Hi There Im New To All This Stuff Just Looking Around Some Info Trying To Build My First Cnc Machine.

Hey all, I originally found this site when I was looking to make a CNC plasma cutter for an A-level Design Technology project. As it happened, I didn't have enough time to do this and had to do something else.

Just trying to absorb information at the moment. I'm not actually looking to build a CNC machine at the moment, but it's helping with my general and precision engineering knowledge.

Thanks for all the teaching you're giving me :D !

Hullo.

I first joined looking for info on converting my milling machine to CNC. I pop in on occasion and read but I dont have as much time as I would like. I came here from the Practical Machinist forum.

My problem in converting my Milling machine over is no one has ever heard of it. It is a Lio Ho which may hint to you that it is an import, it is a full size bridgeport clone but I do not know how closely it is cloned. So I am on hold for now till I figure out what I am going to do.

Slim

Well, I've read a couple of responses promising not to laugh so I'll go ahead and post my question. I'm very good at assembling, and "tweaking" mechanical objects. However, I really know nothing about the electronic/software part of the CNC equation. I have a fully assembled Taig CNC mill with all of the good parts, etc. set up and ready to go, but I need someone to help me with the software needed to run it. I bought Mach 2/3 and I can run it manually, but I have no idea how to create "G-Code" so that it will mill a part by itself?

My name is Richard and I am a journey machinist. I went through a journeyman program in New mexico after working in a few job shops and production shops. I am a self taught programmer using MasterCAM, SolidWorks, Pro E, and now I am currently trying to learn ESpirit. I have programmed Haas lathes w/live tooling. Haas mills with 4th axis, Cincinnati lathes and mills, Okuma twin turret lathes, and Mazak mills and lathes. I really enjoyed the MAzaks with Mazatrol. I am currently in school for a BA in Computer Science and have about two more year left.

Sorry about the lack of posts but it seems that there is never enough time do anything. I will try to be a more proactive here. Thanks for the reminder Rekd. If I can help anyone with ideas I will.

Richard

Hello Rekd
Yes - I signed up long time ago and I am not that too involved with posting on a forum.
I know that I should try to do it more often.
I have just purchase a Harbor freight mini mill 44991 and I am in the process of converting it to CNC, so if you have any suggestion on this I would appreciate it.
……….Thanks!
Warren R.:D

My name is Ken Moss, I work for a small food equipment repair company located in Alsip, IL. I install retail scales network them together.

I have been a member since last year. I purchased plans from Bob Campbell and spent the past six months reading and learning from the cnczone post. I have finished my cnc router (30"x40")and converted a Grizzly Mini Mill to cnc with the kit from cncfusion. I will be posting som pictures in the near future.

I have learned a lot from CNCZONE and would like to thank everyone here for that.

Thanks

Scaletec

This is my first post. I've just been reading and absorbing.
I started to build a machine a year ago, but i'm a little low on funds to finish it.
Maybe now I'll get motivated to move it along a little further.

Hi to all,
Untill now i was reading and processing all the info that is on this great forum, and now i thought it was time to make the first post ;-)
I found CNC to be very interesting about 4 years ago. Since then i am trying to develope my own CNC router. My line of work is Computers, and all that has to do with them. Just like robotics, cnc has become a very interesting hobby. Electronics is one of my bigger hobbeys too. So i put all this together to make a good and not so expansive CNC machine :-).
I do my designe with SolidWorks....havent found a better software yet that can do the job better!
I am woking on two designes, one is out of MDF and the second one is out of alu. Both designes are made very simple to make the constuction easy and affordable.
I'm not a professional in this line of work, so i will not be showing my design untill i make and test my first machine...that will be in about a month or so.
This forum helped me in making my design simple, and i hope that the useabillity will also be as great :-)

I'm glad that i found CNCZone, and have to say that it's a great place!!

PS. I come from Vienna, Austria.

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Titanic Jon Heneghan carelessly overreport our printing and revoltingly
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Two things. There are so many catagories I dont know where to put my interests and I have dial up modem and there is so much traffic on this forum that it gets frustrating to try and collaberate. Mike.

besk@northcoast.com

Well Rekd or Matt, you asked. Are you surprised at the response from the first time posters? The tendency is probably to think that because there are a lot of posters with no post that we join and then disappear. Not true judging from the response that you have received. I think that there are more people out there like me who can find almost every answer we need by searching. It does not mean we are not here, just reading and enjoying. Thanks for the wonderful site and all the hard work that goes into it.

Slim

Well I'm one of the guilty ones for lurking so long without posting. I just seem to read and read when I get on the zone and befor I know it my wife is getting mad at me that I'm ignoring her. Great site though. I've never even had to post to find an answer to a question that I've been reserching. The forums are so full of information that if you can't find what you want to know with the search then you aren't looking! Anyway, I've been playing around with cnc for about a year or two. I have a mill/drill currently up and running. I got interesten in cnc when I took a machine tool class for my engineering major. I must say that I have learned more about machining and cnc from lurking here than I did in my class. I just want to thank everyone that does take there time to share there knowledge!

Hi,
I have posted previously but then went into serious, gotta work seclusion for awhile. I have built one CNC lathe, modified one and have gathered many of the parts for a third. The forums have been quite helpful. I would like to share the progress of my next project with others. Is it best to just start a thread or is there a better way?
Dave

guitly.

I am looking to make a router table for home.
I am a robotic engineer for a company that manufactures CNC machines for Prosthetics.

I may use steppers with the hobbycnc setup. but with all my experiance with servos... I may just design a servo system. but cost and time may make me use steppers.

I am a new comer to CNC - got my Taig MicroMill 2000 in June 2006. Although I considered a homemade CNC machine, I thought that buying my first machine would be a good introduction to CNC without some of the potential 'hard learnings' of a newbie. I am very happy with my Taig, although there are times when I want to make things bigger than the Taig allows.

I am a recently retired systems engineer and have been enjoying learning how to control the machine with both manually produced G coding as well as using trying software to generate the toolpaths.

I have tried engraving with some success and want to develop my skills more in this field.

I am seriously considering building a CNC router (larger x and y than the Taig) to do some of the larger wood working projects

CNCZone is a great place to get the benefits of the wisdom and experience of others ( both of which I have very little to none of in this field ). I have already benefitted from reading the threads on CNCZone and hope that I will be able to contribute in the future.

Howdy. I'm a nut (maybe just a half-nut) that has too many interests. I been a luthier for several years now, and before that a computer programmer for several years. I've done a little bit of just about everything. My interest in CNC is due partly to my programming experience and a desire to do lower level machine interfacing. An interest in electronics also helps; not to mention that CNC would also be quite useful in my wood and machine shop. My wife would like it if I converted her quilting machine to CNC I bet...

Moses

Hi Everyone,

It is long overdue for me to say hi.:wave:
At the beginning of this year I set about building my first cnc machine. A three axis machine with a view to using it to engrave pictures into wood using PhotoVCarve software. Now that I have got it working for this purpose I am trying to get to grips with using CAD software but due to demands on my time I have not got very far with this. When I do manage to get more time I also wish to build a larger machine as my first has only an 8"x8" table. I have enjoyed reading this site and have found it to be a big help in building my first machine.
Cheers

Hi There,
My name is John O Regan, I am from southern Ireland and am a newbie to cnc machining,
I already posted this in the "bridgeport and harding mills forum" but did not recieve any reply's
My interests are mainly restoring vintage motorcycles and so need to produce parts for them.
I have many years experience of electrical control systems, and all the process controls involved in power generation, so I hope I have a good understanding of the "logic" involved
Of course everyone who designs a power plant control system seems to use their own language and so editing and modifing the logic is a pain as no one can remember the steps involved without the relevant manual to hand.

About a year ago I aquired a 10x50 ACER mill that had been fitted with Proto trak mx3. The company removed the mx3 from the mill to keep as spares for a sister machine, then a few months ago I got a call from them to say come and collect the mx3 gear
I had installed the Acer in my workshop and had got it running in manual mode
with the aid of an "Orion" drive.
This gives me 220v 3 phase with variable frequency, soft start, and with motor overload protection as well. I needed 60hz as the motor is American spec.
Now I am refitting the mx3 gear (separate 110v supply) and would like to hear from people out there regarding what can I expect from mx3 ????

What do I need to generate drawings, g code and whatever else i need and input this to mx3 or am I limited to the built in functions of mx3??
What software and hardware are compatible or required to make it work??

By the way my email name comes from one of my current restoration projects
that I need to produce many parts for.
Best Regards
John O Regan

First post.

I have spotted snippets about CNC on the Web and thought that i might look it up in more detail. i have no related background whatsoever so i come here as a tabula rasa. The thought of building a machine that will create the things i need with great accuracy intrigues me so i, with your permision, will lurk and learn and scrounge old printer parts where i can and, eventually, build something that will move along its x-axis, saunter along its y axis and then disassemble itself (NOT).

Oh, the things i need have to do with health and breathing neither of which do i do well. Medical gear is very expensive so i thought bugger it i will find out how to mould plastic, turn metal, cast metal etc and try to make prototypes of what i need. If i can find ways of small scale producing and selling things at cost through somewhere like LungNet then maybe i will ease the lot of folks like me who are more often than not poor and cannot afford to pay $1500 for a breathing mask that seems to be made out of crap, brittle plastic and inferior componentry. If i can churn something out that is better for $100 then good, that is what i want.

Plus i find much pleasure in "making do" and scrounging through the mullock heaps to find things that will serve new purposes. i have already started scrounging from the local computer shops and i wish that they wouldn't throw such good stuff away. My idea of fun is reading the site "www.hackaday.com" and being blow away by the creative brilliance of ordinary folks who are capable of making the durdest things out of other peoples "waste". Oh, the local chemist (pharmacist to some of you) is saving use once camera cases as i have seen a prohect where they use the ccd's and the lenses. My neighbour has given me her broken microwave to make things from.

