As some of you know, I am converting my X3 to CNC. Well the final big step is the electronics enclosure. I would really like to utilize the current electrical enclosure that the X3 comes with, but have concerns about space. I would need to move the DC controller to the top of the enclosure to start.
But I need to fit my power supply, breakout board, 2 relays, and 3 stepper drivers.

Another option is to buy a Hoffman enclosure, or something of the like.

I was wondering what others did who converted their X3. It looks like the Syil conversion keeps it all in the original box...

What if you put the power supply and motor drivers in the cabinet and had the breakout, relays, table interface and other connections in a remote control enclosure? See our Mini-IO-Combo product. It comes with a control box and has remote little breakout boards for the Relays and another card to provide the Step & Direction signals for up to 4 axis. If you use MACH3 you can use the second port input for 13 inputs, 4 outputs or for use with our 12 function handwheel and pendant.

http://www.candcnc.com/Mini-IOProductsChart.htm

Syil put it all in an enclosure that goes piggy back on the existing one.

I have collected a few enclosure pix:

http://www.thewarfields.com/MTLatheCNCDrivers.htm

There are a variety of styles including rack mount enclosures (19" equipment rack) as well as the NEMA enclosures that have the rubber gasketed doors. Someone on CNCZone was buildling and selling some of the enclosures pictured, MTLaws or a name like that, I have forgotten.

I'm working with a couple of rack mount chassis I got off eBay for my CNC Lathe's enclosure.

Best,

BW

Those are real nice Bob, big and lots of room if ya have to get in there and poke around, Widgits is nice and compact if your trying to preserve space. Good options there.

Excellent work done BoB, all this while I thought my enclosure designs were good but your work is simply fantastic. Guess there always is lots to learn.

I still have a few of the enclosures
mike laws

I saw somewhere, can't remember where, someone did a neat instalation in a $10 metel toolbox :p

Hey Phantom found this in my arsenal of info
http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category/219/Enclosures.html
Enclosures | All Electronics Corp - Parts, Supplies and Components

Credit where credit is due--the enclosures pictured were made by Mike Laws who posted just above. As he says, he has a few more available. And yes, they are very nicely laid out.

Zip, I bought my control panel enclosure from All Electronics. They're decent folks to deal with.

Best,

BW

mlaws1172, do you still have enclosuresfor sale? if so could you send me more info ? to; greg@anamosity.com thanks greg

well, I've been recommended to this site, so its another option. They tell you how to make your own.

http://www.campbelldesigns.com/how-to-build-a-power-supply.php

Haha, I forgot about this thread.
Well, I ended up buying a Hoffman 16x12x7" on eBay.

I have been working on a two in one encloure. The top is for the computer and the bottom is for the controls and power supply.

They are seperated by metal but all in one. It is working pretty well and am on the second proto.

I thought it would be nice to get rid of some of the cabling and wiring.

A couple of pics

The last picture is the white wall model:)

Those are cool pix, mlaws.

I've been slowly making progress on my own enclosure project. Here are the driver electronics in one 19" rack mount:

http://www.thewarfields.com/cnccookbook/img/LatheStuff/CNCConversion/Drivers/PA263626.JPG

Here is the PC in another:

http://www.thewarfields.com/cnccookbook/img/LatheStuff/CNCConversion/Enclosures/P9033592.JPG

These two go into a little fabricated rack that will have a swing arm on top that rides on the shaft you see at the back:

http://www.thewarfields.com/cnccookbook/img/LatheStuff/CNCConversion/Drivers/P1253712.JPG

The swing arm has a keyboard tray, and a stalk that a 17" touch panel LCD screen goes on. Between the two will sit the lathe's control panel/pendant on a velcro quick release:

http://www.thewarfields.com/cnccookbook/img/LatheStuff/CNCConversion/CNCPanels/LatheCNCPanel/P2193133.JPG

I'm further along than the pictures imply--I didn't have the camera handy to track the last two weekend's progress.

Best,

BW

I saw an enclosure for a Series I bridgeport where the computer case was literally put inside the original bridgeport electronic enclosure. It had plenty of room room for all.

Bob,
Nice enclosure, I take it that you are closer on your 9 x 30 cnc, I currently cnc'ing a 9 X30 for a friend and should wrap it up in the next short while. I would be interested in seeing your motor mounting schemes.

Ron

Bob,
Nice enclosure, I take it that you are closer on your 9 x 30 cnc, I currently cnc'ing a 9 X30 for a friend and should wrap it up in the next short while. I would be interested in seeing your motor mounting schemes.

Ron

They're all up on the web site:

http://www.thewarfields.com/cnccookbook/MTLatheSteppers.htm

I don't know that they are tremendously worth the effort to copy. I went to a lot of trouble to design something that could be removed to put the machine back stock, and that would require minimal milling. I did them before I got my IH Mill long ago!

My latest thinking on this is to play with the existing leadscrews for a while, but to eventually look at installing a ballscrew for the X axis that goes on the back of the machine with the ability to release it to restore manual operation.

For the Z-axis, I plan to fabricate a whole cross slide assembly with a ballscrew that replaces the current compound and cross slide entirely. I'll just bolt it atop the apron. It will run on small linear slides and use a ballscrew. My hope is that it'll be a whole lot more rigid than what's there now, which would be a nice upgrade to the machine. I also wanted to do something with a lot more travel than what is currently there so I can run gang tooling if desired--the poor man's tool changer. At the very least I want to run the cutoff tool on the back side and upside down.

I don't think it will be hard to do these things and I have some Rhino3D sketches. I just want to finish the original version off before I get started on the "new and improved." It's been taking a ridiculous length of time and I'm trying to keep the progress moving.

I will likely also do my IH Mill CNC conversion before I upgrade the lathe to ballscrews. The ballscrews are so cheap on eBay and seem like they would improve performance so much, I'd look into it.

Anyway, no sense hijacking this thread further, it'll all come together on my blog at cnccookbook.com. If I get the lathe running, I'll pull together some pix and do a build log for the 'Zone.

Best,

BW

phantomcow2 , couldn't you use an old PC enclosure?