Easy Build 800 x 500 x 85

[TOTALLYRC]

Hi Mike,

Yeah I know the motors are on the smallish side I am just hoping they will be usable. I have assembled the complete z-axis and the motors are capable of driving it at 300mm per minute and I can’t stall the carriage by hand. Whilst I know this is a slow feed rate for timber I am hoping that by slowing the router speed down to around 10000rpm and taking a 0.5mm finishing cut I will still achieve reasonable results without burning the timber. I have also come across reports from people using PP ports on laptops having problems but I have Mach 3 up and running driving the motors without any problems, I must be one of the lucky ones.

Cheers

The more I read the more I learn.
Although laptops are not supported by Mach3 anymore, as they were a majority of support requests, there are a bunch of people running them.
I guess if it works for you , great.
It also tends to be hardware specific as some will run it and some won't.
300mm/m = 11.?IPM. I would guess that 1000mm/m (40IPM) would be more apropriate for wood cutting, but I haven't cut much wood on my router, YET. I mostly do fiberglass and CF. At this point you don't have anything to lose. Try it and see how it works. You already have nema 23 mounts, so upgrading to larger/faster motors would be easy.
Better electronics are just a charge card away.

I will keep watching.
Mike

[Daniel233]

I finished the parts to complete the z-axis and assembled it.

[Daniel233]

I clamped a piece of pine against the y-axis frame and attached the router to the z-axis plate with electrical cable ties and supported it each side with clamped boards. It wasn't completely ridged but fine to test it. I took a 50mm long cut at 30000rpm and 300mm/min (my max is 350mm/min). Results appear good considering the lack of rigidity.

[TOTALLYRC]

Looks good to me.
Nice video.
How many flutes on the cutter?

[Daniel233]

Thanks Mike,

It is just a cheap double straight fluted cemented carbide 1/4". The cutter is not actually that good I used it in case something went wrong. I intend to use double fluted solid carbide cutters when the machine is finished. I envisage using a 6mm depth of cut and leaving a finishing allowance of 0.5mm (top and sides), hopefully this will give good cutter life and good surface finish.

Cheers

[TOTALLYRC]

I like your signature.
What we get at work is, "I designed it wrong, so it must be a controls problem"

Mike

[Daniel233]

Firstly I must admit to stealing my signature from another forum.

Last night I found that the combination of the lead screw being loose in the bearing and the bearing being loose in the mount was causing my lead screw to run out. I turned the inside nuts to a 120 degree included angle and ran 2 layers of masking tape around the bearings and it runs true now.

Cheers

[TOTALLYRC]

Firstly I must admit to stealing my signature from another forum.

Last night I found that the combination of the lead screw being loose in the bearing and the bearing being loose in the mount was causing my lead screw to run out. I turned the inside nuts to a 120 degree included angle and ran 2 layers of masking tape around the bearings and it runs true now.

Cheers

At least you found and fixed it.
What you did is make sure that only the inner race is being grabbed and that the bearing doesn't move on the shaft.
Nice job on turning the nuts.

[Daniel233]

Well it has been a long time since my last post but I finally found some time to get back onto the project and make some more bits. I also found some beers and took them out to the workshop with me, perfect combination alcohol and moving machinery He He He

[Daniel233]

I made some more bits today and revised my 3d model to use plywood sides instead of the dressed oak. I also thought I might share how I achieved a close fit for my bearings by using a speedbore timber bit and grinding the bottom of the flutes flat.

[grahamweekes]

Hi Daniel and congratulations on your build.

I like what you have done and think I should follow your lead. I joined the zone near 3 years ago and have still to complete my CNC conversion of a Taig desk top mill! Usual excuses for slow progress, I am in the midst of a house renovation project as well. However, using the Taig manually for model making in wood made me realise that what I really needed was a router with a bit bigger table than the Taig (about 225 x 130mm or 9" x 5 and a bit"). A working area of 400mm (16") square would do me but your size machine would give some room to grow. Thanks for the inspiration I resolve to make myself a CNC router in 2009! Best wishes and good progress with your machine.
Graham

[Daniel233]

Thanks Graham my wife saw your post and suggested I join a home renovator’s forum and maybe I will get the inspiration to finish our house. All I can think about is CNC routers He He I have been playing with the model again and I have changed the working area to 775 x 525 x 85 which will fit my bench top nicer. The model is only 90% complete and still requires fasteners and limit switches. I have been asked for an e-drawing of the model so I figured I would post it here for everyone’s benefit. Enjoy