Needless to say i do stuff very slowly.

But the first thing i need is a decent positive airflow mask to avoid any dust - this is underway.

Will that do ya?

Onwards and upwards :-)

Tom

hi all i am new to this site. and will keep posting.

I am new and just sighned up yesterday.I have just purchased a router and am trying to learn as much as posible.
Thank you

Erm....

Names Tina... Just signed up today..

Mostly work with CAD CAM... though as my boss is scared to death of anything techy im also taking care of the IT side for the CNC machines !!

Erm... think thats all yer need to know...

Taz

I am real nuibe and can't spell my wife and I sell soaping supplies to soapmakers. I have been at it for 9 years our web page is www.kelseiscreations. I know next to nothing about cnc but am waiting on my first cnc routert solftware has Bobcad and v-carve, Have been working with the software for about a month. I lost three fingers to a wood planner 4weeks ago so I had time to work though the solftware. I am 61years old I farmed for 30 years but had to quit ,and talking with my neighbors I think I got out at the right time.

I'm more of a reader then a writer.


Max:)

Just joined a few weeks ago. I know the mechanical and electronic end of machinery well. While I'm in also well established in IT I have little experience with the software end and looking to combine all the skillsets to help a friend build a CNC router and perhaps a small CNC mill for myself.

In my garage:
RF30 clone mill and tooling(just missing a rotary table)
Jet 9x20 lathe and tooling
Bandsaws, beltsanders, drillstands and whatnot

So all in all well set up to jump in and get dirty... all I'm short on is the time! :confused:

Ran across this site in a google search. I have approx 30 years of machining, and quality control. Being in an active car enthusiast forum, I'm familiar wih the amout of readers to posters. This is where you can get something for nothing.
I'm currently an Application engineer.
Have a '46 Chevy pick-up to finish restoring, and that custom router cabinet to build. Outside of the job, and that other stuff, the wife gets the rest of my time.

I am a machine programmer used to be full time machinist, I use an old copy of SmartCam, I also use VersaCad version 7, and also SolidWorks version 6 sp2, and last but not least I use SigmaNEST nesting software.
I joined these fourms because I had heard that a wealth of information was here and they were right. I have used a HAAS VF4 for several years and found it to be a good machine. I Currently write programs for a MAZAK 1500 Watt Laser, which I wish I had more more power. I saw an interesting item here about Laser art and checked it out. I like making fun things out of
DXF files sush as puzzles, toys ect. as long as I don't have to spend hour's cleaning them up.

I know one tenth of hundredth of one percent about nothing, but learning everyday.

Hi, I am a machinist and where I worked there were two cnc machines and one programmer ,not everyone was involved so I bought Bobcad to teach myself and later I bought a Maxnc mill and lathe.I am looking for tutorials and 4th axis rotary info.

I have no experience in building a cnc router but I think I can learn a lot in this forum with some help. But it is a pitty there isn't a dutch forum

I'm guilty of being a huge lurker... I signed up in 2004 and have been checking out the forum now and then ever since. I have a lathe/mill combo unit that I finally got all converted to CNC earlier this year (the Z axis took me forever, X & Y were done 1.5 yrs ago). I will take some pictures and post up in the gallery. Am using HomeShopCNC ballscrews, HomeCNC.info Servos, Geckos, and Mach 3. I was hoping to start doing some engraving but I discovered about .005" of runout in my end mill collet chuck which by the time it gets to the end of the bit makes a pretty wide swath. Once I get my tooling in order I'll hopefully start some fun projects!

Hi all from Italy. Hope to show you my CNC_effort, sooner or later :)...

Hi all, my name is Rafa and I've been a lurker.... here for a while until I finish the CNC-ing of my ENCO mill. It is close to completion....wohoo!I still have to work on the Z-axis and assemble the controller. I plan to use BobCAD and MACH3 (or was it 2?) on it. I got a 12"x36" lathe, the mill, some other shop goodies and a lot to do (or to mill, grind... just generate a lot of chips to sweep!).




Rafa

Hello,
I have been machining parts for 30 years, all manually, now I have decided to add a CNC machine to my home shop, I have just purchased a Tormach 1100.
( not delivered yet ) I am currently looking for a software package to run on it. I have narrowed it down to OneCNC express and Visualmill basic. I would appreciate any help I can get with this decision.
Thanks

Hi All, I am new to the CNC World and have a small business with my father we are starting up. I have been having some of my parts made at other shops with CNC Laser and Plasma. The cost is really getting us and we have been looking at getting a CNC Plasma sys, this would put about 90% of our parts back in house. I would like to know if anyone is cutting 22ga stainless and what you think. The Plasma Sys that we are looking at is the 5x10 EZ-Router set-up for Plasma.
What is your thought?

Hi, I am in the Boise area and this is my first post. I am not experienced in machining or electronics but built a cnc foam cutter last year with a hobbycnc kit and am hooked. I am attempting a bigger machine seen at http://www.faireandfoundry.com//robs%20hobbies/cnc_router.html
I work on a limited budget and enjoy the chanllenge of building from salvaged stuff...as if this hobby isn't challenging enough.

Hi to all of you!

I`m working in a small factory in Norway. Programming in JetCam and operating a Pullmatic126(punching). Done this for a year and a half. It was a big step for me, a former nurse and 3d-designer.:) Now I realise that this is what I want. I`m constructing a router for myself, and maybe I show it to you later...

Hi all.
I am in a totally different field to CNC. I work in a print house mainly with photographic images for POS, but we have bought a large format flatbed UV printer. Now that we have this, trimming out items printed onto 2-5mm card, 2-10mm forex, 5-15mm foam core, acrylic of different sizes is a bit of a pain sending out to ppl with CNCs to do the work. So I've been looking at making one to suit our trimming and cutting out needs.
As I have little experience in this field, a friend with a shopbot has been helping me out, and of course here is a lot of help.
Still trying to find out more on the software side, to see if I can get a sensor to follow tim marks like our phototrimmer from fotoba http://www.fotoba.com/inglese/prodotti/digitrim/digitrim.htm but so far no luck.
I'll keep reading and researching to see what I come up with.
There is a CNC that will do what I want from Zund, but at $250000AU for us not to use it to its full potential, is not worth it.

hi, is it possible to convert a smithy, to cnc?

jungle jim,broken down machinist!

Post No.1 for me...

I'll be honest and say that (originally) i only joined these forums so i could get attachements from posts. The particular attachments helped me a lot but since then i have browsed a heap and just generally taking in the information that others have had to offer.

I am currently building a small machine for use making PCB's and other light wood and aluminium work (30cm sq work area). I'm sure it was some of the members here i was bidding against on ebay to get some of the parts!

As for not posting - Well i explain it this way. This forum is absolutely HUGE and to be honest i felt that i would go un-noticed as such. i.e - my machine is nothing special, it's not huge etc. Maybe at some stage i'll look at compiling up a 'worklog' to post here if i get time. My machine was isnspired by the JV2 that many of you might have come accross on the net.

I only even came accross the idea of making a machine by coincidence - I was looking for stepper controllers (I had a few steppers and was looking for ideas on what to use them for) and came across http://www.oatleyelectronics.com.au who have a CNC section. I was addicted from there.

I now have a collection of software and about an 80% completed machine!! Looking forward to getting it running in the coming weeks.

i live in the pittsburgh pa. area and would like to hear from cnc people in the
tri-state area.
eigstein

Hi, everybody, I’m Crash Master Kev in Denver Colorado, I’ve been programming for about 10 years now, I currently work for a large retail store fixture manufacturer programming 4 busellato p2p’s and 1 CMS, I use AutoCad 2007, Alphacam V6, and we are integrating Inventor into our engineering dept.
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I recently purchased a 24X36 tabletop for home use, what a nightmare that was but I won’t go into detail here, but it is finally here and I hope it works well. I’m sure I’ll be asking lots of questions as I haven’t really set up any machines yet so be prepared.
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I love all the input and ideas on here and hope to share some of my own.
<o:p> </o:p>
Crash Master.
Seee Ya

Hi Guys:
I'm new in cnczone............now I try to learn with the idea to build my cnc machines in the future ..........Manuel

I'm the new girl of the bunch
an industrial arts teacher
and eager maching student myself
somewhat between the engineer I was trained as and an artist. I AM that grey area, floundering in the middle

Hello......just joined this page last night. I am semi-retired and love wood working. I have worked in the Graphic Arts trade all my life on presses mainly but I have worked in designing & typesetting using Corel draw. I am interested in doing wooden cottage signs, personlized cribbage boards, toys, and reproducing pictures of people on to wood etc. There just seems to be no end to the things you can do with cnc routers. I have also looked Pin overarm routers and sand-blasting onto wood. I was wondering about the Gerber 200 router system....and the V Carve Pro software.....any thoughts or advice from people would be appreciated. Of course with just starting I have never used a CNC Router and don't want to put out a whole bunch of money until I know a little more about this. Enjoy reading your forum
thanks
Woody

I've just been registered for a few days, having just purchased at auction a Light Machines ProLight (Model 1000, I think) with an ANIMATICS controller. Still under a tarp on my trailer, so I haven't even sized up condition and written down the numbers. At a glance, it looks fine, though.

Thought it might be reasonable to lurk around quietly peeking into windows for a while to get the lay of the land and figure out what information is already out there and where to pipe up with questions. Not reluctant to speak up, but based upon observation and active participation at the welding web site and various electronics forums, I think a new participant should do a little self-education before asking questions that have probably aleady been discussed extensively and many times somewhere in the forums.

