CNC router build

[NIC 77]

I'm not at all an expert on the electrical components part and wiring of things. Usually I need help in this department, and I have just used a kit in the past, wired it as per the manual.

For some future projects, I would like to get into Arduino.

One thing worth mentioning is that many of the control softwares that people are choosing to use instead of mach 3/4 require you to use some of their proprietary hardware as well. So in essence you are using a hardware / software solution. I believe UCCNC is an example of this. Apologies if this was already mentioned. And correct me if I'm wrong.

Personally, I haven't found a commercially available control software that has anything too special to boast over another. I would like to see something that several different acceleration input parameters to take advantage of the increased torque from a stepper motor at lower speeds, instead of a single acceleration input into the software.

Some of the control softwares offer a separate input for rapids acceleration, which could be very handy, but still not what I would consider ideal.

For the typical DIY machines that we build it probably doesn't matter too much.

One thing I would like to know is what is the design of your machine? It looks like you have welded up a fantastic looking machine stand but are using T slot for the machine? If you don't want to work with steel, you can do some pretty cool things with aluminum plate. Is this still going to be a fixed gantry machine?

What are your expectations, what do you want to cut with it, and how well?

Two of the best DIY machines I've seen that cut aluminum super well are moving gantry.

It looks like you are using fairly large T slot extrusions, but I think you will have much better performance if you fill them with epoxy granite.

Also the quality of your build so far is very nice! Looks professional.

You asked about BST, I have ordered ballscrews from them, the review is in my thread here:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/linear...-needed-3.html

[ericks]

I'm not at all an expert on the electrical components part and wiring of things. Usually I need help in this department, and I have just used a kit in the past, wired it as per the manual.

For some future projects, I would like to get into Arduino.

One thing worth mentioning is that many of the control softwares that people are choosing to use instead of mach 3/4 require you to use some of their proprietary hardware as well. So in essence you are using a hardware / software solution. I believe UCCNC is an example of this. Apologies if this was already mentioned. And correct me if I'm wrong.

Personally, I haven't found a commercially available control software that has anything too special to boast over another. I would like to see something that several different acceleration input parameters to take advantage of the increased torque from a stepper motor at lower speeds, instead of a single acceleration input into the software.

Some of the control softwares offer a separate input for rapids acceleration, which could be very handy, but still not what I would consider ideal.

For the typical DIY machines that we build it probably doesn't matter too much.

One thing I would like to know is what is the design of your machine? It looks like you have welded up a fantastic looking machine stand but are using T slot for the machine? If you don't want to work with steel, you can do some pretty cool things with aluminum plate. Is this still going to be a fixed gantry machine?

What are your expectations, what do you want to cut with it, and how well?

Two of the best DIY machines I've seen that cut aluminum super well are moving gantry.

It looks like you are using fairly large T slot extrusions, but I think you will have much better performance if you fill them with epoxy granite.

Also the quality of your build so far is very nice! Looks professional.

You asked about BST, I have ordered ballscrews from them, the review is in my thread here:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/linear...-needed-3.html

Thanks for your info. I only have a bit of experience with Mach3, like i said its working very well for me....i am not a machining, cad or design expert. Basically i just want to build a better version of my current machine.
Its a moving gantry design, i am using "heavy" duty extrusion. Will mill mostly wood, acrylic and a bit of aluminium. BST automation looks fine to me....thanks for the link to your review!

I am sure to make many mistakes with this build....Looks like we might be moving house sometime soon so i am delaying in assembling the machine frame. Meantime i'll finish the control panel.

Last night i spent some time on the wiring, decided that using a desktop computer on this machine is not an option....i will use my laptop and most likely a smoothstepper controller.

[LeeWay]

Laptops work fine with Smooth stepper ethernet. Do they still produce the USB version? I know they had issues quite a while ago.
Not sure on that, but get the ethernet type. No glaring issues.

[ericks]

Laptops work fine with Smooth stepper ethernet. Do they still produce the USB version? I know they had issues quite a while ago.
Not sure on that, but get the ethernet type. No glaring issues.

Thanks....yes i will get the ethernet model

[ericks]

Received a few more bits for the control panel, i am not working to a set design. Hopefully i can get it done soon

[ericks]

Well, this is where my project is delayed. We have purchased another house and there is no shed. I will be building a 4 m x 6 m shed which is good cause i'll have more space to add machines.
I did a bit of wiring on the control panel....

