Scratch Build – In Progress CNC Router Build - The Poverty Project - UPDATE 05/01/2013

Coming along lovely there looks like the action is really smooth. This is defiantly going on my list of projects to do one day.

Are you going to be using MDF for the rest of the build now? I would defiantly recommend doing so as it holds it's shape far better than natural woods.

 

Thanks for the kind words. Yeah I'll be using MDF. I'll buy a dust mask, but I'm moving next week so I'll have to buy new materials. I'll dismantle what i've built so far and take it with me.

The problem is going to be where to do the work, because where i'm staying, space is limited. I'll make a plan. This project will never die.

 

Nice work! I have seen a lot of mdf cnc routers lately and they all seem to work great! I just finished mine too, never realised i could have made a build log

 

How big is yours Ace? What are you using for your spindle?

 

I'm using a kress 1050 something, the rpm range on it is from 10000-30000, a bit in the higher end for milling acrylic but works with coolant. Its about 60x60cm, millable area is around 50x50

Here it is. All guides,rails and electronics are bought from a store in england, let me know if u want a link. Not sure bout the forum rules if u can post links or not

 

Ah you went with aluminium plate and 8020? Which store was it? cnc4you.co.uk? Or Zapp Automation

 

Yeah, i originally planned to do it in mdf but got my fathers company interested so decided to do it in aluminum instead The table is from a company called minitec. If i remember correctly its 180mm wide with t-slots so you can use square nuts to fasten with. If you want more stability than mdf you can get hdf which should be the same but high density. Not sure if its better or not but might be worth checking out. I bought it from cnc4you. Good luck with the build, u're gonna have a lot of fun with it after your done with it

Bought mill bits from here http://www.cnc-plus.de/index.php?language=en&XTCsid=0b6efad79c5a19cdcc2ec9990fdbab40

 

I can't wait to see it finished-cool project.

 

Just a couple of thoughts...

I cut some MDF indoors and I gaffer taped the Dyson vacuum hose straight onto the dust extractor manifold on my circular saw (where the dust bag attaches). Worked a charm, no dust!!!!!

Also, Could you not get 4x 1/8" thick steel plates cut to place on the inside of the CNC housing, would keep the wood straight?

 

Thanks!

Yeah I did that yesterday with my router As for the steel plates, the answer is yes, but that would drive the cost up quite a bit, not to mention that I don't have the tools to work with steel yet. I would much rather build it out of aluminium in that case.

 

I haven't posted on here in a very long time although I read the site daily.

I wanted to say I like your design and the work you've done so far. I have 2 cnc routers myself, a small 12 inch by 18 inch and a very large 36 inch by 48 inch. My buddy and I built them originally to cut aluminum panels for firework firing systems. Sadly they weren't able to cut the grade of aluminum we needed so we wound up buying the panels but the machines were fun to build anyways.

My advice to you is to get some lead screws instead of the allthread you have. It will last longer and give you fewer problems overall. The first incarnation of my big one used allthread and at first it was great but as time went on we started having lots of problems with it, so we rebuilt it.

Haven't used either of them in quite a while. They're both a bit dismantled, the small one is closer to working order as it just needs the hard drive put back in and reloaded, I borrowed it for another computer. The big needs its z axis rebuilt due to a dull bit and cutting aluminum that was too hard.

 

Thanks for the kind words! What are your routers made of? I'm only going to try aluminium once, and that is to push the router to its limit to see what it is capable of.

I'm definitely going for acme leadscrews (maybe TR8x1.5 or TR10x2D) as soon as I can afford it. I'll probably go for 8mm lead screws, as they will fit into the bearings at each end of the table.

 

The small one is MDF and the big one is plywood. The plywood construction is what lead to the z axis breaking on the big one.

As soon as I get some time I'm going to start cutting open, pendulum driven clocks. They have no casing allowing you to see all the gears. You can get the g code for free with a simple search. Lots of people offer clock plans all made of wood.

 

Merry Christmas all! A bit of an update. I swore this project wouldn't die.