I have no experience with CNC, but have had a home shop with several vertical mills (Rockwell, Bridgeport, Tree), Lathes (Logan 9", LeBlonde Regal Engineer, Clausing), bandsaws (Rockwell 14", DoAll 26"), Geared Head Drilling Machine, drill presses, hydraulic press, shaper, welders, etc.

I'm wondering if it will be feasible to mill circuit board prototypes with the ProLight, but don't know enough yet to ask reasonable questions.

This forum looks very extensive, so I expect that it will take a while to figure out where various topics are discussed. I"m looking forward to learning a lot from the forum.

Meanwhile, if you get that creepy feeling, it's probably just me looking over your shoulder.

awright

The reason many members of this forum never post might just be that it's possible to find any answer needed by going through the Search feature.
I've learned a great deal just by reading old posts.
This place is fantastic.

Hello,

I run a small machine shop at teh Rehabilitation Institute of chicago and purchased a Bridgeport machin with a Fagor control and we are using BobCAD. I'm here to absorb and ask questions when i gte hung up. Thanks for your support.

Alicia

Hello all…

My name is John and I am a retired UNIX System Admin with a background in Digital Electronics. I like most things mechanical and if they are controlled by a computer I really get excited. I joined this site and a few others to learn about Mills and Lathes. Machines that can build machines fascinate me.

I am in the process of building my dream shop. The “Temple of Metal Worship.” The building is complete. The welding and cutting equipment are all in place. The tubing bender is attached to its floor post and the drill press is no longer in the middle of my build area. The Air Compressor is wired and plumbed. I still need to find a permanent location for the forge and anvil.

The last two large items on my shop procurement list are a Mill and Lathe. I’m not sure when I will be able to afford them. So in the mean time I’m here on the net trying to soak up as much information as I can about them.

I think that is about it.

Ironheart…

Hi, I should probably introduce my self as well.

My name is Henk and I am Dutch and live in Malaysia, I have been involved in Food processing Machinery for about 20 years in design as well as support and sales. I’m a consultant and currently in between projects, which means that I can currently dedicate a lot of time building my machine (lucky me I guess).
At the moment I spend a lot of time trying to find components, which is not that easy in an Asian country (if you have ever been there), so I use e-bay to buy my parts, but the shipping and import duty is making it quite expansive.

Let me tell you a bit of what I’m doing:

The design goal is to make a cnc router that can also be used as:
• a cnc lathe
• cnc milling station for light machining tasks
• and 4 x 8 foot router

I’m planning to use the following:

Software Mach III
Controller Gecko G100
X-Y axis Panasonic Servo drives
Z axis Planning stepper motors
Lath Chuck Yaskawa Servo

My frame will be made from laser / plasma cut mild steel.

Ball rails and ball screws for movement

I’m planning to use both servo and steppers, so I can get experience with both.

I’m currently working on my gantry try to balance out the design.

I have few questions:
• Does any of you guys experiencing backlash with rolled ball screw?
• Has any one used double gear wheels and a rack to reduce the backlash?


Thanks

Henk

Hi,
I am a newbie with little experience on CNC machining. I design and build electronic stuff as my hobby, but I like to learn cnc maching. I hope learning cnc will enable me to build some odd parts for my electronic project.

Hi Guys,

Just a quick intro, I've been lurking for a few weeks & thought I'd better get my finger out & say hello :)
I run a Record 130 3 axis router, software id Routerlink coupled with Licom Advanced Router.
Location Chester UK.

The reason I'm here is I am just about to be made redundant as the company I work for is being wound up after 31yrs of trading, i've been here 8yrs, sad day.
Anyway i'll miss my 130 & all the challenges that go with it (chair)

Plan B - build a small scale version in my garage, just for kicks :)

Sorry for all the doom & gloom, must be an age thing !!!!

Hi guys.
29 year old machinist/cnc operator/programmer from Ottawa Ontario.
Just started my own business 6 months ago. I do contract programming and rent machine time from a local shop after hours to do some side work.

Great way to start with a double post.
It didn't seem to want to load for some reason.
Is it possible to serch members by area or has there been a thread on that subject?

Ok ok, hello, my name is Mike. I'm a mechanical engineer currently working at
a large defense company in the Minneapolis area. Like a lot of newbies I've been lurking around soaking up information on homemade CNC. I do a fair share of woodworking and I often get disgusted with some of the results. I know that a carpenter who blames his tools is a poor one but, there must be a better way! I often think about how cool it would be to load a piece of wood into a machine, hit enter, and watch parts be cut out perfectly!
I'd love to get going on my own CNC router but my budget for this seems to be non-existent. I have a question for all of the CNCers with some stepper motor/rotary solenoid experience. I pulled a pair of Ledex series 50-L rotary solenoids out of a recycle bin and I'm wondering if they could be used in a CNC project. Has anyone had any luck with these, or should I toss them back into the bin where I found them, and start with something better??
Thanks!
Mike

Hi, I'm Wes and I own a small CNC shop in north San Diego county. I run a couple of Hurcos.:wave:

Hello
I am looking for info on a emco compact 5CNC lathe. I just pick it up the other day and have no info on it . so i am looking for any manuals that I can find. HELP PLEASE!!! Also can anybody tell me how to clear an alarm with out powering off the machine because when you powering down you wipe out the program you have put in. Any help would be great
Thank you
Ed

Hello All....Enjoy reading messages posted here...I am looking into building the JGRO Router with plans shown in this forum. I want to be able to make small signs, toys etc from wood. I notice someone said to make the threaded lead rods bigger ( 5/16 - 18 instead of 1/4" ).
Also wondering what size of stepper motors to use and how big a Router I will be able to use....also would like to make personalized cribbage boards with lots of holes drilled...Hoping I will be able to do this on this machine...Looking at V Carve Pro software advertised on this site....with Mach 2 or 3....any idea if this can be done?
Thanks
:)Woody

OK I'll bite hehe.

I'v been reading so much I didnt get a chance to post yet. Looking for info on converting a step pulley bport to cnc. Trying to decide whether to convert it or build a horizontal 4 axis from scratch. The work I want to do on it will be round work with a lot of mill time involved.....the material will be Inconel probably. 3/8 dia cutter maximum probably. Trying to get all the stuff on stepper motors and stuff straight. Even trying to find PRICES on drop in ballscrew kits for a Bport seems to be tough.

leaning towards just building a whole machine as opposed to converting the Bport. While I have (2) bports that are both real nice, the machine really has too many limiting factors I feel for the $$$$ I would end up having invested. If I make a machine and make and keep good cad drawings, I can make another if I need more than 1 :-)

Bill

Hello all, long time lurker, first time poster...

I'm an inventor and engineer among other things. I have been lurking about for around a year now gleaning information. I'm finally getting started on the creation of a homebrew CNC machine, and look forward to sharing my progress.

Have a great day,

Steve

I am new to this website. I do not have any machinery experience. I want to build a CNC router that will hold 2' X 3' by 4" thick blanks of wood to make signs and sawdust. I love working with wood as a hobby and specialize in piles of sawdust. A CNC router will help me have professionaly designed products and much less waisted woodstock. Wood working is only a hobby for me. I am currently learning to use Autocad 2000. For my Job and family income I am a supervisor in a call center for a major electric company that serves customers in 11 states. I do not post often becuse I am reading and learning.

I am recently retired engineer living in north Mississippi. Been lurking and learning for some time. Great site..Thanks. Currently building a small mill to cnc. Plan to use EMC2 (love Linux) and the price is right. Had the oportunity to attend the CNC workshop this past may. Another great learning experience and met a lot of nice people.
James

I`m a luthier in Brazil and i´m just reading the post to be familiar with cnc terms.I´m a litle bit afraid about my english writing to.

Hi all, name is nic live in australia and will be starting my first build as we speak (4 foot by 4 foot plasma table), will need some help with motors and electronics.

I'm one of the newbies and (until now) non-posters. So, a bit about myself:

Close to retirement from a career as CFO for a public television station in Nashville, TN. Developing absorbing and challenging hobbies to keep myself out of mischief once I do retire. Have done manual woodworking for years, and want to broaden those skills to include metalworking and CNC. Learning CNC and CAD will stretch my present computer skills into new areas, which will be good. Have acquired a Boxford Duet CNC educational setup as the basis for learning these new things.

So now you know... Charles (wrong) ???

Hey! I need a little help with a MasterCam post for a Haas. I have to go into the G-Code every time and fix things.
I have looked at the post and it seems to be a simple txt file, but I cannot figure out how to alter things.
Please point me in the right direction.
Regards, Ray

Hi Rekd

I followed Jay and yourself over from the Mastercam forum.
I am a Mastercam programmer,,,just chiming in.

Scott Bond

Hi Rekd,
I'm a hobbyist CNC builder/programmer. I got interested in CNC after working for a year at Lexington Furniture Industries in North Carolina. I have a tendency to learn more than I need to when I "get into" my job. After a year my boss was realizing that I was beginning to surpass her in CNC knowledge and she didn't like that very much. Maybe she thought I would replace her? LOL
I built my first machine in my basement out of 2 x 6's and roller skate bearings. It was able to handle a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood but it was really really slow.
I'm currently in the middle of rebuilding that machine to make it a little smaller and I have a better power supply to make it go a little faster.
I only work with wood, so having an accuracy in the thousandths is overkill for me.
One time I cut a sign that had some intricate designs and a curvy font, after the sign was cut "just for kicks" I reran the program. It never touched wood, that's accurate enough for me. LOL
I learn alot reading here, I just want to thank each and every one of you, even the newbies!
Thanks

Since you brought it up.... I'm one of the guilty ones- join a BB and then "fugetaboudit" . Anyway, Since I'm 52 and have been working all my life here's the quick rundown: 10 years as a marine technician(boat systems repair and installation)20 years as a R&D machinist,Switched over to a desk 2 years ago in the engineering dept as a mechanical designer running autodesk inventor r.11 . Just aquired a mid 80's supermax knee mill with a dynapath10 controller that has some control issues for the house so I can keep my hands going. Haven't even finished getting power to the machine yet as I'm in the process of converting the garage.Will definitely appreciate advice on the dynapath as all I've only programmed and run are prototrak 2 axis knee mills at a job shop. Regards to all. Peter A.

