Introductions and looking for advice

[kg6zjm]

Hi there,

My name is Justin and I just recently got involved in a CNC retrofit project at work. I made the mistake of mentioning to the higher-ups that I was interested in building a small hobby 3 axis machine just because I could. They said "Wow, you're interested in that kind of stuff? Come with me and let me show you something..." What they showed me was an old Thermwood 3 axis Cartiesian 5 unit that they had purchased at auction for super cheap with a non-operational control system.

"Now you don't have to build a small one, you can play with the real thing!" That's what they told me... I was both thrilled and scared out of my mind. So I'm now in charge of retrofitting this machine to work for us.

I would like to start a build thread for this project to document it and solicit advice from the community but i'm not sure where the best place to put it would be. I'm assuming that the DIY section may be the best place, but i didn't want to mess up with my first thread so I came to say hi in here and ask what to do.

Look forward to contributing here!
-Justin

[MrWild]

What does your company hope to do with the machine? Start by visiting the manufacturer's website. http://www.thermwood.com/header/cnc_...pplication.htm Contact support and ask about upgrades, and what came stock with your machine. it's good to have the serial number when you write them. Once you know what the servo motors are, you can look at control systems. Always nice to know what your budget is, so ask management. If they don't know, research full packages like Centroid for package prices, and parts prices like computers, drives, and cards. Thermwood might have their own upgrade package also, so to begin, you need to research and then go to management with what you've found. Always, always, always make sure they okay every step.

[danielcoyle]

Hello there justin

i am currently in a similar situation and would love to know how your project went. i am buying an 80s vintage cartesian and don't know what i don't know, so to speak.

dan