Modding Project: DIY CNC - V3 Reinforced Z Axis

WWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW absolute awesome I want one as well

 

Agree. here in SA, if found a place that sells bench top size CNC's and the cheapest is like R25 000!!! have to make one myself some time.

 

Thanks a lot ..... Looking at some Nema 34 Stepper Motor 1318oz (9.3 Nm), but dont know about the quality yet - These:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190453950269

On your newest version you are using Linear Guide block + rails on the Y and X Axis - Before you used Liniar ball bearings + Support Rail - Any special reason for this chance, where only your Z Axis are using Ball bearings + Support rails now ?

But show some more cutting action - Amazing machine and quality

 

Thank you very much guys

Theres no specific reason for the blocks, it was just what i could get of ebay in the proper size u can pretty much use whatever u want, but if go for that set ( which is aweseome, should have bought that ) rather use something "heavy duty" like my rails because with these steppers metal cutting is not too far off but remember if u build a moving gantry type u want to use two steppers for the long axis so all in all u need four !

 

Ok guyse, long time no see... lets do this

My new ultra awesome edgefinger tool, 0,05mm precise ( enough for wood )



Two sheets of balsa are the starting point for this little project...



Wood gleue makes them one piece



Vacuum clamped to the table



Routing a shape out







Formating and routing an multiplex board



this looks familiar





Mating balsa and Multiplex



Back onto the Table



Roughing



Finishing





Finished







After doing the other side aswell it looks like this:













and no, its not the well known german v2, its a longboard hybrid core

Some other stuff i made from POM

slidepads





And, last but not least some HD vids for ur viewing pleasure !

 

oh that wooden longboard board looks really nice love the effect you can see in the pics

 

Its just the core, itll be laminated with carbon but a glassfibre version where u can see through is planned aswell...

 

Lenne, has anyone ever told you that you're nuts?

 

repeatedly.

 

This is the first time I have seen this thread; I was reading through it and got to about page 8 and was thinking “ this is cool this guy is making his own CNC…I am going to skip ahead and see how it turns out.”
When I jumped to page 16 and saw the finished product I thought “holly sh*t did someone sponsor this guy a CNC!” I can’t believe your end product man, it is awesome! Congratulations, you earned it man! I went back and read the rest of the thread. It is funny and a little twisted that you were using the CNC to make its own parts

 

So...I haven't read the whole thread...but how do you drive a custom CNC rig? Is there off the shelf software you buy and then calibrate for your setup?

 

Thanks guys, much appreciated !

To "drive" the cnc u need some essential parts:

Controller board
A mainboard that works flawlessly ( very hard to find for me )
And the Software ( in this case Mach3, but there are many others aswell )

If u got these parts u can connect the controller board via ltp and control away, obvoiusly u have to configure the software to ur specs / needs

 

there's also a few free linux based versions, and if you have a parallel port then most software will only require a translator and a simple H bridge amplifier to drive the motors. (made a mini CNC for last year uni project )

 

true, but i think especially when ure beginner mach 3 and a good breakout board are the best option for a setup ( especially security funktions like charge pump and end switches is an absolut necessity for beginners ! )

 

okay tbh i kinda made my own software and system when making my project, i assume end switches are limit and home position switches for the axis, but what is charge pump?

 

Chrge pump is a 12khz "kill switch" signal which runs on one pin, if that fails, the router instantly stops, i disconnected my iphone once while i was routing ( stopid me, never do something else than routing on the controller pc ) and it broke only the bit luckily. ill never route without charge pump signal again...

 

aka emergency stop button, i dont get it why did the bit broke cause you disconnected a iphone?

 

Its totally different from an estop, u can just press it to hold the machine...
its broke because the 40khz control signal got interrupted its quiet "fragile", no charge pump, the cnc interprets the signals wrong - fail.
For understanding that u have to realise that the cnc signals run in realtime on winxp, which is quiet hard t o achieve to start, but running anything else than the controller software is likely to kill the signal.

 

I have to say I admire the workmanship there. and indeed this entire thread. I once thought of making a similar CNC machine (much smaller) but then considered what i might use it for and that kind of decided me against it at the time.

Now though I wish I had a way of making things direct from my pc (i do alot of CAD work) and this seems so much fun to make.... but again time and money are a hinderance.

On the subject of your fragile signals... The CNC machines i am familiar with have their own dedicated interface and built in pc where you simply plug in your usb pen with the file on and hit go. Surely it would be better for you to use an old PC to run the machine while you can use the other PC as you like without having to worry about it?

 

Missed a few updates- I was wondering what that piece of wood was going to become, then I thought 'longboard?' after having seen a few here and there...

Awesome work, its like a license to print money having your own CNC.