The handy smurf CNC-router

[deepstar]

I guess the time has come to start buying parts, and weld the frame together !

[giz]

To answer your questions about cutting the linear slides - that should be fine. I plan on doing the same. Just avoid keeping the blocks near the cut and clean the rail afterwards!

I only have a couple parts in so far, but it felt great to finally have something in my hands.

[deepstar]

cool That means that I don't need to find slides of a specific length!
I hope to get my hands dirty soon too, I've been thinking about this too much and not been doing any actual construction, it kills me!!!

I'll see if I can find your build-thread, and gaze at your pictures

[archer3d]

Cutting the linear slides should not be a problem if you have the equipment. Most should be hardened machine steel and using a hacksaw would be interesting (really good exercise ) but no problem if you have a metal cutting band-saw

archer3d

[deepstar]

I have access to a heavy duty watercooled miter saw, a heavy duty watercooled bandsaw and a heavy duty watercooled "motorised" hacksaw. All to cut metal. So I guess I'm set for it

Ordered some square steel tubing yesterday

[hemsworthlad]

My mechanical cooled toothed saw wont touch them, they need grinding cutters. I cut them all the time with a hand held 4" grinder using 1mm cutting disc's, they slice thru like hot knife.

[hemsworthlad]

Can I make some suggestions about your design.! These suggestions come from experience building and using a machine built from steel box (50mm) that cuts Ali almost exclusively.

First: Cap and fill all the tubes with Kiln dryed sand, it wont be deflection that causes you the most trouble it will be resonance. Steel framed machines resonate quite a lot and the sand dampens this considerably it also add's extra mass and this works for you not against when cutting hard materials.

Second: I recommendd you think about moving or designing some way to cover the screws.! Ali chippings stick and fly every were and they will cause the nuts to wear out prematurely.
I use ballscrews which are far better than lead screws at protecting them selfs with wiper seals on the nuts plus my screws are offset to the side
but uncovered and I still have to be very carefull and make sure they are kept clean else chips can buildup.
Stuck on the top like that they will get hammered with chips.!

Personaly with the machine being narrow I would put them under neath the bed out the way with a cross brace between the gantry sides to mount nuts, this will completely eliminate the problem and extend the life of the screws massively and increase reliabilty.

Hope this helps.

[deepstar]

Hi,

thanks for your input!

filling the bars sounds like a good idea I will definitely look into that.
Also, I agree that flying chips of metal will damage the screws the way they are mounted here. If I were to mount them below the table though, then the X-axis would not be fully supported. I'll look into a way to protect the screws without having to move them.

If I had a brush in front of the nut to clean the chips away, that would protect the screw and the nut from pieces sticking to the screw, not from pieces flying against it at high speed.

But if I had some type of shield around the mill, it would catch all those chips before they get the chance of flying away. I've seen these shields on all kinds of machines, and I guess they would be a good idea here too

Last week I found out that the steel I had ordered, was not really ordered so I had to do it again. I've ordered thicker steel for extra strength. Yesterday I heard the workshop is closed tonight, so I'll have to wait another week before I can go and cut the steel.

[hemsworthlad]

Unless you fully cover them the chips will find there way into/onto the screws even with wipers.!. . you wont belive how many chips come from machining ALU and where they get.!! . . Tuck your shirt in.!

If you dont protect them they will wearout prematurely.

[MGeo]

Will the long unsupported x-axis rails will be prone to deflection?

[deepstar]

Unless you fully cover them the chips will find there way into/onto the screws even with wipers.!. . you wont belive how many chips come from machining ALU and where they get.!! . . Tuck your shirt in.!

If you dont protect them they will wearout prematurely.

ok, I'm convinced I will see if I can cover the leadscrews somehow. Maybe I can create "walls" on the wooden surface to keep the chips from flying out

[deepstar]

Will the long unsupported x-axis rails will be prone to deflection?

the whole machine will be mounted on top of a very sturdy frame, but I didn't put that in the drawing. There is nothing that prevents the X-axis from being fully supported