR: CANADA BREAKERS)
(10k character limit reached, continued in post below)
Pictures: https://archive.org/details/brother-m200x3-canada1/
Machine Selection
Garage has limited width. I need to leave 700mm space on both sides of the machine for access. Realistic options were S300X2 (1080mm wide) or M200X3 (1280mm wide).
I chose M200X3 for mill-turn versatility (140mm DIA circular table, 2K rpm max) and natural 5-axis (without rotary table). I accept that the M200X3 is 4+1 type (simultaneous XYZ+A or XYZ+C only). I gave up the S300X2's larger table (600x400 T-slot), more compact footprint, far lower price.
I want to master the M200X3.
Floor Preparation
I chose concrete polishing for high longevity and chemical simplicity. I was worried about slipperiness (compared to epoxy) but it's been fine. The work was done with Diamatic FLOR-SIL and FLOR-FINISH; I liked their ASTM testing, LEED certification, MSDS 1/0/0, and low-VOC 50g/L. The contractors only did 1 coat instead of 2 as MFG-recommended; questionable. I should have specified flatness and leveling. Flatness turned out good, but they retained the existing slope-outward of the garage (default garage design to prevent liquid ingress/puddling but not ideal for machine).
Garage Door Preparation
The machine needed at least 96 inches opening-height to fit through. Existing garage door was 7ft (2.13m) high x 8ft wide. Opening height was expanded to 104in (2.64m).
Should have been a 1-day masonry job but there was a big steel I-beam spanning the opening top. Took several months to muster the building permit, plans/drawings signed-off by structural engineers, finally to let the masonry contractors complete the job. A temporary floor-stand supported the main garage I-beam (spanning front-to-back) while they cut its connecting-pole to the problem I-beam, cut the connecting-pole to proper length from floor, raised the problem I-beam, rewelded it to the connecting-pole. Final inspection passed.
The existing garage door was uninsulated. The existing center-mount garage opener was restricting usable interior height under 8ft. I replaced both.
The new garage door is a DoorLink 3-layer R10.25 steel-skin-interior model with windows on top-most panel. If I knew I was going to wait anyway (because of the I-beam problem), I would have procured a better-insulated door like Richards-Wilcox R19 (out of stock at the time) for less thermal variance, AC/heating power-use, and acoustic transfer.
The new opener is a side-mounting LiftMaster 8500W, allowing full use of garage height. The deadbolt device that ships with this opener (as part of the package) is notoriously defective (unlock fails, door breaks during opening); newer units are supposed to be fixed but watch out in case you get old stock or bad yield. Installer modified the default friction-coupling (between opener and garage torsion-spring-shaft) to be a pin-coupling for better reliability especially since motor has torque-sensing protection (more likely friction slips than torque-sensing fails).
Make sure to get the garage door opening fully figured out and adjusted before installing the new door/opener else you'll pay for more visits than necessary.
Electrical Preparation, Service Upgrade
Existing electrical was 100A service feeding a bad-rep Pioneer 100A panel in the basement. With a licensed electrician (required for service work), I upgraded to 200A service with a new 200A main panel in the garage (easiest connection to garage machine/tool branch wiring) and a new 100A subpanel in the basement (easiest connection to existing home branch wiring).
I chose Schneider Electric load centers because their protection features (GFCI/AFCI) were touted as reliable with no false tripping (proven true so far). I wanted panels with a good IP rating but settled again with NEMA 1. Added a full-home surge protector as electrical insurance. Electrician brought the TECK90 cables and fittings. Work started 8am, ESA inspection passed mid-afternoon.
Unfortunately there's a defect alert for QO panels MFG'd after 2020 (https://www.se.com/us/en/work/products/local/safety-notices/2022/qo-pon-loadcenters/) but it's just loose neutral-bar setscrews so easy fix.
New 200A Load Center: SE, QO Series, CQO140M200PC (40 spaces, NEMA1) (DISTR: IDEAL SUPPLY)
New 100A Load Center: SE, QO Series, CQO140M100PC (40 spaces, NEMA1) (DISTR: IDEAL SUPPLY)
Surge Protector (for main panel): SE, HEPD80C (80kA surge per phase) (DISTR: CANADA BREAKERS)
20A 2-Pole Breaker (for surge protector): SE, QO220 (DISTR: CANADA BREAKERS)
100A 2-Pole Breaker (for subpanel): SE, QO2100 (DISTR: CANADA BREAKERS)
20A Dual-Protection 1-Pole Breaker: SE, QO120PDF (DISTR: CANADA BREAKERS)
15A Dual-Protection 1-Pole Breaker: SE, QO115PDF (DISTR: CANADA BREAKERS)
Various GFCI Breakers for subpanel (DISTR: CANADA BREAKERS)
(10k character limit reached, continued in post below)