Build Thread- CNCDevil´s one by one

[CNCDevil]

Hi everyone. Welcome to this log.

You might want to see what I do for a living here: What is the average hourly pay for cnc operators in your state


It's holliday and I have 3 weeks for free disposal. Until now, I have made dozens of different drawings, but now I'm finally satisfied with this quite simple design and is ready to start building.

The router will have 3 axis' and a work area of 1 meter by 1 meter. The frame will be made by 80x4 mm square steel pipe and I have bought a piece of 6 meter 200x10 mm 6082 flat alu bar for the gantry. I'll make most of the parts myself; spindle bearing blocks, delrin nuts and housing, X and Y carriages and what else of small parts that is needed to make it stick together. X and Y rails are ø32x2 mm precision steel pipe. The spindels are TR16x8 P4 and is going to be driven by four 305oz Hobby CNC steppers (two steppers on each side of X-axis).

I have puzzeled a really long time with the Z-axis, wanting it to be fairly close to the gantry, but everytime I made up a homemade design, it ended up being to far away. My best idea was V-groove steel rings mounted on bearings, but then I found a good offer on some 16mm linear bearings with supported round rails and it ended up so.

My first design idea was to make the router independent from the table, so that I could be put on top of any kind of work piece that would not fit in a conventionally build table router. Another idea is to connect two hinges between the table and two of the legs, making it possible to lift the router to an vertical possition. This will give some extra table workspace for other projects. Further more, it will be possible to transport it to a job site. It will be unlikely that I do it, but the ability remains.

I got to give Solsylva some credit for giving me the idea for the X-axis rail design


Here are some unfinished drawings, but this will give you an idea what I'm up to.

I'll post pictures of the work when I start building.


CNCDevil

[CNCDevil]

Made a few design changes today. This will properly be around the 15th time I do that, but I'm reaching my goal. Total number of constraints I have made in Inventor is by now #2234.


- CNCDevil

[CNCDevil]

Things has moved forward!

I redesigned it all again and desided to make the machine from 3mm sheet steel, using a press brake to make profiles.

Here are some pictures of the building process. Sorry for the pictures - I forgot to enable the auto focus on my phone.


Brian

[Guldberg]

Welcome to an exciting and expensive hobby:-) So far its looking good. Where in Denmark are you located?

[CNCDevil]

Hello Guldberg

I'm from Sønderborg. Actually, I have allready build one router from wood, but have never posted any pictures of it.

Where do you live?

[Guldberg]

Copenhagen. Used to study on DTU, so all my building and tinkering im doing in the students workshop. A bit sad compared to a real workshop, but still better and more well equiped than most diy workshops

[CNCDevil]

I'm also happy with the tools found in our workshop. The right tool is half the work

[CNCDevil]

Today I got the gantry assembled and it is running smooth on the rails

On Saturday I think I will turn down the ends on the ball screws.


Machine data:

- Overall dimension: 1800 x 1530mm
- Work area: 1000 x 1000 x 170mm

- X & Y axis: 10mm pitch C7 ball screws
- Z axis: 5mm pitch C7 ball screw

- HobbyCNC 4-axis kit with 305 oz steppers

- Spindle: Dewalt DW625

- Homemade relay board for spindle start-up and automatic system shut-down (control box, spindle and dust collection) after machining has completed.


Brian

[CNCDevil]

Hi all and Merry Christmas


Not much has happened since last, but I got the support ends of my four ball screws turned down. I also made the fixed end for my Z-axis ball screw and the BK12 fixed bearing slides neadly on, so that's good.

When I tried to thread the shaft (M12x1) for the lock nut with a die, I wasn't able to do so. The die wouldn't bite into the material and I guess it's because it's too hard? Threading soft steel was no problem.

Some ideas:

I could try to anneal the metal where to thread, but this may ruin the straightness of the shaft and the tolerances for the fixed bearing.

I could make the thread by turning it, but right now I don't have the proper toolholder. Maybe I can borrow one next year.

Do you guys have any tricks that might work?


Regards Brian

[Guldberg]

Threading it in a lathe would be the best solution. Othervise a collar with a couple of setscrews combined with a discspring migth also work

[CNCDevil]

Thanks for input. I think I will try to find the right toolholder and turn the thread. I really think it's the best solution.

[fnm]

Hi CNCDevil,
I saw your post Fixed Bearing w/ Belleville washers and I liked your idea for the fixed end blocks with Belleville washers for applying constant force preload. I have been working with your idea and I arrived with a little bit different solution but very similar to yours. Did you finished your fixed end blocks? ... and what are the results?