CNC router build

[ericks]

That's very interesting....it just got too dangerous over there and all services went bad, been here seven years and never been back. I am an Industrial Sparky who loves electronics, been doing it since childhood.
A 150 mm will surely cool things down mine is 120 mm and yes a filter is a must...I always add one. However if cooling is not required i keep the fan off....it makes the filter stay good longer.

My machine is standing in a clean area so i don't expect any dust problems. Hot air rises, i place the filter on the bottom left side....fan on the top right side....the fan sucks out the rising hot air....

[ericks]

Finally the stand is complete

[handlewanker]

Hi that's quite a nice looking bench......I bought one from Hare & Forbes Machinery House about the time I ordered the mill and it got used first to pile the junk on then as the mill stand.....eventually.....long story.

BTW.......the big problem with extraction is the airborne dust that just hangs in the air in an invisible cloud which we all breathe in and it gets spat out as phlegm

EVERYTHING gets a coating eventually........the point is, if you extract the warm air you also suck dust in through any gap that you don't know you have........hence all clean rooms pressurise their environments with pre-filtered air to keep the dust out.

On the SA thing, I first went back to UK in '68 then as that was a bore applied for emigration to OZ in '81........so much like sunny SA.........never looked back......have you ever gone for a swim off Bleuwberg beach.......enough to cool any desire......back in 2005 I went back for a holiday and learned that a woman was taken by a Big White off Fishhoek beach.....gasp, I used to go skin diving there on many a weekend, and they now have a full time shark watcher on the mountain side off Muizenberg.
Ian.

[ericks]

Thanks Ian, i have been spending way too much time on it. My funds are a bit limited atm re the machine build, so i thought i might as well spend more time on the bench. Received the slotted trunking from Rs components today....guess i will complete the layout design of the control panel and start mounting the stuff i already have. True the dust is a problem...

Never swam there, but did swim at Sodwana Bay where there were lots of great white sharks. Where in Australia are you?

[handlewanker]

Hi, been in Melbourne......North Dandenong since Feb '81.....retired since 2002.

I think the waters around Table bay....Atlantic side...... are about 10 ball shrinking deg C, maybe less.........Muizenberg is on the Indian side so is relatively warm.

Gotta go as my back is playing up.....long ago recurrent back strain..... and it's murder just getting into bed where I lay and sweat blood with every move.......LOL.
Ian.

[ericks]

Hi, been in Melbourne......North Dandenong since Feb '81.....retired since 2002.

I think the waters around Table bay....Atlantic side...... are about 10 ball shrinking deg C, maybe less.........Muizenberg is on the Indian side so is relatively warm.

Gotta go as my back is playing up.....long ago recurrent back strain..... and it's murder just getting into bed where I lay and sweat blood with every move.......LOL.
Ian.

Sorry to hear about that....we getting old so quick

[handlewanker]

Yeah, but it isn't age related......it's just the older you get the more bits hurt.....those that don't hurt don't work.

I was lucky that the back strain didn't constantly occur after the first incidence, but with passing years it reared it's ugly head from time to time.

Looking forward to your build program........making things has always been my interest.

I might even revive my 3025 router build I started before the Skyfire mill eventually arrived......I only wanted a small work envelope of 300X 250 on a moving table configuration, but with enough rigidity to machine steel.....there's also quite a few other irons in the fire too.
Ian.

[ericks]

Yeah, but it isn't age related......it's just the older you get the more bits hurt.....those that don't hurt don't work.

I was lucky that the back strain didn't constantly occur after the first incidence, but with passing years it reared it's ugly head from time to time.

Looking forward to your build program........making things has always been my interest.

I might even revive my 3025 router build I started before the Skyfire mill eventually arrived......I only wanted a small work envelope of 300X 250 on a moving table configuration, but with enough rigidity to machine steel.....there's also quite a few other irons in the fire too.
Ian.

Same here....i just love to make stuff. Sounds like a good idea to revive that build

[ericks]

Had a bit of spare time today, so i started mounting the trunking and the din rail on the back plate....plan is to have the control cables on the left and the mains cables on the right for separation.

[ericks]

This is the main circuit diagram....any comments suggestions welcome

[ericks]

All the din rail and trunking completed....I am going to connect all the stepper motor cables directly to the drives, no terminals or plugs used. Same goes for the spindle motor cable. Hopefully i will be able to order the stepper drives, power supply, breakout board and VSD soon. Meantime i will machine the machine foot brackets and the extrusion so i can start assembling the frame

[LeeWay]

With such a nice system, I would rethink this if I am understanding you correctly. I would use panel mount receptacles and plugs on your motor cables. Not only is that a nice clean pass through but will be very valuable if you ever need to do any troubleshooting. I built a few panels that had the motor cables running through grommet holes and I wound up being sorry that I did them that way. The last one I bult I did correctly and that paid off when I upgraded and later had to troubleshoot.