I'm a 42 yr. old house wife who just bought a drill press. My son just started working in a machine shop for 2 men who are training him to become a machinist. Guess that makes him an apprentist? Anyway, he is the one who told me about your site. He thought I might be able to find some good advice here. I want to drill holes in various wine bottles that I've been collecting over the years as part of a craft project for gifts and possibly for money on the side if it goes well. My son feels that I should be using some type of lubricant to protect both the glass and my bits. I'm concerned with using a lubricant as this is not one of the big machines that was built with lubricants in mind. I have a Clarke BT1029 - 16 Speed Press with a laser centering device. A well meaning friend says I should put masking tape on the bottle at the drill site. Don't really think she has any experience with a press, though.:withstupi Any ideas anyone? Thanks ~ e

I don't exactly know how to post a question on your forum.

This is fascinating! What a wonderful array of creative individuals.

I may be incurably sexist and full of stereotypes, but I think the statement, "I'm a 42 yr. old house wife who just bought a drill press" is wonderful.

And who'd have guessed that we'd be in communication with a luthier in Brazil this morning? (Your english is fine, Aklz. This is not a grammer test. However (my bias), I'd suggest trying to use proper capitalization and punctuation instead of falling into the habit of using common, sloppy internet writing techniques that only make communication more obscure and difficult.)

I imagine that once the discussion gets into specifics about technique instead of greetings, the conversation should be relocated to some other specific forum, but I don't know where. Perhaps the moderator will move this.

mermaid1015, tell us a little more about how you are or intend to drill holes in your bottles. Have you drilled holes successfully? What drilling technique have you used and what are the results? What size holes and what finish do you want?

The few times I have drilled glass or ceramic tiles I used an abrasive/water slurry held in place with a clay dam around the hole site. The "bit" should be a soft metal into which the abrasive grains will become imbedded and carried into the cutting area. I have used brass tubing and soft iron. You need a very light touch - force will simply cause excessive heat and cracking, especially at the point of breaking through. Constantly lift and lower the bit to allow grinding waste to escape and to allow fresh abrasive to get under the bit, into the cutting zone. If the bit is large enough, a series of small slits in the cutting edge promotes circulation of coolant and abrasive into the cutting zone and escape of grinding waste.

You can hear the change in sound as the fresh abrasive grains break up and become dull and ineffective. It happens in a few seconds, at which time the bit should be raised just enough to allow fresh abrasive to get to the cutting zone.

I think you definitely need coolant (water is fine) to avoid thermal cracking and to carry the waste and abrasive. I have never used the tungsten spade tipped "glass drills," and can't comment on their effectiveness. Try them out. I'd guess that they would leave a rougher hole and lead to more cracking of bottles compared to the abrasive drill. I also have not had much luck with the chinese diamond burrs that are popping up very cheaply everywhere. They got dull or lost their abrasive very quickly no matter how light my touch was or how much water I used.

You will find more information than you can absorb by googling, "drilling glass." If you have a jeweller's supply in your area, they may be able to suggest the appropriate abrasive and give some advice. I just used fine carborundum that I had on hand from a rock tumbler.

awright

First I must say, what a great website this looks to be! I can't believe I hadn't thought of seeking this out sooner.

A little about me.. I've been a electrician/PLC programmer for several years working in the Detroit area. I've often suspected that I'd be better off if I had some machining skills, and getting laid off in march gave me the opportunity to go back to school. I'm lucky enough to be a mile away from the local community college, which also happens to be a Haas training center. I'm just getting my feet wet, but am really excited to be learning this stuff. It seems like I can immediately apply everything I'm learning!

Hi to all,
I"m a apprentice in oz and just starting out in cnc and have found more info in the zone than I will ever find a use for.

This is my *second* post, a little about me: I'm an electrical engineer. I work designing electronic equipment for communications. I have been involved in shop and tools since I have memory. My dad used to have a farm equipment factory and I would "play" all around them any spare time I had. I'm in the process of CNC'ing a ENCO mill. I have the contollers (Gecko 201), 600+ oz/in Nema 34 motors, a 2.6GHz Pentium 4 SBC to run Mach 2 to control the motors. I plan to use a home network to produce the G-code in my studio and then send it to the CNC and start cutting. So far I have the x and Y motors installed (but not working yet), in the process of designing the Z-mount and thinking about a quick tool change system. I like the tormach (what do you guys think about it?), and plan on doing a pneumatically actuated pull bar for the R8 spindle so the part can be changed without opening the top of the machine. I don't care right now for a automatic tool changer, only a tool changer that does not involve tools and readjusting the Z-axis.
The parts I want to do are basically aluminium for camera mounts and adapters, some bases for car parts, performance parts (like carb and fuel injector adapters, filter supports, engine mounts) for cars as i have a little side business in car restoring.

I saw the website www.pmdx.com, where they have the gecko 201 board adapter that helps on not doing the wiring. I think it is great but a little too much $$ for it. I would rather do the wiring (wirs are cheap!) and capacitors are bought at the local rat-shack for almost nothing. For the power cleaning board, just a bunch of caps in paralell to clean (at least try to) the DC after thr bridge rectifier and put a 80V Zenner in antipapalell to the output. Use a high wattage (2W to 5W) zener with a heatsink to drain the EMF generated while slowing the steppers down. All that can be connected using a strip.

till later,

Rafa

Hi,
I would of posted sooner but it took me a while to nav my way though and figure out how to post. I've been to other forums that were alot easier . But I really like this one so it was worth the frustration.

Hi Rekd,
I'm a hobbyist CNC builder/programmer. I got interested in CNC after working for a year at Lexington Furniture Industries in North Carolina. I have a tendency to learn more than I need to when I "get into" my job. After a year my boss was realizing that I was beginning to surpass her in CNC knowledge and she didn't like that very much. Maybe she thought I would replace her? LOL
I built my first machine in my basement out of 2 x 6's and roller skate bearings. It was able to handle a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood but it was really really slow.
I'm currently in the middle of rebuilding that machine to make it a little smaller and I have a better power supply to make it go a little faster.
I only work with wood, so having an accuracy in the thousandths is overkill for me.
One time I cut a sign that had some intricate designs and a curvy font, after the sign was cut "just for kicks" I reran the program. It never touched wood, that's accurate enough for me. LOL
I learn alot reading here, I just want to thank each and every one of you, even the newbies!
Thanks

Looks like were neighbors. I live in mocksville. I set-up and run a cnc.Look me up on the forum under Girl. And yes I am a girl!

Started out thinking "wouldn't it be cool if I had a machine...."
then, Googled for info. WOW.

I've been reading and absorbing everything I could find since. Building a shop, and once completed, I think a CNC router would be wonderful. This is hands down the best resource ever. Designs everywhere, helpful advice, outstanding community. Thanks to one & all.

So, I'm lurking, & reading, & hopefully when I post questions they won't be too obvious. :-)
My secondary objective would be to apply these technologies to my wife's quilting machine. (future project)

Ok, here goes. I initially had great success just using a diamond bit and a hand drill. I'm disabled (whatever) with a condition that makes me and my muscles very weak. Woke up the next day feeling like one of the bottles I'd just put a hole in. By the way, the hole size, finished is at about 25/64". I start off drilling a pilot hole to about 1/8". Didn't use any lubricant due to low speed of a hand drill. (The more I think about it, the more I think I felt like the drill.)

Awright, just the way that you put things makes me think of the things my son told me. He must have found his spot in the world. Just had to interject that. ; ) Also, I don't see anything too wrong with a man being a man and a woman being a woman. It's just that occassionally I see a member of one gender who exceeds or just enjoys something that is normally associated with the other gender. You're alright, Awright.

Now, tell me more about this abrasive/water slurry you speak of. Wish there was a way to scan a picture on this site. I'd love to see it. I'm trying to visualize it but am having trouble.

Do you mean that you have used copper tubing as the bit or as a means of removing the water and waste from the slurry?

Again, thank you so much for the great advice and for making me smile.

mermaid1015

No, I meant that I used BRASS tubing - the fairly hard, thin-wall tubing sold in hardware and hobby stores in 1 foot lengths - as the cutting tool. I think copper would be too soft and would have too thick a wall, but what the heck - try it out.

By slurry I merely mean that the abrasive is mixed with the water. Actually, I created a dam of modelling clay or rope-type caulking around the point of cutting, filled it about halfway with water, dumped a charge of abrasive into the water, and started cutting. Sorry I can't give you any ratios or recipies, but I think you will figure it out quickly as you observe what is happening. Basically, you want enough water to provide cooling to the glass and the "bit," and enough abrasive to be able to keep feeding fresh grit under the cutting edge. As a wild guess, I'd say for a 25/64 hole you would create about a 3/4" reservoir around the drilling site with clay or rope caulk or whatever, fill it about halfway with water, put in about 1/4 teaspoon of fairly fine abrasive, and start cutting. The abrasive breaks down as you progress and, along with the ground glass particles, thickens the slurry slightly. You will sense and hear when you are no longer getting much cutting action, at which time you should add fresh abrasive or clean up, inspect progress, and start with fresh water and abrasive.

Do not throw the used abrasive down your drain! It is very dense and will settle and pack in the trap and give you plumbing nightmares. Read the literature on rock tumbling for info on disposal. I would put it in a waste container until the solids settled out, pour off the clean water, and throw the used abrasive into the trash. You won't have much of it, but don't be tempted to put it down your drain. You'll only have one or two teaspoonfulls or so of waste after you finish a hole.

