Progress Report, 1-week post CNC commitment:
- Purchased Hitachi router, $119, local Lowe's.
- Ordered Joe's full kit, ~4 weeks delivery.
- Ordered HobbyCNC PRO 3-axis controller, $79.
- Ordered Keling steppers: KL23H286-20-8B x3 $54 ea.
- Ordered bearing sets from vxb.com, $45.
- Did my taxes, two months early!
I had pretty much decided on the HobbyCNC PRO controller, but I wanted to look at user's experiences with it on their Yapoo user's group. But, you can't find that group on Yapoo by searching: it's literally invisible. I finally did find the group via a link posted here on CNCZone:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hobbycnc/ Wasn't surprised to find out it's members only, so I asked to join. Twice. Denied. Twice. What kind of brain-dead marketing is this? It turns out that only
after you place an order, are you given the above link, and then your membership will be approved. Oh well, it was still the controller I wanted. After ordering, applying (3rd time), being blessed, and reading through the group, I found that someone had good luck with the Keling motors, so those were what I ordered.
On the bearing sets, one was $5 more than the price listed in Joe's instructions, and one was $5 less, so that was a wash. However, upon checkout, on orders over $30 there was an offer of 8, free, 8x22x7 bearings, so I've got those extra FWIW.
Some of the other stuff on hand:
- Plenty of old assorted PC's, monitors, keyboards, parallel cables and stuff.
- An old industrial rack mount PC case that I'll stuff one of those PC's into.
- A monster of a surplus switching power supply.
- An old metal equipment cabinet that should house the power supply and controller.
- I also just picked up a nice little 100MHz oscilloscope for $75; a steal - the guy I got it from had paid over $200 for it on ebay, and that wasn't a bad price. Might come in handy for troubleshooting.
That old power supply has three 15V outputs and one 5V, all at least 16A. Combinations of those should allow output choices of 15, 20, 30, 35, 45, or 50V (I’m thinking 35 would be a good place to start with the HobbyCNC.
Before the motors and controller arrive, I need to stuff a PC into the industrial case, get it set up, and test the stepper power supply. Then I'll be ready to test the controllers and motors on the bench when they get here. Have to get the software downloaded and set up too.
Still waiting on a couple of shopping trips to check out local availability of the rest of the hardware before making an order to use-enco, and the nuts&bolts place. I'd like to have the bearing angles fabricated before Joe's kit gets here.
After reading about the dozens of rattle cans that some of you have used for painting, I think I'll pick up a cheap (costco/harbor freight) spray gun and try that. Wally world has Kilz primer in gallons for $10, and Rustoleum colors for ~$7 a quart. I really liked the white/grey/blue color scheme that I've seen here.
Also looking at cable and connectors, expensive. Might have to pass on what I want for now. ebay wasn't any help. Haven't looked at surplus places yet, they might at least be good for the limit switches.
I don't have a shop-vac yet either; I'm open to suggestions.
I went out to James' house this afternoon to see his Joe's. (Hmmm, put that way, it sounds vaguely dirty.) Learned a lot and it was very enlightening to see one in the flesh. (Oops, still sounds dirty.) You guys should get yourselves in the pictures more often (like - at all - I don't think I've ever seen an actual person in the build photos here), to provide a sense of scale of the thing. I described it to my wife as "a big FoosBall table".
Turns out James and I only live about 10 miles apart and have very likely met before; our respective employers do business with each other.
One other task before stuff starts arriving - I have to make a Joe's CNC-sized clear space in the garage somewhere. The stack of blue astroturf may have to go (James knows what that is; I should take him a piece.)
Gary