[ericks]

With such a nice system, I would rethink this if I am understanding you correctly. I would use panel mount receptacles and plugs on your motor cables. Not only is that a nice clean pass through but will be very valuable if you ever need to do any troubleshooting. I built a few panels that had the motor cables running through grommet holes and I wound up being sorry that I did them that way. The last one I bult I did correctly and that paid off when I upgraded and later had to troubleshoot.

Thanks for the advise....I usually wire to terminals then out with cables through cable glands. Those are however not cnc control panels, just Industrial control panels.
I don't have space to install cable terminals for the motor connections, but i do however have space for receptacles.....can you advise on good quality plugs and sockets please?

[LeeWay]

There are many others here to choose from, but you are looking for 4 pin XLR locking connectors.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Pin-XLR-A...EAAOSwGWNUXHbk

[ericks]

There are many others here to choose from, but you are looking for 4 pin XLR locking connectors.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Pin-XLR-A...EAAOSwGWNUXHbk

Thank you are these rated for Nema34 Steppers?

[LeeWay]

I don't actually buy mine off Ebay.
I order mine from CNC Router Parts along with the cables, motors and panel connectors when I need them.
NEMA 34 CNC Electronics | CNCRouterParts
They do not really require a high amp or voltage rating. 18 gauge wire is fine.

They would be much cheaper from an electronics parts house, but then you have to source the wire and assemble and solder everything, so not my cup of tea. I have all the equipment to do that of couse and I have had training to do it in the Military, but simply do not enjoy it.

[ericks]

I don't actually buy mine off Ebay.
I order mine from CNC Router Parts along with the cables, motors and panel connectors when I need them.
NEMA 34 CNC Electronics | CNCRouterParts
They do not really require a high amp or voltage rating. 18 gauge wire is fine.

They would be much cheaper from an electronics parts house, but then you have to source the wire and assemble and solder everything, so not my cup of tea. I have all the equipment to do that of couse and I have had training to do it in the Military, but simply do not enjoy it.

Thank you...much appreciated

[ericks]

Received the breakout boards today. For the price they look well made, initially left space for the MB2 and smoothstepper. The setup i have for my 6040 works faultlessly...its Windows 7 with parallel port and Mach3.
I plan to use the same setup as a starting point but make provision for an easy upgrade in case i need to later. Main reason for this is cost saving.

....obviously i would test these boards properly before i use them

[handlewanker]

Hi, this is the part where I sit back and watch with big round eyed amazement.....it's a matter of what to buy for whatever function etc.

I'm a kit builder type.....give me a circuit board and a collection of components and I'm away to go......what they do or don't do when fully assembled is another matter.

Looking at the board you showed in post #78........ for me I would expect it's a plug and play thing.so connecting the respective wires to their end points should be a regular assembly exercise if you're familiar with it......the hard part for me is knowing what boards to buy for a project.

I did invest in four kits for stepper drivers from James Newtonn using the THB6064AH chip but with a better board and selection of components than the ones supplied ready to go on EBAY.

The kits came with a freebie breakout board and a pulse generator to test the boards with a stepper motor once assembled......it's going to be part of an ongoing project to keep me busy.

I'll be watching your progress with great interest as you assemble the various boards.
Ian.

[ericks]

Hi, this is the part where I sit back and watch with big round eyed amazement.....it's a matter of what to buy for whatever function etc.

I'm a kit builder type.....give me a circuit board and a collection of components and I'm away to go......what they do or don't do when fully assembled is another matter.

Looking at the board you showed in post #78........ for me I would expect it's a plug and play thing.so connecting the respective wires to their end points should be a regular assembly exercise if you're familiar with it......the hard part for me is knowing what boards to buy for a project.

I did invest in four kits for stepper drivers from James Newtonn using the THB6064AH chip but with a better board and selection of components than the ones supplied ready to go on EBAY.

The kits came with a freebie breakout board and a pulse generator to test the boards with a stepper motor once assembled......it's going to be part of an ongoing project to keep me busy.

I'll be watching your progress with great interest as you assemble the various boards.
Ian.

These breakout boards are easy to figure out and connect.... but whether they will be robust and how they will perform when used at the upper voltage range (24V) in my application is what i am looking at now. As i already have a 24V plc, psu and hmi it would be best to try and stay with 24V. The plc will allow me to add more features later. I usually build my own microcontroller based controllers, however my free time is very limited atm. You are correct, deciding on what to use and what features to add is the hard part