If you are using a drill press and have a way to hold the bottles firmly in place while starting the cut, you might get away without a cutter guide. If you don't have a rigid bottle holder you might want to tape a template to the bottle to hold the drill in position until enough of a groove has formed to keep the bit from wandering. At that point you can hold the bottle against the rotating bit freehand and the groove will keep the bit from wandering. If you are working on all the same size bottles you might be able to make a cradle out of Plaster of Paris to hold the bottles in position under the drill.

I keep a small container of water and an eye dropper on hand, along with a little fresh abrasive to toss in as needed.

The hole will be oversize relative to the diameter of the bit, so experiment with slightly undersized bits. Be very gentle and gradual as you near breaking through, as that is when you will get fracturing and chipping on the backside of the workpiece. Perhaps changing to a finer abrasive as you near breakthrough will help minimize chipping.

I don't have anything to show you, as I have only done this on a few random occasions over the years.

awright

i'm a truck driver, so i don't have alot of time,,,,excuse me

Hey, Awright!

Good to hear from you again. By the way, my son got a good laugh when I told him I had gone to see if my motor was a sparky or a TEFC. Wait, I think that was ViperTX who asked me that. Anyway, what does TEFC stand for, tough enough for crazies? ha ha I'm such a girl some times! (No offense to Girl ; ).)

Also, thanks for explaining the slurry and dam. Between you and my son, by George, I think I've got it.

I like the idea of a plaster of Paris cradle. We've been thinking about using wood and just basically building a cradle that would be held in place by the vise. I think we could get our thinking caps on and figure out a way to make the sides slide, thereby fitting all the different bottle sizes I have.

We went to Harbor Freight today and I got some different bits to try as well. So far I've only broken one bottle, but have chipped a few. Probably not that big of a deal to anyone but me. You know how that goes. Haven't found a good abrasive yet. Guess I'll look into the jeweler industry as suggested.

Also, thanks for the pointer regarding sound and other senses. I'm very auditorily oriented. (Yes, I think I just made up a new word for our friends trying to learn to speak this crazy language!) I've always been one to jump in head first and figure things out as I go along. It sure is nice to have someone to help me along the way, though.

Thanks again,
mermaid1015

I'd say your wife will be tickled pink to have a cool quilters machine. I know I would. Never did quite get the feel for sewing by hand or even with just a regular sewing machine. Singer's outta have a microphone!

Saw some cool routers today. Looks like fun to me!

mermaid1015

I am a 2nd year Precision Machinist Apprentice working for Honeywell and I am really enjoying the entire experience so far. I am glad to find such a good web site involving so many machinist that are willing to help each other. Keep up the good work and I am looking forward to posting some of my own questions.

Hey Awright,

Do you think the p. of p. would stand up to my drill press? I was thinking it might be too crumbly.

mermaid1015

By, "...a cradle of plaster of paris...," I meant that you could cast a cradle that would hold your standard bottles firmly in the same position on your drill press table each time so you could drill your hole without having to provide some means of preventing the "drill" from wandering around, scratching up a large area around your intended hole. Used in that fashion, the P. of P. doesn't need a lot of strength. It will be very adequate for that task.

What I envision is building a light plywood or even cardboard box like a shoebox cut out to support the bottle in the desired position under the drill press spindle, then filling the box around the bottom half of the bottle with plaster of paris. IF all your bottles are exactly the same shape, the resulting cradle will hold each bottle for drilling without allowing the drill to wander too much. The box would have to have been secured to a bottom sheet of plywood that could be clamped to the drill press table to position the bottle as desired under the spindle. Be sure to grease up the bottle you cast around with petroleum jelly to prevent sticking, and be sure not to cast above the mid-line of the bottle so you can remove the bottle from the cradle. Drive a few small nails or screws partway into the plywood and cast the plaster around the nails to prevent the cradle from shifting on the plywood base.

I do not know if the bottles you intend to use are uniform enough to allow this technique to be used. You will have to experiment (but that is fun and cheap).

You still have to do something to provide a dam to retain the abrasive slurry around the drill site. Plaster of Paris could work for that, also.

Have fun

awright

I was looking thru the list of users and was shocked to see that 3/5th or more of the members have ZERO posts. :eek:

I'd like to say WELCOME to all the new members, and to the old members that haven't posted.

I'd also like to extend an offer for you all to chime in and say hullo, mayhaps tell us what you do, how you're involved in CNC etc. We'd love to hear from you!! :D

(group)

'Rekd
Would love to post buthaving a very hard time with the site. I'm a very old Conventional machinist, who just aquired a Vrigdeport Boss 5 from a Jr. College which after being moved Has Avery dead control. Need some help getting it up and running. Love to hear from you.

Welcome, Cliff.

Please give us a little detail about your machine's controller and the symptoms. This should also probably be relocated to a more appropriate forum.

awright

Figure I'd introduce myself. I'm an EE undergrad but thanks to my internship, I've been doing more manufacturing and CAD work. I'm kinda rethinking my education goals at the moment. I've always loved to tinker but lacked skills. Now that I'm home and have a little saved, I want to start learning metalwork and CNC. Hobbies are taking things apart, my rc cars, and TV of course.

My goal to is either get a mini mill or try the Fab@home project.
See ya,
Frank - lostbaka

Hi, lostbaka

I'm still trying figure out how this works. I would like to pose a question to all out there.
I'm a non cnc machinist who has just obtained a Series 1 Bridgeport Boss 4Mill with orig. Bridgeport controller. It is a tape reader typr control with a computer 323 port. The Machine was running when I got it from the Jr. College. They use it with felt pens in the tool holders and for machining wax.
Now that I have it in My shop I cann't get it to run. I need help to get it running with its current control or change to a PC based control. All help orsuggestion welcome
thank you Cliff Paulson

Well, I'm simply watching a (very long) thread http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14100 on low cost laser engravers, and chipping in once or twice.

Like many, I have little time, I'm on too many fora already!

I saw some CNC articles while 'surfing'. Became very interested. Am building the 'Big Bear' with a few modifications. I am a Biomedical Engineer and have access to a large range of engineering equipment and obsolescent equipment. Joined this group and am amazed at the variety and expertise of the others. Not much action on the CNC here in NZ but - who knows.
Len

Hi! Just joined a week or so ago. I've got some CNC bug I can't shake (must be something going around:)). Anyway, I've got this old Marena BPT clone in my garage that I want to convert. Then a lathe then...who knows? Looks like fun.

My other hang out is DIYAUDIO.COM , The authority forum of a different subject. Nice to be here.

Marc

Hi, I'm one of the 'lurkers'.
I've been working far too much recently but hope to have more time to explore this site and post some (probably) stupid questions soon. Is there a beginners forum for the newbies to make fools of themselves in?
My original interest was in a small CNC machine to make circuit boards but then I realised how much more a CNC mill could do and decided to spend some money and go as big as possible to sort of future proof myself.
Does anybody have any opinions of the machines from http://www.cnc-router-routers.com/index.html?
Regards, Nigel

Hey,

saw this thread in the newsletter, thought i would contribute.

I am an EE undergrad like someone above mentioned. I have also caught the CNC bug and want to build / convert a mill.

Reasons for milling: general hobby, parts for RC car, wood routing for speakers, pcb milling, and other precision stuff that i tend to dream up.

Hello Fellow CNC'ers -
I am one of the formerly silent Newbies. In a past life as an engineer I programmed mills and was a CAD jockey, now I own a Shopmaster 3in1 with CNC and want to make items for motorcycles, my shooting hobby, and just enjoy the challenges of creation.
With all the wisdom I found here while searching for a machine, I know I can find someone who has been there done that.. for my software and machine.

-Mark,
a barn in Tennessee

Sorry but I'm a little new to CNC and I'm trying to learn more about it before I start to build. I've looked at a few programs and plan to get so schooling on CNC programing. After being a Toolmaker for 30 years it's time to play in my own shop, I'm looking to set up my Bridgeport mill and maybe a lathe for CNC use.

Thanks for a great site.

Todd

I'm a high school senior who has taken an interest in CNC as it would compliment a number of my other hobbies.

Currently I'm looking to build a very small CNC machine to learn the basics. I figure there's nothing I want to cut that is bigger than 9inx9in, though I'll probably need considerable depth. Oh well, the school year has kinda put my plans on hold anyway.

Hey, Duck - mermaid here. I'm a housewife myself and just lucked onto this site. You are at the right place and time in history. The CNCZone has been a very resourceful and fun site to go to. Good luck to you in your studies.

mermaid1015

Hello folks, I have a question,,,,I see that most of you in this post anyway are building router cnc's, my question is, would it be any harder for a man to build a cnc plasma or ox/cet torch table?? ,,,, thanks for your time and thoughts

Bubba

In reply to Rekd. New member from Bedford UK - using a Wabeco ballscrew mill - mach 2 and now Mach 3 with extra x and y DROs added and 4th axis - learning G code etc. One major question as a beginner - I have spent c. 4 hours on the internet looking for libraries of free G code to make things to learn a few skills, but cannot find any! Don't machinists and model engineers share code for common items such as parts for railway, automotive, Stirling, steam engines etc.? I find this unbelievable or maybe I'm looking in the wrong place surely the basic programmes can be run on different platforms or even similar machines?
Regards John

Hi everyone. This is the first time I have tried to write a message so I hope this is the right place to start. I bought a maxnc years ago but found the methode of digitising & in fact the linear movements in general ineficient. I have recently had software writen to record optical encoders text so max can repeat the movements. The motivating factor for this was I wanted to cut a tatoo into an existing 3D face. I didn't know enough to do this using cad/cam software. I wrote in 8 Axis that you can label whatever you want after X.Y.Z.A. I have many other inovations that I want to incorperate into this program. I can see many uses for this & wondered if anyone else was interested in so many Axis. Primarily what I have is a scanning table that my maxnc will follow the text that is written. My question is how many of you would be interested in this way of doing things.
Cheers
Jim

Hi All
Thought it about time that I say something on this forum. I have been playng with and building CNC foam cutters for the last 6 years or so. Sites like these have contributed greatly to my designs. Especially what not to do, every time I had a new wild idea I check the forums and find that someone had already tried it and gave some feedback. Saved me some $$$ on more than one occasion.

