just a couple question's

[RUNAWAY]

hello
i would like you guys to help me before i decide to build a cnc.
first off in the kits you can get from this site come with the motors and a board with chips that you have to assemble?
second are there detailed drawings of the wiring,reading thru alot of posts some of the wiring becomes overwelming .
third for my first does it matter wat size my cutting table is?
its not the building of the table or the gantry that is keeping me from doing this build its the wiring of the motors and the controlers.
plus if there is any thing else that i will need with one of those kits that aint listed,where can i find out what else i need?
thanks

[georgeburns]

Originally Posted by RUNAWAY hello i would like you guys to help me before i decide to build a cnc. first off in the kits you can get from this site come with the motors and a board with chips that you have to assemble? second are there detailed drawings of the wiring,reading thru alot of posts some of the wiring becomes overwelming . third for my first does it matter wat size my cutting table is? its not the building of the table or the gantry that is keeping me from doing this build its the wiring of the motors and the controlers. plus if there is any thing else that i will need with one of those kits that aint listed,where can i find out what else i need? thanks

It is kind of hard to understand your questions. Is English your second language? Could you rephrase the questions? (especially the first).

[ger21]

What kits are you talking about? HobbyCNC?

[johnmac]

If wiring is a problem, I would recommend a kit with an assembled stepper driver board, matched steppers and power supply. Another place to look is www.stepperworld.com. You will need to determine the motor power needed for the table you design. The Stepperworld setup is a good starter kit. If your building a table with linear rails and ball screws, you may want a higher quality /priced stepper kit.

John

[RUNAWAY]

hello
thanks john that is wat i was looking for. as English being my second language i think not. i ASSUMED, my bad that saying THIS SITE meant cnczone due to the post being in there forum. sorry i didnt phrase my questions better.

[Crevice Reamer]

Hi RUNAWAY. Welcome to the Zone!

I think your best bet to cut down on wiring will be to wait about a month for the new Gecko 540 to be available. This is a breakout board combined with 4 stepper motor drivers. All the wiring it needs is a parallel port cable from the computer, 2 Power Supply wires, and the motor control cables that attach with DB9 connectors.

It comes fully assembled, will handle 50 Volts and 3.5 amps per motor and probably sell for $250. This is WAY more powerful than either Hobby CNC or Zylotex.

CR.

[ger21]

Originally Posted by Crevice Reamer Hi RUNAWAY. Welcome to the Zone! I think your best bet to cut down on wiring will be to wait about a month for the new Gecko 540 to be available. This is a breakout board combined with 4 stepper motor drivers. All the wiring it needs is a parallel port cable from the computer, 2 Power Supply wires, and the motor control cables that attach with DB9 connectors. It comes fully assembled, will handle 50 Volts and 3.5 amps per motor and probably sell for $250. This is WAY more powerful than either Hobby CNC or Xylotex. CR.

I'd expect that it'll be closer to $300-$350. And you'll still need a power supply and motors. But it will give you the most bang for the buck. If that's out of your budget, look at the Xylotex, or Probotix boards. You'll probably want to avoid the Stepperworld drives, as their performance won't be nearly as good as the others.

[RUNAWAY]

hello
thanks for all the help. its not the wiring thats bothering me so much as the soldering of the chips and the board that i would like to skip.

for my first machine i would like a kit that will take out all the guess work and trial and error of matching motors to servos and so on.

is a roto zip alright to use?

[Crevice Reamer]

Well, the kits take out the guesswork by supplying lowest common denominator performance. When you later upgrade, you will not have SAVED money, but spent MORE.

If you are just fooling around, that's ok and a learning experience. But if you plan any sort of production capability, you are better off to do your homework now and get components that give you best performance.

CR.

[Crevice Reamer]

Originally Posted by RUNAWAY ...is a roto zip alright to use?

I assume you mean to use it for cutting holes in sheet metal for connectors etc? Sure. With the metal-cutting xbit it will cut up to 18 gauge steel.

CR.

[ger21]

I'd look at a small router like the Bosch Colt before a RotoZIP, but if you already have one, a Rotozip will work.

[Crevice Reamer]

Oh! I forgot you were building a router. I agree with Gerry. Don't buy the Roto Zip just to use as a router head.

CR.