Pawelski-CNC Project

[Pawelski]

I got a small CNC machine for a specific project that I hope to turn into a small side business. However, lacking minions and being naturally lazy, it is difficult for me to keep going on projects even when I know what I need to do next.

So, here is where you can help. I set up a twitter account, pawelski_robots, and I am going to start posting regular updates of what I get done under #pawelski-cnc. I would like all of you who are on Twitter to follow me. If I don't post something for several days, tweet me to find out what is up. It will keep me going without the wife having to nag me too much.

Since I already did a lot, I'm going to post longer catch up commentary on this thread. To start with, here is a link to the review I already posted on my experience buying a CNC machine:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showth...152#post793152

I'll try to post more catch up info here tomorrow and start the Twitter posts.

Paul Pawelski

[Pawelski]

Despite the lack of directions or even drawings, I got the mechanical components of the router assembled.

Unfortunately, the nylon couplings for connecting the stepper motors to the ACME rods was drilled out for a smaller motor shaft size. I took the three couplings and enlarged the hole in one side of each using a drill press. However, one of them was not centered well enough and ended up being unusable.

I went to McMaster Carr and got what they consider a light duty coupling. It's huge! I had to change the length of the motor support to fit it in. Within the first dozen times I used the router, the other two couplings failed so I now have the better couplings on all three axis.
before

after

On the picture of the small coupling, you can see the "European Style" wiring connectors I added to the Machine, These are available at Radio Shack and are great for connecting servos and switches without soldering.

I made a master buss for all the stepper wires coming to the router. I then used the trim pieces for industrial bathroom paneling that you can get form Home Depot to hold the wiring as I ran it up the side to the X & Z axis motors. I used spiral conduit from the automobile section in Wall Mart for the Y axis wires and stuffed them into the channel of the extruded frame. I found four wire ribbon cable with large enough gauge to handle the motor loads. It made routing much easier.


Only the Z axis motor moves on this design. The ribbon cable was a little narrower than one of the common C channel so I made a cable try for the Z axis cable to roll in and out of as the motor moves.

[Pawelski]

Since I don't have a shop, I am working in a carpeted spare room. It has an open window into the vaulted ceiling of the living room. Any dust kicked up will go all over the house. Wanting to stay married, I decide that I need to build an enclosure before I start cutting things. I built a frame out of 1x2's and covered it with the kind of thick plastic your crazy aunt had on her furniture when you came to visit as a kid. The sides and front are held in place using clear packing tape which can be easily removed for access. The front piece is just a continuation of the top and back piece so I can just fold it up to get to the machine and hold it in place with three packing tape tabs on the bottom while the machine is running.

Once the box was completed, it was time to make something... Anything!

Mach3 includes some wizards to allow you to create g-code for some common tasks inside the program instead of having to go through your CAD & CAD programs. I played around with the geometric shapes wizard and ended up making a rectangle out of wax.

The iPad is acting up and won't let me attach photos. I'll add them to the next post.