Here a great big THANK YOU to all that contributed and continue to do so!!
Flex

yep..its my first post in here... I have seen many others here that are in the Mastercam forum.
My apologize for not posting sooner... I have been just been getting familiar with this site, SO if you have a post for a .......(nuts)
anyways... I work at a fastener facility and I use Mastercam to create the head design of a variety of fasteners. I am more then willing to give a hand to anyone that uses Mastercam less then version X, which now I believe is less then 6:) . I hope to get to know this crew here as well as the other forum I haunt:)

I'm just a motorhead fabricator that uses mills and lathes to get the job done.
I don't even call myself a machinist, nor do I have any experience with CNC.
I've learned everything I know about machining from a mix of broken tools/parts (trial/error) and from a few very knowledgable and generous friends with more years machining experience than my own years of life.

I was referred to this site because of your forums on specific makes of machines, specificaly Tree milling machines, as I'm awaiting one myself, and there seems to be a good amount of information and parts/tech advice available here.

I do mostly drag race chassis and motor work (block clearancing for stroker cranks, cylinder heads, intake manifolds, EFI conversions and Nitrous injection...), as well as building low buck choppers.
Also looking into EFI conversions for old metric bikes... low buck chopper fodder.


Dan

Hi folks,
I have my CNC router working after about 6 months of work. I am excited to start using it.
Here are a couple of questions:
1) does anyone know how to set the fast Jog speed in Mach2?
2) does anyone know a good toolpath generator that will export to Mach 2? I can create parts in AutoCAD and Rhino, but still no good (free) solution for toolpaths. Any advice?

I never have post anything, I m making my first CNC router but my steepper motors are not very powerful for my machine. I must do changes.

I learn a lot of all you, thanks.

Have been looking to build a CNC machine ever since I used a circuit board engraver years ago. Had the first axis built in June; however, some ambitious theives burgled my house throughly in July and took my set of 4 THK rails, computer, toolbox, and a goodly number of other things. Am finally back on track; however, with the Christmas season being upon us I have other tasking at hand.
I live in Phoenix and have followed some of the surplus locations noted in recent discussions. Have not heard much about Apache Reclamation and whether they have any components of interest.

I'm new to CNC routers but i've been on the net for 10 years, this is the ONLY cnc fourm , worth looking @ anyway.And i'm going to say thanks in advance for the help i'll get here.:)

Hi, I've been a CNC Electronic service engineer for the last 19 years, my career has been exciting, working for some of the largest machine tool builders around. I've worked on FANUC controllers for the past 11 years, some Heidenhain from time to time. Thats it. if I could be of any help to anybody then I will happy to do so.

Gary.

My first machine was a max 5.Mill. 75 Oz"steppers. To get more power out of them I doubled the votage, capacitors & resisters. I got double the speed & double the power. Actually the steppers build up a little too much heat when holding but I will soak up some the excess with another motor on one of the axis. I am not qualified at electronics so get another opinion. But this worked for me & only cost me $100.
Cheers Jim

I'm new here and appreciate this forum. I'm currently in the market to buy a Bridgeport mill to convert it to CNC. I can't seem to find any local used ones and the shipping is killer from the area I have found them. Thanks again for the forum.

Chris

Hi all, just joined this forum last night and I wish I had found this place sooner..so far I have found the steppers . I should have bought, found info on the windmill I have had parts for for over two years and never got any farther, Found info on the mini lathe I was going to buy next week.... Got a feeling this could be a great winter...Might even get to use some of that 5 oz carbon fiber cloth I have in the rafters.....Finally got my annual layoff last week. I run and maintain a Vintage Cedarapids model 432 Crusher for the past five Summers. Welding ,Change screens , More Welding..Adjust the rolls and jaws and..Oh. even more Welding.Before that A Mechanic in material handling for eleven years.. Forklifts ,Manlifts and such..before that a licensed Auto Mechanic since 1976.
Anyway I have a controller card coming ..soon I hope.. I want to build a small Plasma table this winter as well as a Router table ..anyway my eyes are beginning to bleed..and I have to collect more firewood for the shop.
You Guys are the Besthttp://www.cnczone.com/forums/images/icons/icon14.gif
Thanks
WhetWilly

Hello all.
My jame is Jim, Im from Ireland. I have been building a mill for 4 years Im using timing belts and 200oz steppers. And Hobbycnc divers.
I have been a member for a while and have not posted because most of my questions have been answered in the many posts.
So really now im only posting to say thank you to all the people here. Ye dont know how much help I have gotten form the site, and thats without posting :-)
again thanks,
Regards,
Jim.

Hi Everyone,

I am just starting out and really know nothing about anything (or everything about nothing). I "retired" from software engineering and decided to try a second career in clockmaking/model engineering. My plan is to buy a small cnc mill and lathe. I have decided the Sieg/Syil conversion looks about right for me. Haven't decided about the lathe yet.

One complication is that we are waiting to sell our house in Northern Virginia so that we can move into our house just outside Sarasota in Florida, so getting heavy machinery up here and then having to move it is something I want to avoid if possible.

I bought a copy of TurboCAD 11.2 Professional and am teaching myself that. I also bought some clockmaking books and the Wingrove model car books so I am keeping busy. I have of course read many of the threads in the forums here.

Thats about it

Regards

Norman

Hey All! Tugboat captain here. Do a little manual machining in my off time. Live steamer. Too dumb about CNC to even ask an intellligent question. Figure if I lurk here long enough, I might absorb enough info to maybe ask an intellligent question.
Six more years to dirt,(retire) if our government doesn't put me out of business first. Then I can go play choo-choo, and making swarf, full time.

Well, I guess I need to chime in. I have been enamered with the idea of CNC since I saw my first HP 7475, sometime in the late 80's. I goofed with HPGL for a while, and even wrote some basic programs to change the format between versions. That led me here eventually, and I want a CHC Router badly for personal prototyping.

I am stuck in limbo, see if this sounds familiar:

1) I cant justify the cost of a prebuilt unit for what I want to do.
2) I don't have the time to build a kit or one from scratch.

Add to that a lack of space, and here I sit inert. So I am stuck as a lurker until something changes.

Looking for and getting good information on CNC products. I am a Hobbyist. I Fab Iron projects from time to time. I am trying to get plans to build a CNC Plasma cutter and looking to purchase a Mill to convert to CNC.
There is alot on my plate right now. I am working full time and a stay at home Dad for my two daughters. Hard to find time to work with these two.

I'm checking out the replys and reading alot. This has been a very helpful site. Thanks for the effort you guys put into it.

I'll be checking in from time to time.

Great site and Information.

Hi all, new to this forum, I hope to be able to hang out from time to time and maybe learn something new.

John13.. you wouldnt happen to haunt the emastercam forum frequently do you?
:)

Who me? ..... possibly! I don't consider it haunting, more of sharing the wealth of information in my head. :)

I've been lurking around for a while... Slowly collecting small parts for a little "proof-of-concept" engraver built mostly from scrapped printer parts. I work in the steel industry, so we have a 20' X 60' Plasma table & a CNC drill (for drilling large base plates, 90" OD plates X 4" thick w/ 3" OD holes). These give me some exposure to large-scale production equipment, but my pocketbook limits me to a slightly smaller scale.

I've seen some good nesting software & I've recently seen some crappy stuff & this stuff ain't cheap!

Anyhow, these machines always intrigued me, so I started searching online & ran into this site. I got psyched & started collecting parts right away, but then my other hobbies & my little boy came along & this hobby/fantasy got put on hold. I still try to keep up with the latest tech stuff, figuring eventually I'll be able to help out with a future build or acquisition with my current employer.

Otherwise, I'm just a typical geek of gadgetry.

Hello from the UK. I am a complete newcomer to CNC and have been avidly reading all the good stuff in your posts whilst considering buying a mill or router. I am very impressed and grateful to all who have contributed their experience to this group.

My interests are wooden clocks and automata. I have a Myford ML10 small metalworking lathe (not CNC) but little experience in machining. I can draw using CAD although I am not an engineer. My first ambition is to make some cycloidal clock wheels and pinions. I can’t see myself making any big engineering stuff so have concluded that I would be happy with a CNC micro mill and rotary table to start with. If I get the results I want with the mill I aim to build myself a CNC router to cut out larger components such as decorated clock plates and case parts.

Having read all the posts about small mills I narrowed my choices to either a Taig 2019CR or a CNC conversion of a Sieg X1. I am keen to experiment with and learn CNC and want to start with a proven product rather than solve teething problems, which I would be ill equipped to deal with. On those grounds I am inclined to buy the Taig as a turnkey package rather than a kit of parts to DIY convert the X1.

I would welcome any advice on the following:
My choice of mill.
Is 1,000 to 10,000rpm spindle ok to cut wood and engineering nylon sheet?
Stepmaster versus Xylotex control board/drivers.
Does any CAD software have good and friendly tools for generating cycloidal gear forms.

Thanks for your help.

Graham

OK, you outed me :) !

