lego cnc mill


Results 1 to 16 of 16

Thread: lego cnc mill

  1. #1
    Registered
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    St Peters MO
    Posts
    25
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default lego cnc mill

    Hello everyone,

    I've just found this site; I'm really impressed. Anyhow, I'm about to begin construction on my third mill. I thought you might be interested in a few pictures from my second. As you can see it's mostly made out of lego bricks. The only thing not made out of legos are the dremel and the three stepper motors. The steppers are computer controlled via a motor controller I built.

    I'm pricing parts for version three now. I already have the new stepper motors. These are NEMA 23, the lego mill used NEMA 17s. At 3 amps per phase, I'll have to build a new motor controller and get a new power supply. I have the parts for that picked out, too. I plan on getting a surplus graphic LCD display for a digital read out. Suppose it doesn't matter, since I don't have (read can't afford) encoders I won't be able to operate it by hand, but seems like a nice feature...

    Anyhow, I'll let you know how it goes when it gets going.

    Similar Threads:
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails lego cnc mill-front-jpg  


  2. #2
    Registered
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    St Peters MO
    Posts
    25
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default

    Here's the side

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails lego cnc mill-side-jpg  


  3. #3
    Registered
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    St Peters MO
    Posts
    25
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default

    and the top

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails lego cnc mill-top-jpg  


  4. #4
    Registered cncadmin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    6855
    Downloads
    3
    Uploads
    4

    Default

    Woo, way cool, who would of taught to make one out of legos.

    Thank You,
    Paul G

    Check out-
    [URL="http://www.signs101.com"]www.signs101.com[/URL]


  5. #5
    Registered balsaman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    2139
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default

    Sweet. Have you cut stuff with it?

    Eric

    I wish it wouldn't crash.


  6. #6
    Registered
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    St Peters MO
    Posts
    25
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default

    Sweet. Have you cut stuff with it?
    Well, of course ...but there are a few problems. As you can imagine there's a bit of backlash. The yellow springs on the gantry were added to help with that, and did a little. And of course the dremel is not held as tightly as it should, but it is actually secured really well, for legos. Also the gantry is also heavy, so I had to really torque up the y-axis motor so it would move. It uses 2 screw gears, so the gear ratio is more than 576. SLOW... The x-axis is much faster and lighter. z-axis is also no problem.

    My goal is to mill circuit boards. I'm an electrical engineer, and just starting to pick up this mechanical stuff. The lego mill did help me learn a lot. A good place to start before the bigger investment.



  7. #7
    Member HuFlungDung's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    4826
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default

    Apollo

    LoL, you should sell the plans for the Lego machine, maybe that's your calling

    First you get good, then you get fast. Then grouchiness sets in.

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)


  8. #8
    Registered hardmill's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    499
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Hey Apollo...

    Is this you:
    http://www.ozbricks.com/bobfay/newmill.htm
    There is actully a 5 axis mill on this site.

    PEACE



  9. #9
    Registered
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    St Peters MO
    Posts
    25
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default

    No, not me, but I had seen that site before.

    I think I might have been ambiguous before, the next mill won't be made out of legos.



  10. #10
    Registered anoel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Posts
    470
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Here's one made from K-Nex

    ...

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails lego cnc mill-knexplt1_800-jpg  
    Nathan


  11. #11
    Registered
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    94
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default

    very nice



  12. #12
    Registered balsaman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    2139
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default

    Do the Lego people know about this?

    Eric

    I wish it wouldn't crash.


  13. #13
    Registered WOODKNACK's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    271
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default

    seems like the dremmel would vibrate everything loose!?

    My little piece of the web!
    http://users.adelphia.net/~wjdupont



  14. #14
    Registered
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    St Peters MO
    Posts
    25
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default

    No, the dremel is quite well supported. It doesn't vibrate any noticable amount. Although I'm sure that if I ran it long enough, the legos might start to melt.

    I'm pretty sure that the lego people don't know about this one. They might be more interested in the one that hardmill gave the link to. That one is 100% legos. Though I didn't have much use for a toast cutter...



  15. #15
    Registered
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    usa
    Posts
    4
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default

    I am extremely new to cnc. From the research I have done on CNC machines, I though hey why not build a CNC out of legos. Being a poor college kid it would make sense with my limited resources. I just joined this site to learn more. Low and behold what do I find, that my bubble has been popped. I am thinking 3 axis and my dremel it will only be used for small projects workspace about 6 X 12. I have not bought any materials yet though I am definitely intrigued. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Last edited by oracle99; 07-27-2005 at 11:23 PM.


  16. #16
    Nono
    Guest

    Default

    You know they pay big bucks to people that build this stuff. There are guys that work for lego that all they do is build things and make prints. Most of them are not kids (at least not by age) and get paid more the a hundred K a year to play with toys isn't to shabby. You are my Idle



Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


About CNCzone.com

    We are the largest and most active discussion forum for manufacturing industry. The site is 100% free to join and use, so join today!

Follow us on


Our Brands

lego cnc mill

lego cnc mill