gecko540 with the most basic cnc

[j2sip]

Hi guys,

I'm new to cnc. I plan to purchase a gecko540 and 381oz-in motors from keling. I know THAT, with the right hardware, would make my machine fly but owing to the cost of shipping (to the Philippines) I'm opting to use 3/8-16 full threads for the time being. I'll be using a 36v power supply as per sir mariss' suggestion. My question is will this set up present some problems? The ipms will suffer for sure but will i get a decent enough speed to route/mill some guitar bodies and necks without waiting for days?

Another question. using the above set-up, can the 381s lift a 10lb wood router?

Thanks in advance!

Jordan

[Crevice Reamer]

Hi Jordan. Welcome to the Zone!

Originally Posted by j2sip Hi guys, I'm new to cnc. I plan to purchase a gecko540 and 381oz-in motors from keling. I know THAT, with the right hardware, would make my machine fly but owing to the cost of shipping (to the Philippines) I'm opting to use 3/8-16 full threads for the time being.

When you say full thread, do you mean Acme or threaded rod?

What are the dimensions of your router going to be?
3/8" can get pretty whippy depending on length of travel, and that will cripple speed.

I'll be using a 36v power supply as per sir mariss' suggestion. My question is will this set up present some problems? The ipms will suffer for sure but will i get a decent enough speed to route/mill some guitar bodies and necks without waiting for days?

I recommend a 48-50V PSU for best rapid speed.

Another question. using the above set-up, can the 381s lift a 10lb wood router?

Absolutely, but rough threaded rod might present a friction problem.

CR.

[j2sip]

Thanks a lot for the quick reply.

Sorry I didn't make it clear. Threaded rods, not acme. I will try to buy the stainless steel type and would also polish it to minimize friction. Do you think those anti-whiplash solutions floating around the forum are effective enough to reduce whipping of the threaded rods?

The router is loosely based on buildyourcnc's. The size is 34" x 54" with a working area of approximately 22" x 42". I'll post the plan sometime when all details are finished.

I emailed gecko about the unreliability of current here and sir mariss suggested a 36 to 40v supply to make room for flactuations.

Thanks again. Without your help cnc newbies like me would commit many unnecessary mistakes.


Peace!

jordan

[Crevice Reamer]

Ah, now I understand the 36V.

Wow. forty two inches travel with 3/8" lead sounds pretty whippy to me. I don't think that can work well.

CR.

[j2sip]

hi, sorry for the late reply.

I saw some 1/2-14 and 5/8-11 threaded rods in the city yesterday. Will those work to get a decent enough performance?

Thanks,

jordan

[dertsap]

Originally Posted by j2sip hi, sorry for the late reply. I saw some 1/2-14 and 5/8-11 threaded rods in the city yesterday. Will those work to get a decent enough performance? Thanks, jordan

the 5/8-11 would be your better bet , the 1/2-13 will work as well , my first setup was 24x48 , I used 1/2-13 and while the machine was ugly and slow , it worked , If you get it running fairly optimal with decent drivers and motors then you should be looking at running 40 ipm x y and 25 ipm on the z which is a guess from my own experience and experiments . its not going to be flying but it will get you running and allow you eventually upgrade your gear

[Crevice Reamer]

The 5/8 should not whip. The G540 can really run the motors fast. I've seen a G540 run 16 TPI acme at 200 IPM with a 387, which is not quite as efficient as a 381. Your IPM will depend on how well you can polish that rod though. Acme would be better, and of course ball screws would be best.

CR.

[dertsap]

Originally Posted by Crevice Reamer I've seen a G540 run 16 TPI acme at 200 IPM with a 387, which is not quite as efficient as a 381. CR.

@3200 rpm how much torque is there going to be , that sounds fast for steppers

[Crevice Reamer]

Originally Posted by dertsap @3200 rpm how much torque is there going to be , that sounds fast for steppers

Not much torque, but enough to move a mill table. Not reliable at that speed, just shows how fast a G540 can run a motor.

CR.

[tobyaxis]

Originally Posted by Crevice Reamer Not much torque, but enough to move a mill table. Not reliable at that speed, just shows how fast a G540 can run a motor. CR.

What good is speed when it can't be controlled accurately??

[Crevice Reamer]

Originally Posted by tobyaxis What good is speed when it can't be controlled accurately??

That is just illustrative of how good a G540 is. Rapid speed means a LOT when you have a big router table.

That 3200 RPM speed, using a 5TPI ball screw, instead of the 16TPI, translates into 640 IPM. Tone it down for reliability and 300-400IPM (ACCURATE) rapids are perfectly possible with a G540 and well-matched motor/PSU. It really DOES make motors run fast.

CR.

[j2sip]

the 5/8-11 would be your better bet , the 1/2-13 will work as well , my first setup was 24x48 , I used 1/2-13 and while the machine was ugly and slow , it worked , If you get it running fairly optimal with decent drivers and motors then you should be looking at running 40 ipm x y and 25 ipm on the z which is a guess from my own experience and experiments . its not going to be flying but it will get you running and allow you eventually upgrade your gear

Thanks! Then I'll try the 5/8-11.

The 5/8 should not whip. The G540 can really run the motors fast. I've seen a G540 run 16 TPI acme at 200 IPM with a 387, which is not quite as efficient as a 381. Your IPM will depend on how well you can polish that rod though. Acme would be better, and of course ball screws would be best.

That is nice to know, CR! I won't be hoping for a blindingly fast machine but fast IPMs will be welcome. Does the gecko540 come with DB9 connectors and what does the ends look like?

jordan