Aerospace Engineer and R/C Model nut from San Diego. My goal would be to have a 3 axis router able to handle a 2' X 4' sheet of say 1/8 wood using dremel type router. Oh yeah, whole thing would be relatively light and compact for it's size. Have access to some interesting aerospace materials (like al. honeycomb); collection of skate bearings; keep checking surplus stores for stepper motors; already gotten a lot of hints from this site. Lot of R/C models these days are CNC Laser cut and assembled with 3rd World labor. Makes it hard to be motivated to go CNC vice just use checkbook! But I like to have unique models.

Thanks for all the Hints,

Steve M.

Hello. I recently discovered this site, looked at a few threads and decided that I wanted to join. As I have no cnc experiance yet, I figured this is the place to learn from. I do have some machines that I have been collecting in anticipation of retirement 1; Ex-Cello mill with GE 1050 control, and 2; Moog Hydrapoint that needs some serious work (I guess this would be a NC instead of CNC) Thanks Larry

Hi Rekd:

I just register today and I hope I will be able to contribute to this forum.
I work for a cancer research center in New York city in the medical instrument design and fabrication department.

I have been a member for a while but have not posted. I am a machinist by trade and I enjoy surfing the forums very much. one great thing about the trade is there is always much to learn. I have recently acquired an old Bridgeport Boss and I am looking for info on how to run it on single phase power and converting it to Mach3.

G'day Y'all
Haven't posted before. Don't have much to contribute, as my background is generally more amateur than the other posters.

Both an oldie and a newbie. About 6 years writing controls for printed circuit board drilling machines and milling machines, out of 35 years of general programming. Degree (but NO practice) in Mech engr. Have a Sherline with a Flashcut controller, which I cut out a bit of wood with (www.granelements.com). Located in coastal Queensland, Australia.

I have started a project to make a wood router. This is leading me into unexpected areas, like having to learn Linux, so I could learn EMC2, so I could control the wood router. Think I'll start a thread on this, so the rest of you will know where not to go. Of course, you probably do already.

Hi all, long time reader, first time poster. My friend and I have successfully built a JGRO from MDF. It is mainly used for cutting hobby things, such as RC Foamies and helicopter frames and small misc parts. It is a good machine, I have no pics of it(I was too lazy to take any during the building process). As far as specs we cut many numerous size circles and they are all spot on, so I guess I built it square plum and level. For a router we just use a cheapy harbor freight 1/4 trim router. So far it has held up with no major burps. The machine runs 3 nema 23 287in/oz. X and Y run on the standard black pipes while the Z runs on a pair of linear slides. We are in the process of upgrading the X and Y as money permits. Neither one of us are in the machining buisness. I am an ex-aircraft mech, and my buddy is a jack of all trades. So far I am definitly pleased with the machine, (my little secret, I get wood when it runs:) , its just that cool).

Hi all,
Iam a newbee in cnc have some expierience with stepper servo microcontroller etc. I have worked in a machine building company as their electronic expert. I am planning to build a small cnc machine for my electronic work shop.
thanks

I am considering CNC for my mill. At this point learn...learn and more learn about whats out there. Comments and questions come later.

Thanks for the invite though.

Guenther

My brother got me interested in building a CNC router. So far I have the unit built up with a cutting area of about 16X18 inches and a depth of about 5. tried using bushings but found some linear bearings to work best. Drive all axes with steppers from older printers and ACME rod ,built the boards from a book called CnC Robotics using a laser printer and laminator. All I have left to do is to connect the limit switches and retest the software. Still looking for a better program to run this as the one I found is running a little jerky. It has been fun as I have built an rebuilt many of the parts a few times.

Hello,

I'am new at this I have a 4' by 8' router and will be useing it to,cut small parts out of plastic. I do not post much but like to read and can't spell worth a flip and even worst at typeing. Before I cut my parts out using wood working mechaines. I have high hopes for my router. I do have a question?
I would like to use the router to mark out the path it will cut on a sheet before it cuts so I know where the cuts will be made.

Have a happy christmas


max

Hello Rekd,
I joined the forum because I have an avid interest in just about everything but time and funds have kept me from developing anything spiffy or worthwhile for sharing with the group. At the moment about 90 percent of my time is used up in translating and interpereting a help file for a 3D design program called Metasequoia from Japan authored by a gentleman by the name of O. Mizno (this is sort of an americanised version of his name) The program is available at http://www.metaseq.net/english/index.html and is very easy to use. Its does not even come close in features to some of the more expensive and detailed programs like Autocad, Rhino etcetera but it's ease of use will let almost any beginner get a great start in CAD and there is a freeware version of it.
I really did not intend to put a commercial plug in here but I do like the program.
I am also writing a book on designing and building 3 dimensional models which takes up more time ( I have to finish the interp. of Metasequoia first to have the rest of the information that I need to continue the book).
So, In the long and short of it, I have had to put CADCAM and my dreams of building a CNC system on the back burner for the moment.
I keep collecting information on servo control and motor drives in the hope that one day I can pull out the MIG and Gas welders, and some of the carefully selected steel from around the house and assemble a CNC machine using some of the ideas that I have gleaned from here and other sites.
One thing that bugs me is the lack of electronics shops in my area of central Florida. I used to work for Tandy Corp. (Radio Shack) and it seems as though they are beginning to reduce their commitment to the electronics experimentor. I was hoping that with the boom in Micro controllers that they would have jumped on the band wagon to start carrying programmers and controllers. This class of IC is the closest thing to a "Santa Claus" device that I have seen and with a little knowledge and a couple of descrete components you can build some wonderful servo controls with sensing and feedback and built in safety features as well as communications to and from a main computer for instruction changes and undates. I quess I will have to break down and get a credit card [when I am rich and famous :) ] and do some ordering over the internet.
The main reason for writing this reply was to let you know that at least some of us new members and non posters are still alive and kicking; we are just hiding in the metal shavings, or like a roach, hiding in the wood work.

Alan

I have no fear of Dragons, for I am not crunchy and do not taste good with ketchup.

Hello there,

I'm a welder-fitter that would have like to do a machinist course after the welder-fitter course. I'm still young so it's definitely possible.

I also have a degree in electronics technologies. I love CNC machining, I still have no post because I don't know much about the subject and I'm learning throught this forum. I offer alot of help on others welding/fabrication forum and I will definitely post here if I have to chance to share my knowledge.

I'm currently trying to start a small company called Fox Speedshop which will manufacture custom race parts for the Volkswagen Fox.

Also, my primary language is french (I am a french Canadian). I learned english by myself, I may have a few errors but I think it's not that bad. When someone point me my english errors, if it's not to make me learn but to laugh at me, I often answer them in french. That's funny. :)


Guillaume
foxspeedshop.ca ////

Max have you thought of using a "sharpie" type pen or some type of strap on ink resourvoir (spelling?) that would either be attached where the cutter bit would go or have an ink tip linked from the resourvoir to the center of where the cutter bit would be?
You could do a "practice pass" that would draw the lines on your work and then switch out for the cutter bit when all is found in good order.
One other idea would be to use more than one color so that if corrections have to be made you will be able to tell one practice pass from another.
Small copper tubing could be used for the ink feed line and if it is carefully designed at the tip (squeezed down to limit flow) the same line could be used for the pen tip. I do not know what speed your system runs at, so a regular roller ball tip from a bic ink pen or other brand may or may not work as a marking device but it is something to look into.

Alan

Guillaume,
This is a bit off topic but if you want a good laugh, write a paragraph or so in your native language. Go to http://babelfish.altavista.com/ and paste your words into the box and translate to any asian language. Then copy the translation and re- translate the asian language back into your own. It lends a whole new meaning to the phrase "something gets lost in the translation".

Alan

Hi all, I am not really smart enough to reply to much. I built & operate a CNC foam cutter and use it mostly for model airplane wings for combat planes-----rick

Time to throw in my two cents. I am a long time lurker at cnczone. Inspired by the homebuilt routers. Took the advise not to 'spin the motors' until I had a machine to mount them in. After about three years of collecting I built a 30" x 12" x 3" router with a RotoZip spindle and PacSci 114 oz-in steppers on 1/4-20 threaded rod. I am using EMC2 on an old-style Xylotex card and am in the tuning stages (translated, I am in denial that I need larger steppers) to get more than 10 ipm out of each axis.

Really enjoy the forums.

Stan

Hello to all.
I blundered onto this site while looking for information on building a TIG welder.
I haven't been near NC machines for 34 years or so. Then, it was a twin-spindle 3-axis machine for aluminium, controlled by a Ferranti system.

I have to say how impressed I am by the hobbyists and their skill, patience and technical capabilities.

might aswell post something :)
i'm new in the whole cnc area and found this site by accident while looking for inspiration for my project :rolleyes:

hi all i don`t post a lot but i read a lot i have been working as a machine tool repair man for over 30 years

Hi, I too am a new member. A professional fitter & turner from the 70's. I left my trade in early 80's. Have recently purchased a small bench lathe. Getting back to grips. I am more for the manual machine than CNC. However sounds interesting.

I am new to the CNC world curently I am making code on a Komo using
Auto Cad & Router Cim software. The company I work for just bought their
first CNC. A great opportunity for me! I see alot of you guys posting here are probably likely to forget more about CNC routers than I'll ever know, but I'll
try to learn as much as I can!

Hi My name is David Maher
I built my first CNC machine a few months ago and am still coming to grips with driving it. The machine that I built is the hobby CNC gantry router, but I'm not really happy with it. If I knew then what I know now I would have built it from metal rather than wood. I also would have completely redesigned the Z axis, which is a real weak point. In fact I'm pretty sure that it would have been easier to build it from metal, than to muck around trying to extract precise tolerances from timber, which is a mobile medium to work with, to say the least. Having said this however, the router is very accurate (to within fractions of a hundredth of a mm) on the x and y axis, so a redesign and rebuild of the z axis would probably make it into a useable, albeit light duty machine. I am not really sure if I will ever achieve my original goals with it though, I wanted to make steering damper knobs for vintage motorbikes and such like. Perhaps someone could suggest something better that I could build.......
Thanks for reading my ravings.

