How Cheap is Cheap???


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Thread: How Cheap is Cheap???

  1. #1
    Registered HomeCNC's Avatar
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    Default How Cheap is Cheap???

    This CNC hobby, like others is still not cheap in my opinion. My Wood Router that is on my website is something I built from scratch for a learning experience. Even using just plywood for the structure I still had over $300.00 into this thing, and it cut like sh#*. Using Stepperworld’s first Unipolar design it had no power at all.

    What has other people spent on their router or mill for CNC? Was it a usable machine when you were finished?

    Similar Threads:
    Thanks

    Jeff Davis (HomeCNC)
    http://www.homecnc.info


    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)


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    Registered cncadmin's Avatar
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    I spent about 300.00 on my machine but the drives and the some of the parts came from a friend.

    Thank You,
    Paul G

    Check out-
    [URL="http://www.signs101.com"]www.signs101.com[/URL]


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    Registered rcrabb's Avatar
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    I think cheap is building a functional machine for under $1000. I think what keeps the cost down is free stuff. If your lucky enough to have access to machine tools that can help also.



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    Registered balsaman's Avatar
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    Hi,

    I spent about $350.00 for mine. Mostly for the drives.

    Eric

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails How Cheap is Cheap???-cnc-jpg  
    I wish it wouldn't crash.


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    Registered rcrabb's Avatar
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    balsaman, how much did you spend on your slides?



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    Registered balsaman's Avatar
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    Slides and bearings were all salvaged from the scrap bin where I work (factory)...


    Eric

    I wish it wouldn't crash.


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    Registered paulried's Avatar
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    Balsaman:

    What is the main structure (grey painted parts) of your router made of? Aluminum, MDF, or plywood?

    Paul Riedlinger
    Let the chips fall where they may...I'm not going to clean them up!


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    Registered balsaman's Avatar
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    I used MDF. The leadscrews are 1/2-10 acme rod, the nuts are home made from delrin blocks, the steppers are 100 oz. I use a Stepperworld FET3 unipolar board, on 27 volts. I get 45" per minute on x and y and 30 on Z. I use a small router that holds 1/8" and 1/4" collets.

    See my clock threads for some stuff I have made.

    http://www.cnczone.com/showthread.php?threadid=228&s=

    http://www.cnczone.com/showthread.php?threadid=366&s=

    Eric

    I wish it wouldn't crash.


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    Registered paulried's Avatar
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    I saw your clocks and loved them. I have the DXF's and am going to attempt one when my "CHEAP CNC" arrives...hopefully next week.

    What software are you using for Cad. Cam, and machine control?

    Paul Riedlinger
    Let the chips fall where they may...I'm not going to clean them up!


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    Member ger21's Avatar
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    I'm also hoping to stay under $1000. I'm trying to build a 24" x 48" machine running belt driven homemade drive nuts turning on 2 start 1/2-8 acme screws. I've already got my Z-axis bearings, 2 253 oz-in steppers, xylotex boards (3axis + single - 2 motors on moving gantry). If my design works as planned, I should finish somewhere in the $1000 range. If it doesnt work, I'll build a smaller, more conventional machine.

    Gerry

    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html[/URL]

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html[/URL]

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    [URL]http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html[/URL]

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)


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    Registered HomeCNC's Avatar
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    Balsaman is disqualified from the cheap CNC machine contest!!! He has connections we don't have!

    Thanks

    Jeff Davis (HomeCNC)
    http://www.homecnc.info


    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)


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    Registered balsaman's Avatar
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    What software are you using for Cad. Cam, and machine control?
    Autocad

    AceConverter or MasterCam

    TurboCNC



    Eric

    I wish it wouldn't crash.


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    Gold Member chuckknigh's Avatar
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    I've not yet built my machine, however I'm gathering parts.

    I spent a Saturday scoping out salvagable technology -- spent $25 on 5 LASER printers, $4 on some rollerblade bearings (2 packages of brand new bearings at a thrift store), and $0.50 for some offcuts of galvanized pipe at Home Depot.

