Half size?

[nalmeida]

Hi there guys, just a quick question, would this design work if everything was reduced by 50% (except for the motors of course)? Would it loose any accuracy? I need a smaller sized machine but I like the design a lot so any thoughts would be great.

[bp092]

You could apply much of the same principles to building a scaled down version but it might require you redesigning a good part of the mdf and hdpe parts. What kind of cutting area are you looking for? Never heard someone find a design and want to make it smaller, everyone always wants a small machine and to max it out bigger, to its fullest ability! This surely is a first lol.

[Sbthomas13]

I love this idea and have often thought about doing it. It would definitely take some work, but I'm sure its possible. I am currently building the full sized machine, but I definitely want to make a machine that is maybe 1/2 the size or smaller to use as a desktop machine in my room.

I'll definitely be looking into this later, but I'd like to first see what some of the more experienced guys out here think about this idea.

[Sbthomas13]

I know that you can scale CAD. So if you were to load all of the CAD parts into one file, then scale it all to half the size, I'm sure this would work....but..then you would have to scale your bit (for cutting the parts out) accordingly and your hardware.

[nalmeida]

Thanks for the replies guys, well, my hobby is model railroading and most of the subjects I work with are very small hence the need for something smaller and more accurate, I'm looking for something that could have a 0.1mm accuracy, I don't know if this accuracy is even possible with this machine. I have also a question about bits, whats the smaller bit you could buy to cut wood (I mean really thin plywood - 0.4 mm).

As for the redrawing itself I don't find it the most difficult part, I've been working in Corel Draw for a long time and I'm slowly getting the hang of Sketchup so I think on that department I'm well covered, my greatest concern was the psychics themselves as smaller weights have different behavior.

As a first I would like to use thiner mdf, if I went half thickness, would it still be rigid enough?
Another question, anyone tried this in acrylic? Is it a possible/viable solution?

[bp092]

I wouldn't reduce the thickness of the materials used, they are plenty strong and that thick for a reason but you would surely have to scale it down appropriately. Acrylic is expensive compared to mdf and not very strong IMO or good for this application.

[joecnc2006]

for very intricate designs and cutting I would go with one of the widgetmaster's machines, he does excellent work.But depends on your part sizes.


http://widgitmaster.com/

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37739

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21872

Joe