Cheers
David Maher

Hello , my name is Steve and this is the first time I have posted on CNCzone.com.

My dad had a small machine shop in the basement at our home while I was growing up. At the age of fourteen I started working in a machine shop as the shop cleanup boy, I swept the floor and cleaned the Machines. During high school I enrolled in the local vocational training school and received a certificate in machine trades, Sort of the basic training Required for a career as a machinist. But a machinist career was not to be. I enrolled in the local community college and completed the course in mechanical drafting and design, during my last semester I landed a job at a government weapons contractor for the department of energy. For twelve years I worked in the design engineering field where I gained confidence and experience. I bought and sold, designed and remodeled several houses as a side job. In 1995 I was able to quit working for the government at the age of thirty and live on a modest rental income. Over the next ten years I worked various odd jobs to stay busy; I worked as a off road auto mechanic, designed and built various woodworking and construction projects, ranging from furniture to Houses. and began my hobby interest with building my own CNC Router. Originally I only wanted to use the router to make an electric guitar, but since then I realized that the uses are only limited to the size of your machine : )

I found a hand crank xy table at a government surplus auction, that I was able to modify and use as the basis for my router (I have no idea what the xy table was used for). I designed the over all z axis, the motor mounts, controller , limit mounts, enclosure, dust collection ect. I think the biggest challenge was learning the electrical and setting up the VFD and spindle motor, I will post a picture for those of you interested.

I tend to bounce from project to project so I get distracted away from my CNC machine, sadly it has been as long as a year without doing anything with it. I receive the CNCzone newsletter in my email and enjoy reading through the posts when I have the time.

Happy CNCing!

Steve Zeren



http://www.cnczone.com/gallery/data/505/medium/IMG_0540.jpg

Hi from Paul in Charlotte, NC.
Sounds like we have similar projects going on.
My home m ade router table is ready to go, also created from a government owned XY table, to which I added a Z axis. I am working thru some learning curve issues (MasterCAM X)

Can you guys tell me what type of routers you are using?
Are they working well?

I am using a small Bosch palm router. It seems ok, but is limited to a 1/4 inch chuck.

I would be happy to compare notes on any issues
Best Regards,

Hi,
Jerrybault here. upstate NewYork
I am an Electrical Engineer (RF and wireless networking systems I design cable modems and WiFi equipment) who has decided to take some time off from my paying work and play at making jewelry. Last spring I bought a Sherline CNC mill (Rhinoceos, RhinoCAM and MACH3) and spent some of the summer manually learning the machine to see what it could do. I had a head start there as my dad is a retired tool and die maker out of Buick and has a lathe and mill in the garage that a grew up around.
Just a few week ago I started to learn the software side of the package, and while looking for some help online I found this forum and joined. I had to take some time off from my sebatical to take a "vacation" in Phoenix so I was away for a week, and did not read the posts. now that I am back I have had a chance to read more of the post and have found them to be very informative,
I will be back

Jerry

Hi pvogtcharlotte,
For the most part I had pretty good luck using the Porter Cable 3 1/4 hp with range from 10,000 -21,000 rpm's.
However I did have some vibration problems due to the ring clamp method not being rigid enough.

I was using a single 2" wide Aluminum ring clamping block to secure the router to the z axis. I could raze and lower the porter cable router motor by loosening the ring clamp and repositioning for additional height adjustment. This was not a good idea, because the repetitive tightening and loosening of the ring clamp deformed the Porter Cable's thin aluminum cylindrical housing. I had designed the clamp so I could use both my large and small Porter Cable routers, by inserting a spacer ring with the small router. I would now recommend only using a permanently fixed double ring clamp, that clamps both on the lower and upper most portions of the router motor's cylindrical clamping surface, thereby increasing rigidity and reducing vibration.

Good luck!
Steve

Machine Ed:
You said "I have a question concerning the use of UHMWPE or delrin as a linear bearing (drilled and reamed to a class 2 running fit), is this possible, what might be a problem?"

I'm new to the zone, but been doing cnc a while.

I'd suggest you try MDS-filled Nylon. Low friction, not expensive in smaller diameters, available at McMaster-Carr in small quantites. It's easy to machine, use a reamer for final finish.

Also, the pipes that are used for down hangers for ceiling fans are stiff, shiny, and reasonably consistent diameter. You would have to remove the coating with solvent or such. Some have a very thin coating like Powder coat, good for rollers, not linear bearings. Might be good. Jim

Hello.

New member, here.

I have an Emission Technologies 24" x 48" laser cutter which I use primarily with 1/8" and 4-mm plywood.

I use AutoCAD LT 2007 for my designs. DesKAM running on Windows XP does the 2D DXF-to-G-code conversion, and DeskNC for DOS controls the flying optic's XY stage.

If anyone has AutoCAD LT 2006 or earlier, the upgrade to LT 2007 is worth it just for the Auto Tracking feature which was added from big-daddy AutoCAD.

I'm looking at getting either a CNC router or a Tormach PCNC 1100 next, with current thinking in the Tormach direction, as soon as I can cope with the idea of owning a half ton of iron.

Kerry

Hello everyone. My name is David an I am an AS/400 programmer an live in North Alabama. Several years ago I worked at a fab shop programming and running the ESAB burning tables. I did some DNC writting but mostly used a software package I can't remember the name of at the moment. I have though about building a table for myself and take in work on a part time bases. This board has to be the number one place for the do it yourselfer for CNC projects. Thanks for a great board.

David Clark

Hi My Name Is Toni Originaly From Republic Of San Marino [in Italy] Have Been In Michigan [usa] For Over 60 Years I Am Retired Have Some Parts For Small Atlas And Tailstock Free Pay Postage [i Dont Want To Throw Them Away]

Hi. Been lurking and learning for the past couple of months or so. Have worked in general machine shops as well as aviation machine shops. Not much in the way of CNC experience. Working in shop now that has robotic work cells, though I don't have anything to do with them yet. Have been collecting parts and ideas for a while now to possibly make a CNC mill. Need to make a garage/shop in the near future. More later.

Howdy,
just thought I'd say hello. My name is Bear and I've been spending most of the time reading what you all are talking about in the various forums.

I'm a high school teacher in No.Ca. I'm building a class called Design and Fabrication. We have traditional woodworking tools, but I've also brought in a Mig Welder, a PlasmaCam (plasma cutter attached to an X-Y gantry), 2 CNC Techno Lathes, 2 CNC Techno Routers, and will be finishing 6 stations for making Jewelry.

My training is in fine woodworking and as you can imagine, my learning curve is very steep at the moment. MasterCam is tough! I have an online subscription to StreamingTeacher which is tremendously helpful though.

The emphasis is for students to envision, design, test, then implement.
We are very excited about the potential for the program and the possibilities of working in many different mediums, including wood, metal, glass, and plastic.

We are still in the neophyte stage as far as CNC capabilities, again because of the learning curve with MasterCam. I'd be interested to hear about some projects that involve the Techno routers and lathes and any metalworking projects.
I've seen some information about students making thier own rings on the router. My students would lose thier minds with something like that.

Good talking with you all. Happy Holidays.

just replied to another post in DIY but maybe you have an opine. I'm pricing controller boards now for a DIY cnc but I'm not sure if i should go w/ a 3 servo controller and then add a 4th (if even possible) or go w/ a 4 controller now in view of adding a rotating axis as I would all else goes right. I am confident I can build the first 3 axis and have been running Gcode machines for the last 3 years so call me intermediate. thanks for the reply. N8.

just replied to another post in DIY but maybe you have an opine. I'm pricing controller boards now for a DIY cnc but I'm not sure if i should go w/ a 3 servo controller and then add a 4th (if even possible) or go w/ a 4 controller now in view of adding a rotating axis as I would all else goes right. I am confident I can build the first 3 axis and have been running Gcode machines for the last 3 years so call me intermediate. thanks for the reply. N8.

Hi. Thanks. I posted two weeks ago but noone replied. Pending job training. Want to get a jump on things. CNC or CAM? G-code or M-code? Help! which is most companies using? Need to find a different job.

Hello to All...
I am a new member. I currently own and opperated a small shop using a 6'X12' Practical CNC Duel 2 Table. I am trying to learn how to get around in this site to talk with others, so if you can help, point me tin the right direction...

Hi All,
I'm a new member, but I have no Idea how all this works. I don't even know what a thread is, let alone how to use it. Can anyone help?

Hi All,
I am a new member to the zone, and am having trouble figuring out how this all works. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks...

I''m new to the zone, and yes I haven't yet build any working machine and no I haven't posted yet. Why? I try to keep up with all the new info. My first plan was to make a router myself. But since joining in I have found out that that isn't the best way to go with material like aluminum and brass (I build model RC submarines). Now my best guess is to convert a milling machine to CNC. Some day I will post any real results. For now, just trying to find the best way and try to find out which motors and such I need.

grtz.

Danny van Dijk
Rotterdam, Netherlands, Europe.

PS: I'm to shy to post with all these experts around

Hi all.
My first post I have built two machines. I bought the controler and steppers from supertech. Thk rails from Ebay lead srews local.
It works great. will include a picture I can explain things in more detail later.
I make a lot of wooden toys and sell them at our local market.
( Sorry I do not know how to add a picture.)
Mytoy.

Hi,
To introduce myself upon request ;-). Since a couple of years I'm experimenting with a homebuilt Zoltar-machine with a driver kit and motors from www.nc-step.de. Software PC-NC, BOcnc. S