    I've managed to salvage quite a bit of technology -- 3 very workable steppers, the largest of which is 100 oz-in, the smallet of which is 66 oz-in, and all 200 steps per revolution. Also some gears, some short polished rails (can you say Z axis?) and a few other things.

    I also resold one of the printers for $40...I'm actually in profit! My machine has cost me -$10.50 so far, and I can use some of my scrap MDF from the cabinet project I finished last year, so that won't be a significant cost either.

    Oops...I forgot something. I bought a 486 IBM ThinkPad for this project...$5. So I'm only up $5.50...sorry.

    I think I'l have to buy some bolts...maybe a cutting board at the dollar store...that kind of thing. And, oh yeah, I'm going to homebuild my board, so a few more dollars for chips and solder.

    I'll reuse some old printer cables I have lying around, for the connectors...that sort of thing, and I also have an older AT power supply in the closet.

    This seems like it's going to be a pretty cheap machine! My original budget was $100...I may scale it back to $50 at the rate I'm going! It's fun when projects go this well...

    -- Chuck Knight



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    Member Dan B's Avatar
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    Wow. We just bought a CNC machine for $80,000 US and we thought that was cheap. Of course, it's not for hobby work, but for our company. We've been looking at $750,000 US 5-axis machines. So when I read about $300 or even $1000 machines, I have to chuckle. Then again, these machines will be making big bucks for us, so they will eventually pay for themselves, whereas hobby machines probably won't.

    Dan



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    Out of curiousity what will you be using the 5 axis for?

    Worry about success, failure takes care of itself.


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    I am going to guess before he answers, just to see if I am right.....trimming of plastic? It is the most common usage in 5 axis.

    BTW, $750,000 is a huge chunk of change for a 5 axis. I hope it is something special because you can get a Thermwood Model 67 starting at $94,000 for a 5' x 5' table with a 24" Z. For something a bit bigger you can get the model 70 with 5' X 10' table with 24" or 36" Z for $159,000

    See Thermwood Corp

    BTW Laff Riot, where in NC are you? I am in Greensboro.

    Paul Riedlinger
    Let the chips fall where they may...I'm not going to clean them up!


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    That Model 70 is incredible. With a throat like that I could produce monuments in one piece. I wonder how scaled down I could make that since I'm only carving 15lb foam and extruded PVC for the most part?

    The only 5-axis I saw in that price range was for prototype modeling. Anyone here ever tried building a 5-axis ?

    I'm in the Asheville area. One of the lot here that are trying to extend thier business by making some of these machines.

    Worry about success, failure takes care of itself.


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    Laff: I have a place in Burnsville! If you check out the Classified section at Thermwood, they have a used on for sale! Start saving your pennies.

    Paul Riedlinger
    Let the chips fall where they may...I'm not going to clean them up!


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    Member Dan B's Avatar
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    We will be using 5-axis to drill compound angle holes, and cut undercuts without having multiple set-ups. The idea will be to place our job on the machine, and cut it completely, and drill all holes in one set-up. Sometimes we have jobs that require 5 set-ups per block plus set-ups on 2 sine-plates for drilling the holes. We will save enormous amounts of time with a 5-axis machine.

    Dan



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    Member Dan B's Avatar
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    Sorry Paul, I didn't see page 2...

    The machines we were looking at need to be robust enough to cut tool steel, and have a table size large enough to handle our jobs. We were looking at some machines from Fidia, Breton, Parpus and Depo. Minimum table size for us has to be 48 X 100 with a height of at least 30".

    It seems however, that we are going to jump into the CNC world a little cheaper. Check out www.5-axis.com

    This head will fit onto our existing machine and cost around $50,000. We feel that this may be a good introduction, then once we have ironed out the complex programming issues, once again look at an expensive machine.

    The problem with a $750,000 machine is that there is no latitude for downtime. The cost of the machine does not allow for it sitting idle while we figure out all the little programming issues. We calculated that the expensive machine would have to run 20 hours a day, 6 days a week to justify it's existance. If it happens to be down, or a slow period without work, we have to start laying people off.

    Dan



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