my cnc build...

[brucer]

I'm a tool maker by trade and I own my own bridgeport here at home.

When I seen others making machines it got my wheels turning and I've wanted one for a couple years now and I just can't see purchasing a manufactured machine because they simply want to much for them.. I think the kits are way overpriced also..

I started building my machine a couple months ago, working on it little by little. I come up with a design in my head, and started building it with materials I mostly had on hand, and a friend also donated the extrusion and odds and ends, this saved me a great deal of money.. The extrusion was sourced from an old modular office that was purchased at a salvage auction for $40.

My goal was to build my machine for under $800. I've went over it a little, but it was because I decided to build it a little better than initially planned after i got into it.. I will have right at $1000 in it when I'm done.. but no big deal that I went over the budget.. I havent had as much fun building something in a long time.. Its been interesting, the thought process and designing aspect has been interesting and the forethought not to design yourself into a corner makes it more fun....

I think I have come up with a good inexpensive design, The electronics might fall short because I'm using the cheap tb6560 board but initial testing on my Y axis I had the steppers tuned at 900ipm and they were working, I know it wont be that fast when I get everything else hanging on the gantry, but it also leaves room to upgrade..

I'll add pictures randomly though out the build up to the point I am at now so you guys get the idea I'm going with..

[brucer]

some pics

extrusion frame milled to length and bolted together..

using the extrusion frame as a fixture to make the steel frame..

frame clamped up and welded, some tig welded and some mig welded..

[brucer]

a few more pics..

adding casters and leveling feet... leveling feet are carriage bolts with the heads faced flat.. I will probably add some nice leveling pads later on..

[brucer]

here is what i come up with the rails and skates.. I havent seen a design like this yet so I figured I would share it... This is the cheapest way I could figure out for the rails... I used 1x2x1/4" angle.. I milled the 1" side of the angle down to .900 to leave stock, and also get a flat top surface for the bearing to ride on.. I used an extra piece of extrusion as a jig and used my bridgeport to mill the angle..

I was surprised how well they turned out... I used rollpins to locate the rails on the extrusion, button head bolts to bolt the rails down.. The extrusion is 80x40 and 40x40 extrusion..

[brucer]

getting to the skates now... The rails machined out closer than what I figured they would.. after I milled the tops they mic'ed within .005.. I'm going to try to leave them like they are, I just cleaned the scale off of them and using them like they are.. If I need to I can break the sides off and put them in the mill and mill the sides of the rails to get them closer, I dont think I'll have to though, I think they'll wear in better actually..

[brucer]

more of the skates

[brucer]

yet more of the skates.

[brucer]

next is bearing blocks and 4:1 belt drive reduction.. bearings were sourced from vxb..

bearings are press fit in the blocks..

[brucer]

these next pictures are of the gantry side plates, gear reduction mounted, skates adjusted, gantry squared up..

[brucer]

these pictures are of the gantry top plates, and I think I have a picture that show the top straps that secure the gantry beam to the side plates.

[brucer]

arm for computer, monitor,keyboard.

[brucer]

enclosure and electronics mounted up.. added exhaust fan, a filter panel on the bottom, also an outlet... took the stock fan off and replced with 2 12vdc fans, also running the exhaust fan and driver fans off of a transformer instead of the board itself..