[handlewanker]

Ooooooohhhhh.....that was a big let down......a man's gotta have a den no matter how old he gets....LOL.

I went for a 10 ft square tin shed back in the 80's when I bought my first home.......be it ever so humble as the song goes.......in the early 90's I got my built like a brick dunny work shop....yeah, a brick built double garage etc......the family jewels have been pawned and resold many times to fund projects since then.

That interior is looking pretty neat and tidy.......you'll be a happy chappie when the fat lady sings.......I can't imagine that the jumble of stuff at the bottom is part of the act......only joking.
Ian.

[ericks]

Ooooooohhhhh.....that was a big let down......a man's gotta have a den no matter how old he gets....LOL.

I went for a 10 ft square tin shed back in the 80's when I bought my first home.......be it ever so humble as the song goes.......in the early 90's I got my built like a brick dunny work shop....yeah, a brick built double garage etc......the family jewels have been pawned and resold many times to fund projects since then.

That interior is looking pretty neat and tidy.......you'll be a happy chappie when the fat lady sings.......I can't imagine that the jumble of stuff at the bottom is part of the act......only joking.
Ian.

A brick built one would be great....but i have to settle for a steel one. Hopefully insulation will make it cool enough. What sort of equipment do you have in your shed?

.....thanks for the comment on the interior. I changed my mind and put a little (off the shelf) unit in the panel to take care of the cooling fan control. Also i used a power relay in place of a contactor for the safety circuit, only reason is space saving.
The terminal fuses is good for space saving. The plc was in storage for so long that when i powered it up it's got a low battery error. Easy fix just solder in another battery. Yes i usually make a big mess while i am working

[NIC 77]

Did anyone else fall out of their chair laughing when Ian mentioned pawning his family jewels?

No?

Just me?

Does that term mean something different in Australia?

[ericks]

He is a funny guy for sure

[handlewanker]

Nahh, same the World over......a bit of tongue in the cheek bit to be sure......the family jewels can relate to pawning your wife's/girl friend's wedding ring, engagement ring....whatever..... or your naughty bits too....but I don't think they'd be re-attachable if you "parted" with them.

Mainly it's a phrase that means you'd sell anything that was of value just to get to the starting post

Hmmmmm, a brick built garage to be sure is something that dreams are made of..... it was an asset invasion exercise that paid for that.

One thing I found out very quickly.....a steel roof on a garage is another name for a Sauna.....but you're the water source..... the heat on a 35 deg C day will cook your brains out as the interior gets to 50 deg C +. with 3 hours of morning sun.

After a month of not being able to work in there, even at night because everything was as hot as heck.......I decided to do some home grown insulation in the form of 25mm thick Polystyrene boards between the rafters across the whole roof.

That cured the heat problem, but it also meant that when the temperature did slowly get up to 35 deg C inside it stayed there.....took days of blowing with a porta swamp cooler to drop the temp.

Winter was OK as a small heater worked very well.

So, if a steel garage is on the cards it's gotta be insulated too.

BTW.....in Autimn and Spring, without insulation, you get lots of condensation from the temp differentials and humidity.......that is.....warm outside and cold inside from overnight low temp and you get condensation on EVERYTHING.

I cured that by having large plastic bags over all the machinery etc, otherwise it will rust while
you look at it.........and all tools have a coating of oil......just sealed in boxes and they will rust.

It's the law of physics........anything cold will condense water vapour if the ambient is slightly warmish.......the amount of water vapour you breathe out over a few hours will rust anything

If you only use the workshop on the weekends or some days a week, keeping the temp steady is well nigh impossible........this is where solar heating.....the blackened tin can in a box type...... would pay big dividends.
Ian.

[ericks]

Nahh, same the World over......a bit of tongue in the cheek bit to be sure......the family jewels can relate to pawning your wife's/girl friend's wedding ring, engagement ring....whatever..... or your naughty bits too....but I don't think they'd be re-attachable if you "parted" with them.

Mainly it's a phrase that means you'd sell anything that was of value just to get to the starting post

Hmmmmm, a brick built garage to be sure is something that dreams are made of..... it was an asset invasion exercise that paid for that.

One thing I found out very quickly.....a steel roof on a garage is another name for a Sauna.....but you're the water source..... the heat on a 35 deg C day will cook your brains out as the interior gets to 50 deg C +. with 3 hours of morning sun.

After a month of not being able to work in there, even at night because everything was as hot as heck.......I decided to do some home grown insulation in the form of 25mm thick Polystyrene boards between the rafters across the whole roof.

