Build Thread- 1st post - 2nd build

[selimoztunc]

Hello Zoners,

This is my first post so please bear with me

I've been lurking around the forums and reading everything multiple times for the last year (still a nightly read though). While learning a lot from this site, I thought that I must actually start to build a machine to really get to grips with CNCing. So I started building a machine out of MDF and printer parts and controlled it with a homebrew control board setup. As soon as I realized that it's actually doable and inspired by the designs of the members of the Zone (I deeply respect and admire your work) I immediately started a new MDF build with linear bearings, threaded rod and tiny steppers. After doing some actual cutting, countless mistakes and many "hooray" moments, I upgraded the motors to bigger ones and the threaded rods to ballscrews hoping to use them in a better build. This is the outcome and my current setup:





The working area is 850 x 700 mm. X and Y axes have 5 TPI GTEN ballscrews with 16 mm. diameter direct coupled to 1.85 NM motors. The Z axis still has the older motor and threaded rod - homebrew Delrin nut combo. The rods are 20mm. hardened and ground bars (unsupported) from Cromsteel with Samick linear bearings. The machine is mainly made from 18mm. MDF and some Delrin parts machined in my workshop with a tiny Proxxon miter saw and a drill press. It has a Bosch POF500 router/trimmer. The control system consists of a 3.5A 35V 4 axis unit I bought from Ebay powered by a 30V power supply unit and an old Compaq laptop running Windows XP. I mainly use Rhino 4 with RhinoCAM and Mach3.

Maximum attainable speed is 5500mm./min. with this setup BUT it vibrates and rattles like hell. I can cut around 1500 - 2000mm./min. with lighter passes but unsupported rails do flex a bit. But it was still manageable and somehow accurate for my needs. After all it's a hobby machine. Really. I don't need a better one. That's what I felt until I started reading posts about 8020 based machines. I saw Joe's 4x4 and other members' extrusion based routers and started itching for a better, faster, more rigid all metal construction setup. Here is what I'm currently building:

It's about the same size as my current setup. Base from 60 x 60 mm. (Everybody calls it 8020 in the Zone, but over here they call it Sigma profile) and gantry from 40 x 140 mm. aluminium extrusion. All other parts will be milled 6084 - 7075 aluminium. Same 20mm. steel rods fully supported. Open Samick linear bearings, double ballscrews on X axis and a Gecko 540 controller. I drew everything in Rhino and right now cutting every part from HDPE for test fitting. Even with the extrusion + HDPE combo it feels much more rigid than my current setup. Here are some earlier pictures:




I will post current pictures showing the HDPE parts with the gantry installed. I'll be cutting the aluminium parts for the X axis tomorrow if I manage to find a 6mm. collet for my friends Kress 1050 FME.

That's it. If you read it this far, a hearty thanks for your patience.

[BobF]

Looks good.

[analogman]

Guitar amp builder too? I think I see a couple of EL34s lurking in the background...

[selimoztunc]

Yes, that's right. A close friend and I make our own guitars and amps. That's one of the reasons for building a CNC router in the first place.

[BobF]

Mesa Boogie started that way. A little repair shop in Mill Valley, CA. The Tech modified an old Fender for Carlos Santana. Everyone wanted one, so they started a company and designed their own amps to get the same sound. (right, like anybody can get the Carlos Santana sound ;-} ).
I have a couple of friends who build guitars, but they are all acoustic. I have cut some pearl for one. We are working out the kinks so I can do more for him.

[selimoztunc]

I am a big fan of Randall Smith and Mesa sound. Hope to get close to their distorted sound someday.

Cutting of aluminium parts did not go well. My friends machine was a german made Heiz 1000 and looks stable enough for aluminium but we are both inexperienced with this material and our tooling is sub par. It was 12mm. 7075 alu, depth per pass 0.3mm. and feedrate 1000 mm./min. Everything was going fine until the stock moved. This happened twice and I gave up. The created surface wasn't that good either. I will run the new machine with HDPE parts and find an industrial CNC shop for cutting alu, then replace HDPE parts. This is what I have in mind:



Gantry support:





I hope to finish the HDPE parts this week.

[selimoztunc]

Does anybody have drawings for Kress 1050 FME? I didn't have a chance to measure it. I've seen the K2 mount for it and the only measurement I know for sure is the holder diameter which is 43mm.

Thanks in advance.

[haciman]

Congratulations. Good machine. My country is Turkey and i am be happy you saw this forum from the Turkey.

Turkish

Hocam tebrikler. Birkaç senedir bu forumu yarım yamalak ingilizcemle takip etmeye çalışıyorum ve ilk defa bir Türk üyenin başlık açtığını gördüm. Bende nacizane kendi çapımda bir cnc yapmakla uğraşıyorum. İlk makinam olacağı için hareketli tabla modeli bir cnc router yapmaya karar verdim. Elektornik kısmı için 3 adet 1.85 Nm bipolar step motor satın aldım. Sürücü olarakda 2 adet im805 ve bir adet G251s aldım. Elektornik donanımı test ettim. Mekanik içinde bazı eksik parçalarım var (kaplin, yataklı rulman gibi). Onları tamamlayınca makinayı toplamaya başlıyacam inşallah.

Tekrar tebrik ederim.

Ahmet

[selimoztunc]

Happy to see a fellow countryman If you have any questions, my mail address is selim@triointeraktif.com

[selimoztunc]

Greetings all,

I've been working on the machine and it's slowly coming together. This is a render from my Rhino project. It shows the general idea:



I finished cutting the HDPE parts for the X-Axis and test-fitted the gantry.



This is the Y-Axis motor mount:



X-Axis ballscrew holder without the bearing:



X-Axis motor mount, ballscrew and gantry holder:



Right now I'm mounting the Y-Axis rails and will be cutting the parts for Z. If all goes according to plan, I'll be testing the machine before the end of June.

Cheers.

[Spiv]

The machine is looking great...your shop (with tube amps) is looking fantastic. My place is an unholy pit of despaire in comparison.