Most useful add-on to your CNC?

[mmm]

After I got my CNC built (smaller machine just used for woodcutting...about 11"x11" cutting area) I immediately started looking for ways to improve it, I'm sure we've all been there.

First was limit switches...it was so cool to see the machine reference all the axis the first time! Then I'd jog it around and do it again, just because it was awesome. Needless to say the girlfriend was less than impressed.

Other than that, the only thing that I've added is an auto tool zero plate. I saw a much nicer one somewhere in a video on here...mine's not nearly as fancy but it's still really handy. It'd be hard to go back to the old eyeball method of zeroing Z to the top of the material. I just took one of those plates that go in the back of your PC to cover up the expansion slots and screwed a wire onto it that ran to the probe pin on my G540. In the video I saw, I guess the router bit had some kind of charge on it or something so nothing else was needed. The only way I could get mine to work was by wiring up an alligator clip to ground and when I'm ready to zero the tool I clip it right above or below the collet on the spindle. Works great every time. Anyways if you don't have one of these yet you should definitely consider it...it's so easy to make and you might use it every time you use your machine.

I'm thinking of adding a laser cross to mine next, not for any real reason other than lasers make everything better. I never really need to set X and Y precisely but I might when I make a bigger machine. I definitely need to look into making a dust skirt thingy too. Thank God Home Depot had the face masks right next to the ear protection headphones or I would have never thought to buy one.

Anybody add something really cool to theirs? Something that would be hard to live without?

[FandZ]

Yes lasers do make everything better. It can increase y travel a good bit too. Unfortunately, I'm still in the learning/building phase. I know this is off topic but anyway you could post up some pictures of the addons you are talking about?

[bradtal]

I added 2 things to my Joes2006 machine that I don't think I could do without...

The first was I added the "sliding knot" idea to my machine to help adjust the gantry, which it did. See my post here. But it also minimized the "shaking" of the x-axis, so I am getting much cleaner cuts now.

The second thing I added, which I absolutely love, is the dust-shroud idea from Buzz Art's webpage Yet Another Dust Collector. Before, changing a bit was a pain because I would have to reach up under the shroud, couldn't see what I was doing, etc. Now, I just pull the clamp off, slide the shroud off, and I have instant access to my bit. It probably takes me 2 seconds to take the shroud off and about that long to put it back on. Well worth it!

Brad

[LeeWay]

Having Mach 3 control my spindles and router. The spindles and coolant stopping when the program is finished is absolutely very cool.
I can and do press cycle start and then forget about them.
That is unless I have a tool change. Not all my programs require those though.

I have three built machines now running and only have one limit switch at the top of Z on the mill. For limits to be really cool, they need to be high quality and repeatable and also be used as home switches. One of these days......I may get around to that on the router.
Just not so critical on the lathe or the mill because of the way I work with them.

[mmm]

Originally Posted by bradtal I added 2 things to my Joes2006 machine that I don't think I could do without... The first was I added the "sliding knot" idea to my machine to help adjust the gantry, which it did. See my post here. But it also minimized the "shaking" of the x-axis, so I am getting much cleaner cuts now. The second thing I added, which I absolutely love, is the dust-shroud idea from Buzz Art's webpage Yet Another Dust Collector. Before, changing a bit was a pain because I would have to reach up under the shroud, couldn't see what I was doing, etc. Now, I just pull the clamp off, slide the shroud off, and I have instant access to my bit. It probably takes me 2 seconds to take the shroud off and about that long to put it back on. Well worth it! Brad

Wow, that is the first time I have seen that dust shroud. That is such a stupid simple idea, looks like it would work awesome! It's amazing what people come up with. I'm going to seriously look into building one of these. I hadn't even thought that the shroud being in the way would be a problem when trying to change tools but it's pretty obvious now that you've said it. Cool!

[mmm]

Just added something else cool...I'm using a Wiimote with my CNC now. It works the same as a regular joystick would work I guess. I used GlovePIE to assign button presses to the standard Mach3 hotkeys so I can jog all three motors, start my auto tool zero process, clear or trigger an estop, and zero the x- and y-axis at the same time (just setting the DRO to 0 I mean). I've still got the '1' and trigger buttons unused. I'm probably going to set the trigger to turning on my crosshair laser that came yesterday after I get it wired up.

Guess it's kind of a wireless pendant. Really helpful! Nice to have an estop in my pocket if I need to do something elsewhere in the garage too...just gotta be careful not to trigger it on accident

[towertek]

Hands down the best thing I ever attached (wirelessly) to my machine.

Easy to program for Mach3, and I would imagine any other controller software too.

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/ga...s/848&cl=us,en

[revwarguy]

Please post details of the game console hookup! Please!??

[Jack000]

that dust collector sounds really interesting, but the site seems to be down.. can anyone explain how it works?

[towertek]

There's nothing to it!

All you do is install the Logitech software on your computer, and then use the logitech software to program Mach 3 just like any other game.

You click on a button, and then tell the logitech software what you want that particular button to do. Things like a run a macro, make a series of keystrokes (which accounts for just about all Mach 3 functions like jogging and tool zero, stop, start, emergency stop. go home, etc. ), execute any command etc.

My unit is a Logitech Rumblepad 2 and cost 29.99 and works flawlessly.

[just_lkn]

Originally Posted by Jack000 that dust collector sounds really interesting, but the site seems to be down.. can anyone explain how it works?

Buzz's IP address changes every now and then.. Search his profile or try here for a long as it last.. Yet another dust collector

[Jack000]

thanks. that is a good idea :]