I had to move back to London, and putting your entire life in a couple of suitcases is no easy task. I should know. I've done it 13 times. This means that I had to scrap all of the router parts I had made. Believe me, I tried to fit them in, but I just couldn't find the space.

Sooooo, with what little cash I have to my name, I will be restarting this project in a few days, with a few changes in the design.

1. The router will be made of HDPE ( the stuff they use for chopping boards). While not as cheap as MDF, it is much easier to route and machine, and it looks pretty.

2. The linear rails will no longer be made of angled aluminium and bearings. The new design uses drawer runners. I'm a little worried about play in the runners, but I'll do my best to reduce or eliminate it.

3. The size of the machine has changed from 500 x 400mm to a much smaller 300 x 274mm (to be confirmed). This will give me a cutting area of roughly 200 x 130mm. Small, I know, but there are still thousands of things you can do with that small area (120mm fan grills, engravings etc.)

The only tool I kept during the move was my Bosch 1200W router.
I received a cordless drill for Christmas, as well as a tool bag, loads of screwdrivers and bits, and pliers, side cutters etc.

The biggest challenge with the new build (so far) was getting all of the parts cut from a single 500 x 500mm sheet of 15mm HDPE. I had to drop sizes here and there to fit the parts on the sheet, hence the small machine size.

Here is what I have ordered today. I will start when the HDPE arrives.

HDPE (Directplasticsonline) £39
M6x45mm button head bolts (x20) £1.85
Drawer runners £19
M6 Nuts £1
Forstner bit 16mm (for the lead screw bearings) £2.70
M6 tap £2.95
5mm and 6mm drill bits £2
6mm id x 17mm x 6mm bearings £3.97


All these were ordered from Ebay except the HDPE, and I used 2nd class delivery so I don't expect them to arrive before the new year.

See you soon!

Betty

 

If you find the HDPE gives too much flex, try MDO. It's a little more forgiving than MDF since it's made for signage, it's more water resistant than regular MDF or plywood.

 

Where on earth do I find MDO?



Update time! Here is the new render using HDPE sheet



I have finally received the HDPE sheet and most of the tools/parts required to build the frame.

Below is a cut list for the 500 x 500mm x 15mm sheet, as well as the 250 x 250mm sheet (I needed more, but not enough for a 1000 x 500mm sheet).



Here is the HDPE sheet with the parts marked for cutting. Excuse the picture quality please.
Marking is very difficult on this stuff if you don't have a permanent marker, and even if you do the lines are too thick to be accurate.

I found the best way was to score the lines with a small screwdriver or something sharp, and then use a pen in the score mark to make the lines visible.



Here are some of the parts required.

1. 3x 16mm bearings for the lead screws
2. 16mm Forstner bit (makes lovely holes for the bearings to sit in.
3. M6 x 45mm button head bolts for the frame. I will be tapping the HDPE with...
4. ...an M6 tap.
5. 5mm and 6mm drill bits. 5mm for the tapping holes and 6mm for the through holes.
6. Dremel 3000 of course. I'll be using this for the build as well as the router.
7. M6 nuts. These will secure the lead screw to the bearings.
8. Very important! The drawer slides arrived today. I forgot they come in pairs so I mistakenly ordered double the amount that I needed, but this isn't such a bad thing. I can choose the best ones (minimal play and smooth operation) and use the others for spares.









I begin the cutting tomorrow! Can't wait!

 

I've got a couple hardware stores near me that carry it. Anyplace that carries plywood should be able to order it for you if they don't already have it.

 

Cant wait for the next update now

Good luck with the cutting dude!

 

Yeah I might need to find some at some point. Thanks for the info

Glad you're interested lol. From cutting those adjustment blocks the last time, I remember it being fun! So easy to cut with a router. If you look at the cut list, you'll notice the gap between all the parts. In most places that gap is only 10mm because i'm using an 8mm router bit.

 

He said a few posts up he doesn't have any tools for working with metal.