That cured the heat problem, but it also meant that when the temperature did slowly get up to 35 deg C inside it stayed there.....took days of blowing with a porta swamp cooler to drop the temp.

Winter was OK as a small heater worked very well.

So, if a steel garage is on the cards it's gotta be insulated too.

BTW.....in Autimn and Spring, without insulation, you get lots of condensation from the temp differentials and humidity.......that is.....warm outside and cold inside from overnight low temp and you get condensation on EVERYTHING.

I cured that by having large plastic bags over all the machinery etc, otherwise it will rust while
you look at it.........and all tools have a coating of oil......just sealed in boxes and they will rust.

It's the law of physics........anything cold will condense water vapour if the ambient is slightly warmish.......the amount of water vapour you breathe out over a few hours will rust anything

If you only use the workshop on the weekends or some days a week, keeping the temp steady is well nigh impossible........this is where solar heating.....the blackened tin can in a box type...... would pay big dividends.
Ian.

Condensation will be terrible. Hopefully the insulation and gyprock walls will solve the problem?

[NIC 77]

[ericks]

That's an interesting building idea!
I hope the insulation stuff will solve the condensation problem....i really hate rust on tools and stuff
A few outstanding things arrived from rs components, these little brackets are handy to mount stuff to din rail........

[louieatienza]

Did anyone else fall out of their chair laughing when Ian mentioned pawning his family jewels?

No?

Just me?

Does that term mean something different in Australia?

It was funny the first 175 times he mentioned it...

[handlewanker]

Hiyyyyy.......you actually counted them to 175 times??.....that has to be the height of euphmisticism, but I think it would indicate that selling your precious lovelies is the lengths you'd be prepared to go to get a bit of machinery........I actually pawned my pension card, metaphorically speaking, to get my SVM-0........very happy too, and so is Defeng.

In reality, if you have an asset build up that you can't realise on without being homeless, taking out an asset loan is another way of leaving the kids with a debt once you're gone and couldn't care less.

Our bank has asset loans that start out at $20,000, interest only for as long as you want, for whatever purpose you want....no questions or qualifications asked or needed.

When you consider that a 20 grand loan against a potential 500 grand asset value....the banks are well covered, and you only pay interest on the amount you use.
Ian.

[ericks]

Hiyyyyy.......you actually counted them to 175 times??.....that has to be the height of euphmisticism, but I think it would indicate that selling your precious lovelies is the lengths you'd be prepared to go to get a bit of machinery........I actually pawned my pension card, metaphorically speaking, to get my SVM-0........very happy too, and so is Defeng.

In reality, if you have an asset build up that you can't realise on without being homeless, taking out an asset loan is another way of leaving the kids with a debt once you're gone and couldn't care less.

Our bank has asset loans that start out at $20,000, interest only for as long as you want, for whatever purpose you want....no questions or qualifications asked or needed.

When you consider that a 20 grand loan against a potential 500 grand asset value....the banks are well covered, and you only pay interest on the amount you use.
Ian.

I really did not consider the cost of building a shed.....i might have to "pawn" a few things too

[handlewanker]

Hi, Christmas is coming.....if you've been a good boy you might find one in your Christmas stocking.....LOL.......imagine Santa trying to get down the chimney on a wood burner.
Ian.

[ericks]

Hi, Christmas is coming.....if you've been a good boy you might find one in your Christmas stocking.....LOL.......imagine Santa trying to get down the chimney on a wood burner.
Ian.

If only!!! My wife's been complaining about the cost of the router build...the shed's going to cost about the same

[handlewanker]

Yes, women can be so unsympathetic when it comes to your needs.........I suppose a "bribe" in the form of 10% of all you make could sweeten things a bit........no?.......well 100% then, but you first have to have a shed to work in......"you is gonna need quite a few product lines to swing that one over my dear"......they are so unsympathetic.

A year or so back I bought a tin 2M X 3M shed on EBAY for about $350 to store some excess baggage (junk) while we did some house revitalising.....it's still there under the carport, so's the boxes of junk and at last count a million Redbacks too.

So there you have it, a solution, but it comes with strings attached......no fag or beer money for a year, no Mackers or KFC's and you do the washing up and drying up too.........piece of cake.......out in the shed all night making chips and the money is pouring in.

Now if you can get the "Boss" to make some simple ornament thingos when the machine is up and running .....at your guidance.....you might get that brickie yet......such subterfuge.
Ian. .